52015TA1209(34)

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Document 52015TA1209(34)

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Report on the annual accounts of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions for the financial year 2014, together with the Foundation’s reply

OJ C 409, 9.12.2015, p. 307–314 (BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, HR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)

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Official Journal

9.12.2015

Official Journal of the European Union

C 409/307

REPORT

on the annual accounts of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions for the financial year 2014, together with the Foundation’s reply

(2015/C 409/34)

INTRODUCTION

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (hereinafter ‘the Foundation’, aka ‘Eurofound’), which is located in Dublin, was established by Council Regulation (EEC) No 1365/75 (1). The Foundation’s task is to contribute to the planning and establishment of better living and working conditions in the Union by increasing and disseminating knowledge which is relevant to this subject (2).

INFORMATION IN SUPPORT OF THE STATEMENT OF ASSURANCE

The audit approach taken by the Court comprises analytical audit procedures, direct testing of transactions and an assessment of key controls of the Foundation’s supervisory and control systems. This is supplemented by evidence provided by the work of other auditors and an analysis of management representations.

STATEMENT OF ASSURANCE

Pursuant to the provisions of Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the Court has audited:

(a)	the annual accounts of the Foundation, which comprise the financial statements (3) and the reports on the implementation of the budget (4) for the financial year ended 31 December 2014; and

(b)	the legality and regularity of the transactions underlying those accounts.

The management’s responsibility

The management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the annual accounts of the Foundation and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions (5).

(a)

The management’s responsibilities in respect of the Foundation’s annual accounts include designing, implementing and maintaining an internal control system relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error; selecting and applying appropriate accounting policies on the basis of the accounting rules adopted by the Commission’s accounting officer (6); making accounting estimates that are reasonable in the circumstances. The Director approves the annual accounts of the Foundation after its accounting officer has prepared them on the basis of all available information and established a note to accompany the accounts in which he declares, inter alia, that he has reasonable assurance that they present a true and fair view of the financial position of the Foundation in all material respects.

(b)

The management’s responsibilities in respect of the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions and compliance with the principle of sound financial management consist of designing, implementing and maintaining an effective and efficient internal control system comprising adequate supervision and appropriate measures to prevent irregularities and fraud and, if necessary, legal proceedings to recover funds wrongly paid or used.

The auditor’s responsibility

The Court’s responsibility is, on the basis of its audit, to provide the European Parliament and the Council (7) with a statement of assurance as to the reliability of the annual accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions. The Court conducts its audit in accordance with the IFAC International Standards on Auditing and Codes of Ethics and the INTOSAI International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions. These standards require the Court to plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance as to whether the annual accounts of the Foundation are free from material misstatement and the transactions underlying them are legal and regular.

The audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgement, which is based on an assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the accounts and material non-compliance by the underlying transactions with the requirements in the legal framework of the European Union, whether due to fraud or error. In assessing these risks, the auditor considers any internal controls relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of the accounts, as well as the supervisory and control systems that are implemented to ensure the legality and regularity of underlying transactions, and designs audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. The audit also entails evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies, the reasonableness of accounting estimates and the overall presentation of the accounts. In preparing this report and statement of assurance, the Court considered the audit work of the independent external auditor performed on the Foundation’s accounts as stipulated in Article 208(4) of the EU Financial Regulation (8).

The Court considers that the audit evidence obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for its statement of assurance.

Opinion on the reliability of the accounts

In the Court’s opinion, the Foundation’s annual accounts present fairly, in all material respects, its financial position as at 31 December 2014 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended, in accordance with the provisions of its Financial Regulation and the accounting rules adopted by the Commission’s accounting officer.

Opinion on the legality and regularity of the transactions underlying the accounts

In the Court’s opinion, the transactions underlying the annual accounts for the year ended 31 December 2014 are legal and regular in all material respects.

10.	The comments which follow do not call the Court’s opinions into question.

COMMENTS ON BUDGETARY MANAGEMENT

11.

In 2014, the overall level of committed appropriations was high at 99,7 %, indicating that commitments were made in a timely manner. However, the level of committed appropriations carried over to 2015 was high for title III (operational expenditure) at 3 8 14 156 euro, i.e. 53,7 % (2013: 3 3 75 781 euro, i.e. 48,6 %), mainly in relation to multiannual projects, for which activities were implemented and payments were made according to schedule, and in relation to one multi-annual project for which implementation was brought forward to 2014 but where payments are only due in 2015.

OTHER COMMENTS

12.

In 2005 new EU Staff Regulations entered into force, including provisions that future remunerations of officials recruited before 5 August 2005 should not be less than under the previous EU Staff Regulations. The Court’s audit revealed that this was not complied with and, in the case of 20 of the 75 officials employed at that time, this led to a total underpayment of 1 28 735 euro for the period 2005 to 2014. The Foundation’s accounts include a provision for this amount.

FOLLOW-UP OF PREVIOUS YEAR’S COMMENTS

13.

An overview of the corrective actions taken in response to the Court’s comments from the previous year is provided in Annex I.

This Report was adopted by Chamber IV, headed by Mr Milan Martin CVIKL, Member of the Court of Auditors, in Luxembourg at its meeting of 8 September 2015.

For the Court of Auditors

Vítor Manuel da SILVA CALDEIRA

President

(1) OJ L 139, 30.5.1975, p. 1.

(2) Annex II summarises the Foundation’s competences and activities. It is presented for information purposes.

(3) These include the balance sheet and statement of financial performance, the cash flow table, the statement of changes in net assets and a summary of the significant accounting policies and other explanatory notes.

(4) These comprise the budgetary outturn account and the annex to the budgetary outturn account.

(5) Articles 39 and 50 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1271/2013 (OJ L 328, 7.12.2013, p. 42).

(6) The accounting rules adopted by the Commission’s accounting officer are derived from the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) issued by the International Federation of Accountants or, where relevant, the International Accounting Standards (IAS)/International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.

(7) Article 107 of Regulation (EU) No 1271/2013.

(8) Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1).

ANNEX I

Follow-up of previous year’s comments

Year	Court's comment	Status of corrective action (Completed/Ongoing/Outstanding/N/A)
2013	The Foundation carried out a comprehensive physical inventory exercise at the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014. At the time of the Court’s audit in February 2014, a physical inventory report had not yet been finalised. Tests carried out by the Court revealed that not all fixed assets were barcoded and recorded in the register and accounts. Equipment with a value of 2 09 843 euro (1) had been expensed instead of being capitalised, the error was corrected following the Court’s audit. Some assets could not be traced to the suppliers’ delivery notes in order to ensure the correct starting date for the calculation of the depreciation charge.	Completed
2013	The facts presented in the previous paragraph represent considerable internal control weaknesses in the area of fixed assets registration and accounting.	Completed
2013	In 2013, the overall level of committed appropriations was 99 %, indicating that commitments were made in a timely manner. However, the level of committed appropriations carried over to 2014 however was high at some 6 62 831 euro (35,6 %) for title II (administrative expenditure) and some 3 3 75 781 euro (48,6 %) for title III (operating expenditure).	N/A
2013	Carry-overs of committed title II appropriations mainly related to the procurement of IT hard- and software (2 81 934 euro, of which purchases amounting to 1 89 934 euro were originally planned for 2014), urgent and unforeseen repair works (69 000 euro) and refurbishment works to be contracted and planned for the beginning of 2014 (2 30 718 euro).	N/A
2013	For title III, committed appropriations carried over amounting to 2 6 25 543 euro concerned multi-annual projects for which activities were implemented and payments were made according to schedule. Unplanned carry-overs of 7 50 238 euro mainly related to an increase in the budget for several projects to enhance their scope and quality (65 %), translation services ordered in December 2013 but originally planned for 2014 (14 %), delays in procurement procedures (7 %), late invoicing by contractors (14 %) and other events beyond the Foundation’s control.	N/A
2013	The Foundation became operational in 1975 and has, to date, worked on the basis of correspondence and exchanges with the host Member State. However, a comprehensive headquarters agreement between the Foundation and the Member State has not been signed. Such an agreement would further promote transparency in respect of the conditions under which the Foundation and its staff operate.	Ongoing

(1) Air conditioning system and other equipment in the Foundation’s Conference Centre.

ANNEX II

European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin)

Competences and activities

Areas of Union competence deriving from the Treaty

(Article 151 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union)

The Union and the Member States, having in mind fundamental social rights such as those set out in the European Social Charter signed at Turin on 18 October 1961 and in the 1989 Community Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers, shall have as their objectives the promotion of employment, improved living and working conditions, so as to make possible their harmonisation while the improvement is being maintained, proper social protection, dialogue between management and labour, the development of human resources with a view to lasting high employment and the combating of exclusion. […]

Competences of the Foundation

(Council Regulation (EEC) No 1365/75, as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1111/2005)

Objectives

The aim of the Foundation shall be to contribute to the establishment of better living and working conditions by increasing and disseminating knowledge which is relevant to this subject. In particular, it is required to consider the following areas:

—	man at work,

—	organisation of work and particularly job design,

—	problems peculiar to certain categories of workers,

—	long-term aspects of the improvement of the environment,

—	the distribution of human activities in space and in time.

Tasks

—	To foster the exchange of information and experience in these fields,

—	to facilitate contact between universities, study and research institutes, economic and social administrations and organisations,

—	to carry out studies or to conclude study contracts and to provide assistance for pilot projects,

—	to cooperate as closely as possible with existing specialised institutes in the Member States and at international level.

Governance

The Governing Board (GB)

—	From each Member State: one government representative, one representative from employers’ organisations and one workers’ representative,

—	three representatives from the Commission,

—	one regular meeting per year.

The Bureau of the GB

—	Consists of 11 members; three members from each of the social partners and the governments, two from the Commission,

—	it monitors the implementation of decisions of the GB and takes measures to ensure proper management between GB meetings,

—	six regular meetings per year.

The Director and Deputy Director are appointed by the Commission from a list of candidates submitted by the GB. The Director implements the decisions of the GB and its Bureau and manages the Foundation.

Internal audit

European Commission’s Internal Audit Service (IAS).

External audit

European Court of Auditors.

Discharge authority

European Parliament acting on a recommendation by the Council.

Resources available to the Foundation in 2014 (2013)

Budget

20,9(20,6) million euro

Staff at 31 December 2014

Officials and temporary staff:

99 (101) posts provided for in the establishment plan, of which 96 (99) were occupied at 31 December 2014

Other staff:

Seconded National Experts: 0 (0)

Contract staff: 14 (13)

Total staff employed: 110 (112)

Allocated to (1) :

Operations (Operating activities): 79 (78)

Administration & Coordination (Administrative tasks): 19 (29)

Mixed: 12 (5)

Activities and services provided in 2014

Increasing labour market participation and combating unemployment by creating jobs, improving labour market functioning and promoting integration

—	European Restructuring Monitor (ERM): 1 464 restructuring fact sheets added; four issues of ERM quarterly published

—	European Restructuring Monitor: ERM report 2014 — Restructuring in the Public Sector

—	Report on ‘Labour mobility: Recent trends and policies’

—	Report on ‘Effects of restructuring at regional level and approaches to dealing with the consequences’

—	Report ‘Mapping youth transitions in Europe’

—	Searchable database on restructuring case studies developed, showing how companies anticipate and manage change.

Improving working conditions and making work sustainable throughout the life course

—	Establishment of the European Observatory of Working Life as an integrated observatory on industrial relations and working conditions in the EU

—	Fifth European Working Conditions Survey: Policy lessons from the fifth EWCS: The pursuit of more and better jobs

—	Preparation of Sixth European Working Conditions Survey (fieldwork to start in February 2015)

—	Report: National working conditions surveys in Europe: A compilation

—	Report: Psychosocial risks in Europe: Prevalence and strategies for prevention

—	Report: Employment opportunities for people with chronic diseases.

Developing industrial relations to ensure equitable and productive solutions in a changing policy context

—	Establishment of the European Observatory of Working Life as an integrated observatory on industrial relations and working conditions in the EU (see also above)

—	Report: Industrial relations and working conditions developments in Europe 2013

—	Report: Social partners and gender equality in Europe

—	Report: Changes to wage-setting mechanisms in the context of the crisis and the EU’s new economic governance regime

—	Report: Social dialogue in micro and small enterprises.

Improving standards of living and promoting social cohesion in the face of economic disparities and social inequalities

—

Third European Quality of Life Survey:

—	Foundation Findings: Quality of life in urban and rural Europe; Work preferences after 50; Social situation of young people in Europe

—	Trends in quality of life: reports published on Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and on Turkey

—	Report: Social cohesion and well-being in the EU

—	Report: Access to healthcare in times of crisis.

Communication and sharing ideas and experience

—	1 01 760 downloads of reports from Eurofound website. 1 7 03 298 user visits.

—	125 publications in PDF (786 linguistic versions).

—	328 EU policy documents quoting references to Eurofound findings and expertise.

—	94 on-request contributions to events.

(1) The new allocation split follows the unified benchmarking exercise according to paragraph 29(3) of the Financial Regulation. This exercise was carried out by Eurofound for the first time in December 2014.

Source: Annex supplied by the Foundation.

THE FOUNDATION’S REPLY

11.

Eurofound has taken note of the Court’s comment on the high level of committed appropriations carried over to 2015 in title III. Eurofound appreciates the thorough analysis of the budget implementation and for mentioning the reasons for the carry-overs (multiannual projects implemented according to schedule and a project which was implemented earlier than planned).

12.

The underpayment of several staff members following the change to the 2005 Staff Regulation has been resolved and the amounts owed to staff members were paid in June and July 2015. Eurofound would like to specify that the calculation of salaries is externalised by Eurofound to the European Commission’s PMO (Paymaster’s Office).

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