Changes between two versions
What changed between the plenary report and the adopted text
From · plenary report· 12 Mar 2024
on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2022
Changes to the text itself, in document order. Cover page, citations and punctuation-only edits are left out; they are under “Every difference”.
The changes · 12
Change 1
Removed:2. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION
Added:2. European Parliament decision of 11 April 2024 on the closure of the accounts of the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2022 (2023/2176(DEC))
Removed:on the closure of the accounts of the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2022
Change 2
Removed:3. MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION
Added:3. European Parliament resolution of 11 April 2024 with observations forming an integral part of the decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2022 (2023/2176(DEC))
Removed:with observations forming an integral part of the decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2022
Change 3
Changed:11. Notes that, at the year-end 2022, the EU-Rail Joint Undertaking had implemented 100%100 % of its commitment appropriations made available in its active budget (Titles 1 to 3); notes, in addition, that the payment appropriations were implemented up to 79,1%79,1 % of the active funds (respectively 79%79 % of implementation when compared to the full EU-Rail Joint Undertaking budget including Title 4);
Change 4
Changed:12. Notes, that, by means of the Governing Board Decision No 08/2021 of 25 November 2021, the Governing Board of the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking adopted the initial Annual Work Plan and Budget for 2022, which continued to apply to EU-Rail Joint Undertaking by means of adoption by the EU-Rail Joint Undertaking Governing Board of the so-called “omnibus decision”; notes that, by the time of such adoption, the budget appropriations included in the Budget 2022 were not foreseen to cover the full financial year 2022, but to ensure the running of the activities till the launch of the new partnership, the EU-Rail Joint Undertaking, and to ensure the necessary business continuity of the activities;
8 more changes
Change 5
Changed:13. Notes that, as regards the administrative costs, the implementation rate in commitment appropriations was 100%100 % and in payment appropriations was 84%84 % (compared to 95%95 % in 2021); notes that the EU-Rail Joint Undertaking justified this decrease with the fact that the EU-Rail Joint Undertaking could only expect to reach its full staffing by the end of the year at the earliest;
Change 6
Changed:14. Notes that the implementation rate of the Operational Budget in commitment appropriations was 100%100 % and 79%79 % in payment appropriations (compared to 84%84 % in 2021); understands that the implementation rate also includes EUR 76 000 relating to Expert Evaluators which are managed by the Services of the European Research Executive Agency;
Change 7
Changed:19. Notes, with satisfaction, that the private members had legally committed to provide in-kind contributions to the EU-Rail Joint Undertaking’s operational activities of EUR 320,7 million, and in-kind contributions to additional activities of EUR 244 million or 123,7 %123,7% of the minimum target of EUR 456,5 million, and that these committed amounts were reported at the end of 2022;
Change 8
Changed:22. Commends the pivotal milestones achieved by the Shift2Rail Programme by the end of 2022, with full commitment of resources and about 86%86 % of the Programme realized and 91%91 % in term of financial Programme execution for 2023, in view of reaching the TRL6/7 operational demonstrations planned for conclusion during 2023;
Change 9
Changed:32. Notes that Title 1 and Title 2 of the budget were executed up to 100%,100 %, with Title 1 (Staff Expenditure) being used mainly for staff salaries; notes that, during the year, the EU-Rail Joint Undertaking also made use of external support to fill the gaps until the recruitments of staff are finalised and to cope with the workload related to the EU-Rail Joint Undertaking activities;
Change 10
Changed:36. Notes that from the Consolidated Annual Activity Report of the EU-Rail Joint Undertaking, improvements are still expected regarding gender balance, at management board as well as in all other EU-Rail Joint Undertaking levels; notes that EURailEU-Rail Joint Undertaking had in 2022 for the management board, 28 (58%)(58 %) men and 21 (42%)(42 %) women; notes that the gender ratio at the level of EU-Rail Joint Undertaking’s management was 78%78 % men and 22%22 % women and the whole staff was made up of 65%65 % men and 35%35 % women ; welcomes that the management board has appointed a second female Head of Unit position to the management team of the EU-Rail Joint Undertaking; suggests the EU-Rail Joint Undertaking to continue to improve gender balance and strive for a balanced geographical balance in this respect;
Change 11
Changed:37. Acknowledges that, for Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe expenditure, the Common Audit Service of the Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) is responsible for the ex-post audits; notes that, for Horizon 2020 expenditure (clearings and final payments), the EU-Rail Joint Undertaking reported a representative error rate of 2,2 % and a residual error rate of 1,3 %70;%;
Change 12
Changed:45. Notes, in particular, that the EU-Rail Joint Undertaking ensured reasonable lump sums by using financial experts during the call evaluation procedures and carefully investigated and negotiated all cost items questioned by the financial experts during the grant agreement preparation phase, in accordance with Commission Decision C(2017) 7151C(2017)7151 of 27 October 2017 on authorising the use of reimbursement on the basis of a lump sum for the eligible costs of actions under the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme;