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2007 discharge: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control ECDC

2008/2268(DEC)

The Committee on Budgetary Control adopted the report by. Christofer FJELLNER (EPP-ED, SE) on discharge to be granted to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control calling on the European Parliament to grant the Director of the Centre discharge in respect of the implementation of its budget for the financial year 2007.

Noting that the Centre’s annual accounts for the financial year 2007 are reliable, and the underlying transactions are legal and regular, MEPs approve the closure of the Centre’s accounts.

However, they make a number of recommendations as part of the decision on discharge. In addition to the general recommendations appearing in the draft resolution on financial management and control of EU agencies (see 2008/2207(INI)), MEPs make the following observations:

  • the fact that, in 2006, the carry-over rate was nearly 45 %, and that no major improvement was made in 2007, when it was close to 43 %, which shows the Centre´s difficulties in implementing its budget;
  • that the level of budget amendments revealed weaknesses in the monitoring of budget implementation;
  • that the Centre disbursed EUR 500 000 on renovation works on the buildings rented for its premises, and that, as in 2006, these works were decided upon by direct agreement between the Centre and the owner without specifying the nature of the works and the deadlines and payment conditions; notes that, according to the ECA, (this practice did not comply with the financial regulation and was at odds with the principle of economy).

MEPs call on the Centre to align its practices with the financial regulation.

As regards the follow-up to previous discharge exercises, MEPs note that, as in 2006, the Court of Auditors detected weaknesses as regards budget implementation, in particular a high level of appropriations carried over. They call on the Centre to follow up on the Court's recommendations, in particular as regards budget implementation, and to report on the action taken and the results achieved in its forthcoming annual report 2008.