2008 discharge: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights FRA

PURPOSE: to present the final accounts of the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) for the financial year 2008.

CONTENT: this document sets out a detailed account of the implementation of the 2008 budget, including the revenue and expenditure and the balance sheet for the year concerned. According to this document, the final budget amounted to EUR 15 million (compared to EUR 14.2 million in 2007).

As regards staffing policy, the Centre, whose head office is based in Vienna (Austria), officially set out 49 posts in its establishment plan. 35 of these are currently occupied and there are 23 other members of staff (contract agents, seconded national experts and employment agency staff), totalling 72 members of staff assigned to administrative, operational and mixed tasks.

During 2008, the Agency’s activities concentrated on the following:

RAXEN network

·        Number of contributions by the 27 national focal points: 219

·        Number of meetings: 1

FRALEX (new network)

·        Number of contributions by legal experts 201;

·        Number of meetings 2

Research Reports

·        Number of reports: 6

·        Number of meetings: 21

·        Annual Reports: 2

Non-Research materials

·        Various publications: 13

Cooperation with Member States and other Institutions

·        Member States: 9

·        European Commission: 17

·        European Parliament: 6

·        Committee of the Regions: 2

·        Council of Europe: 25

·        OSCE: 7

·        United Nations: 6

·        Other meetings and round tables: 18.

The complete version of the final accounts may be found at the following address: http://www.fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/home/home_en.htm