2008 discharge: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights FRA

Based on the observations contained in the revenue and expenditure account and the balance sheet of the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency for the financial year 2008, as well as on the Court of Auditor’s report and the Agency’s replies to the Court’s observations, the Council recommends that the Parliament grant the Director of the Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2008.

The Council welcomes the Court's opinion that, on the one hand, the Agency's annual accounts present fairly, in all material aspects, the financial position as at 31 December 2008 and the results of operations and cash-flows for the year then ended, in accordance with the provisions of the Agency's Financial Regulation, and that, on the other hand, the underlying transactions for the financial year ended on 31 December 2008 are, in all material respects, legal and regular.

However, the Council considers that observations made in the Court of Auditor’s report call for a certain number of observations to be taken into account when granting discharge, particularly on the following points:

• work programme and performance indicators: the Council regrets the shortcomings identified by the Court in the specification of objectives in the Agency's work programme and the lack of specific and measurable performance indicators. It is concerned about the limited possibilities of assessing achievements and identifying deficiencies resulting from such shortfalls;
• activity based management: the Council calls on the Agency to implement an activity based management approach which provides clear indicators linked to objectives set out at activity level.