2009 discharge: Artemis Joint Undertaking to implement a Joint Technology Initiative in Embedded Computing Systems

The European Parliament adopted by 532 votes to 83, with 33 abstentions, a decision on discharge to be granted to the Executive Director of the ARTEMIS Joint Undertaking in respect of the implementation of the Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2009.

Noting that the Joint Undertaking’s annual accounts for the financial year 2009 are reliable, and the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Parliament approves the closure of its accounts. However, it makes a number of recommendations that need to be taken into account when the discharge is granted:

• implementation of the budget: Parliament notes that the utilisation rate of payment appropriations was low even though ARTEMIS is still in a start-up period;
• internal control systems: Parliament urges ARTEMIS to complete the implementation of its internal controls and financial information system. It invites it to include in its Financial Rules a specific reference to the powers of the Internal Audit Service of the Commission as its internal auditor. It considers that the role of the Commission as internal auditor should be to advise ARTEMIS on dealing with risks, by issuing independent opinions on the quality of management and control systems and by issuing recommendations for improving the conditions of implementation of operations and promoting sound financial management. In view of the size of its budget and the complexity of its tasks, ARTEMIS should consider establishing an audit committee, reporting directly to the Administrative Board;

• lack of host agreement: Parliament urges ARTEMIS to rapidly conclude a host agreement with Belgium.