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2010 discharge: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)

2011/2218(DEC)

The European Parliament adopted by 512 votes to 85, with 25 abstentions, a decision to grant discharge to the Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2010. The decision to grant the discharge also closes the accounts for the Agency for that year.

Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the annual accounts for the financial year 2010 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Parliament adopted by 537 votes to 71, with 8 abstentions, a resolution containing a number of recommendations that need to be taken into account when the discharge is granted, in addition to the general recommendations that appear in the resolution on performance, financial management and control of EU agencies:

  • Budget and Financial Management: Parliament establishes from the annual accounts that the original budget of the Agency for 2010 has been amended twice and that transfers have taken place. It calls on the Agency to provide the discharge authority with information on the reasons behind these changes;
  • Carryover appropriations: Parliament notes an improvement in the Agency's carryover appropriations over the years. It notes in particular, that in 2010 it reduced its cancellation rate to 11 % from 19 % in 2009. It calls on the Agency to further improve the situation by avoiding delay in the implementation of its activities;
  • Human Resources: Parliament notes the weaknesses in the recruitment of staff. It calls on the Agency to inform the discharge authority about the measures the Agency took to recruit staff;
  • Internal audit: Parliament acknowledges from the Agency that the IAS undertook a follow-up on the open recommendations of past audits. It notes, in addition, that the IAS performed an audit on website and external communication in November 2010 and notes in particular that on this audit the IAS raised seven recommendations, none of them were rated as "critical" but two were considered as "very important". It calls therefore on the Agency to promptly implement these two recommendations and to inform the discharge authority on the measures taken.