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2011 discharge: European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA)

2012/2197(DEC)

The Committee on Budgetary Control adopted the report by Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY (ADLE, NL) on discharge to be granted to the Executive Director of the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2011.

Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the annual accounts of the Agency for the financial year 2011 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Members approve the closure of Agency’s accounts. However, they make 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 draft resolution on performance, financial management and control of EU agencies:

  • Financing, budget and financial management: Members recall that the overall budget of the Agency for the year 2011 was EUR 8.1 million, which is slightly less than its budget for 2010. The initial contribution of the Union to the budget of the Agency amounted to EUR 7.9 million.
  • Implementation rate of appropriations and carryovers: Members state that appropriations were committed at a rate of 100%, while payments reached 85.82% of the total appropriations managed. They are concerned that, once again, the Court of Auditors reported 33% of carryovers from the Agency’s operational budget. This situation may cause delays in the implementation of the Agency’s activities.

Lastly, Members made a series of observations as regards the Agency’s procurement and recruitment procedures.

It should also be noted that Members are concerned that the work of the Agency would be fragmented through a division of its headquarters between Athens and Heraklion, which would significantly increase the Agency's operational costs and contradict the principle of sound financial management by adding financial and administrative burdens. To recall, the construction of the Agency's brand new high-tech building in Heraklion was completed in 2011 with a cost of EUR 6 million. Members call for a cost-benefit analysis to be undertaken of the division of the Agency's headquarters and of the resulting parallel functioning in two cities.