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2011 discharge: SESAR Joint Undertaking to develop the new generation European air traffic management system

2012/2216(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 SESAR Joint Undertaking in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’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 Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2011 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Members approve the closure of the Undertaking’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: the budget for the 2008-2013 development phase of the SESAR project is EUR 2.1 billion. The Joint Undertaking's final budget for the financial year 2011 included commitment appropriations of EUR 148 million and payment appropriations of EUR EUR 91.7 million.

Implementation rate of appropriations and carryovers: Members further acknowledge that the utilisation rates for commitment and payment appropriations were 99.4% and 82.4% respectively. They point out that that year-end deposits in bank accounts totalling EUR 15.3 million still represents a breach of the budgetary principle of equilibrium. They call on the Joint Undertaking to continue to implement concrete measures to attain budget equilibrium.

Members also made a series of observations as regards the Undertaking’s control and internal audit systems, late payments of membership contributions and other management issues. 

Lastly, Members reiterate the invitation for the Court of Auditors to provide, within a reasonable deadline, a special report to Parliament on common issues which occur due to the nature of the joint undertakings in order to ensure their added value and efficient execution of Union research, technological development and demonstration programmes. They further note that the same report should include an assessment of the effectiveness of the joint undertakings' establishment and structure.