2011 discharge: European GNSS Agency (GSA)

The European Parliament adopted a decision on discharge to be granted to the Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2011. The vote on the decision to grant discharge covers the closure of the accounts (in accordance with Annex VI, Article 5(1) of the European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure).

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

• Financing, budget and financial management: Parliament recalls that the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011 was EUR 38.7 million, which was contributed by the Union (EUR 8.2 million operating subsidy and 30.5 million operational funds), and represents a major increase from 2010 (almost EUR 16 million). It draws the Agency's attention to the Court of Auditors' finding that in 2011, payments amounting to EUR 4.8 million (22 % of the amount paid during the year) were made after the deadlines stipulated in the Financial Regulation. Members also observe a certain number of delays in payments to the Agency’s project contractors.
• Recruitment procedures: Parliament notes the lack of transparency in the recruitment procedures. It encourages, therefore, the Commission to allow for a certain degree of simplification of the Staff Regulations in regard to the agencies.

Lastly, Parliament made a series of observations as regards a certain number of contested claims relating to grants given for projects under the 6^th and 7^th RTD Framework Programmes, and managed by the Agency.