2012 discharge: Euratom Supply Agency (ESA)

The Committee on Budgetary Control adopted the report by Petri SARVAMAA (EPP, FI) on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2012.

Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the annual accounts of the Agency for the financial year 2012 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Members approve the closure of the Office’s accounts. However, they made a number of recommendations that needed 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.

Recalling that, according to its financial statements, the final budget of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2012 was EUR 104 000, Members reminded the Commission of the Court of Auditors' observation that between 2008 and 2011, the Agency did not receive its own budget and the Commission directly financed and discharged all expenditure, a situation which the Court of Auditors considered to be at odds with the Statutes of the Agency.

They also noted with concern that for 2012, although the Commission granted the Agency its own budget amounting to EUR 98 000 (EUR 104 000 including financial revenue from its own investments), nevertheless, most of the Agency’s expenditure was still financed directly by the Commission. Members called the Commission to provide an explanation for this situation.