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2012 discharge: European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)

2013/2219(DEC)

The European Parliament adopted a decision concerning the discharge to be granted to the Executive Director of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012. The vote on the discharge decision approved the closure of the accounts (in accordance with Annex VI, Article 5(1) of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament.

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, Parliament adopted by 519 votes to 61, with 13 abstentions, a resolution containing a series of recommendations that form an integral part of the discharge decision and as well as the general recommendations that appear in the draft resolution on performance, financial management and control of EU agencies.

These recommendations are summarised as follows:

  • Budget and financial management: Parliament noted that the overall level of appropriations committed was 95%. It noted with concern that carry-overs of committed appropriations were high (46%) although this is partly justified by the multiannual nature of the Agency’s operations. Nevertheless, it considered that such a high level is at odds with the budgetary principle of annuality.
  • Prevention and management of conflicts of interests and transparency: Parliament welcomed the Agency's adoption of the "cooling off period" of non-assignment for a year, so that anyone new to the organisation is not allocated work on files they had directly worked on in the previous five years. It noted that following the recommendation of the discharge authority, the Agency will include information and statistics on the management of conflicts of interests in its 2013 annual activity report.
  • Performance: Parliament requested that the Agency communicate the results and impact its work has on European citizens in an accessible way, mainly through its website.

Members also made a series of observations on transfers, procurement and recruitment procedures as well as comments on internal controls.