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2012 discharge: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)

2013/2213(DEC)

The European Parliament adopted a decision concerning the discharge to be granted to the Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) 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 495 votes to 73, with 11 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:

  • Role of the Agency: Parliament welcomed the continued contribution of the Agency in the promotion of high standards of safety and health at work in the Union. It pointed out the Agency’s important key activities in 2012, such as the Foresight project linked to risks associated with green jobs and the launch of the Healthy Workplaces Campaign. It looked forward to the Agency's new multiannual strategic programme, which is closely linked to the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy and will support the much needed and expected Union strategy on safety and health at work 2013-2020.
  • Financing, budget and financial management: Parliament recalled that the budget of the Agency for the financial year 2012 was EUR 15.3 million. It noted at the same time that that the budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2012 resulted in a budget implementation rate of 94.64%.
  • Carryovers: Parliament saw with concern that EUR 3.2 million (22% of the budget) had been carried over to 2013 and, that the high level of the carryover might be explained by the multiannual nature of certain projects. It also noted the cancellation rate for certain appropriations was mainly the result of frozen recruitment procedures.
  • 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.

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

Lastly, it acknowledged that the Agency will adopt a conflict of interest policy in 2014 based on the Commission's Guidelines on the Prevention and Management of Conflict of Interest in EU Decentralised Agencies and called on the Agency to inform the discharge authority upon the adoption of that policy.