2012 discharge: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)

The European Parliament adopted a decision concerning the discharge to be granted to the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) 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 477 votes to 78, with 14 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:

• Financing, budget and financial management: Parliament recalled that the budget of the Agency for the financial year 2012 was EUR 20. 376 million. It noted that budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2012 resulted in a budget implementation rate of 100%. It noted that the payment appropriations execution rate was 78.5%. Budget implementation for operational expenditure was low at 49% of committed appropriations, due to the multiannual nature of certain activities.
• Legality and regularity of operations: Parliament was concerned that in 2012, the Agency procured cleaning services via cascading framework contracts to two suppliers and due to a clerical error during the evaluation of offers, the ranking of the contractors was incorrect. It acknowledged that following the Court of Auditors’ audit, the Agency has amended the ranking of the contractors accordingly.
• Carryovers: Parliament commended the Agency for adhering to the principle of annuality and for the timely execution of its budget.
• 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.

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

Lastly, it acknowledged that the Agency would review its policy on the prevention and management of conflicts of interests on the basis of the Commission's Guidelines on the Prevention and Management of Conflict of Interest in EU Decentralised Agencies. It called on the Agency to inform the discharge authority on the assessment results once available.