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European Parliament
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2013 discharge: EU general budget, European Data Protection Supervisor

2014/2085(DEC)

The European Parliament adopted by 559 votes to 111, with 25 abstentions, a decision to give discharge to the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2013.

In its resolution accompanying the discharge decision, adopted by 583 votes to 105, with 6 abstentions, Parliament welcomed the fact that the Court of Auditors observed that all payments for the year ended on 31 December 2013 relating to human resources and procurement for the EDPS were free from material error and that the supervisory and control systems were effective. Furthermore, no significant weaknesses had been identified in respect to the audited topics related to the human resources and procurement for the Supervisor.

Budgetary and financial management: EDPS had a total allocated budget of EUR 7 661 409 and that the implementation rate was 84.7% (83.2% in 2012). Members found this a positive development and called for further efforts to improve the implementation rate.

Actions of the EDPS: Members welcomed the fact that the EDPS took note of the observations made by Parliament in its 2010 and 2012 discharge resolutions when drawing up its strategy for 2013-2014 and that the implementation of the strategy had brought about positive results. They noted that the authorising officer by delegation takes the view that the level of management and control is appropriate and is being improved.

Parliament made a series of observations on the Ombudsman’s daily management and asked for:

  • continued monitoring of the management of allowances and improvement of EDPS performance levels;
  • information about the budgetary impact of the reorganisation of the EDPS secretariat;
  • notification of how many times the video-conference system was used in meetings in 2013;
  • continuing to provide the scoreboard in the annual activity report;
  • clarifications on buildings policy;
  • the introduction into the annual report of an exhaustive table of all the human resources at EDPS's disposal, with a break-down according to grade, sex and nationality;
  • the introduction of an equal opportunities plan specifically geared towards management posts;
  • a reduction in the costs of away days;
  • strengthening cooperation with the other institutions to work out a uniform method of presenting translation costs;
  • the introduction of a procedure to assess the possible impact of certain publications in advance, with a view to publishing them along with an explanatory report so as to avoid them being used in a biased way.

Parliament remains concerned by the delayed adoption of the internal whistleblowing rules. In general, EDPS should pay greater attention to the principle of sound financial management.