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2014 discharge 2014: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)

2015/2166(DEC)

The Committee on Budgetary Control adopted the report by Derek VAUGHAN (S&D, UK) on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for the financial year 2014.

The parliamentary committee calls on the European Parliament to grant the Director of the Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014.

Noting that the Court of Auditors issued a statement of assurance as to the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions for the financial year 2014, Members call on Parliament to approve the closure of the Agency’s accounts. They made, however, 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:

  • Agency’s financial statements: Members note that the final budget of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for the financial year 2014 was EUR 21 229 000, representing a decrease of 0.56 % compared to 2013. 99 % of the budget of the Agency derives from the Union budget.
  • Budget and financial management: Members note that budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2014 resulted in a budget implementation rate of 100 %. However, committed appropriations carried over to 2015 were at 25 % administrative expenditure and at 75 % for operating expenditure.

Members also made a series of observations regarding commitments and carryovers, preventing and managing conflicts of interest, as well as on contract award, recruitment and internal audit procedures.

Members ascertain that an independent evaluation of the Agency was undertaken in 2012 to evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, added value, utility, coordination and coherence of the Agency’s work. They note that one of key priorities included in the Agency’s Strategic plan 2013-2017 is to help enhance the Agency’s contribution to processes at national level. They also note that in February 2014 the Agency launched a webpage for children as part of its website section on the rights of the child where children can find information on what their rights are, who decides on their rights, what the Agency does for children and links if they want to know more.

Lastly, Members call for an overall improvement in the prevention of, and the fight against, corruption through a holistic approach, commencing with better public access to documents and more stringent rules on conflicts of interest.