Legislative Observatory
European Parliament
Please fill in this field to find a procedure

2014 discharge: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)

2015/2167(DEC)

The European Parliament decided to grant discharge to the Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction in respect of the implementation of its budget for the financial year 2014. The vote on the decision on discharge covers the closure of the accounts (in accordance with Annex V, Article 5 (1)(a) to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure.

Noting that the Court of Auditors has stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the Centre’s annual accounts for the financial year 2014 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Parliament adopted by 508 votes to 113 with 8 abstentions, a resolution containing a series of recommendations, which form an integral part of the decision on discharge and which add to the general recommendations set out in the resolution on performance, financial management and control of EU agencies:

  • Centre’s financial statements: Parliament noted that the final budget of the Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction for the financial year 2014 was EUR 15 675 036 representing a decrease of 3.88 % compared to 2013.
  • Budget and financial management: Parliament noted that the budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2014 resulted in a budget implementation rate of 99.62 % and that the payment appropriations execution rate was 94.93 %, representing a slight decrease of 2.78 % compared to 2013. It also noted that 26% of administrative expenditure was carried over because they mainly relate to multiannual projects.

Parliament made a series of observations regarding commitments and carryovers, as well as on internal audit and control procedures. In regard to preventing and managing conflicts of interest, it reminded the Centre that it must adopt binding internal rules on whistle-blowers; further calls on the Centre to establish clear rules against "revolving doors".

As regards performance, Parliament welcomed the accelerated implementation of the Centre’s multi-annual information and communication technologies (ICT) strategy.

Lastly, Parliament noted that the Centre continued its efforts to find a suitable solution for some areas of its “Cais do Sodré Relógio” building which remains partially unused. It acknowledged that the negotiations with the Lisbon Port Authority, the owner of the premises, for the reduction of the rent are in progress. It called on the Centre to inform the discharge authority on the further progress in this issue.