2014 discharge: EU general budget, European Commission and executive agencies

PURPOSE: to grant discharge to the European Commission for the financial year 2014.

NON LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU, Euratom) 2016/1460 of the European Parliament on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2014, Section III — Commission and executive agencies.

CONTENT: with the present decision, the European Parliament grants discharge to the Commission for the implementation of its budget for the financial year 2014.

In its resolution attached to the Decision on discharge, the European Parliament deplored that payments have been materially affected by error due to the partial effectiveness of the supervisory and control systems.

Although it welcomed the fact that the Court delivered a favourable opinion on the reliability of the accounts for 2014, Parliament deplored that the payments were affected by an error rate of most likely 4.4 % well above the 2 % ceiling. It stated that the highest levels of error were identified in spending in favour of economic, social and territorial cohesion and competitiveness for growth and jobs.

Meanwhile Parliament stated that it considered the discharge process not exclusively as it is related to the particular year, but as a continuous process.

If in the past, the discharge procedure verified whether funds were legally and regularly spent, Parliament stated that as of now, verifications should monitor whether policy goals have been achieved, appropriate results reached and the principles of sound financial management and a ‘performance culture’ respected.

It underlined that the main objective of the Union budget is to benefit Union citizens and, in parallel, to protect the Union’s financial interests and comply with the obligations and objectives laid down in the Treaties.  The benefits consist in support oriented towards development and current priorities compatible with the economic policy context and economic performance, also taking into account the necessary flexibility to cope with new situations that may arise and with emergencies.