2015 discharge: Euratom Supply Agency

The European Parliament decided to grant discharge the Director-General of the Euratom Supply Agency (ESA) in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2015.

The vote on the discharge decision covers the closure of the accounts (in accordance with Annex IV, Article 5(1)(a) to its Rules of Procedure).

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 2015, Parliament adopted by 496 votes to 111, with 11 abstentions, a resolution containing 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 resolution on performance, financial management and control of EU agencies.

These recommendations may be summarised as follows:

• Agency’s financial statements: Parliament noted that the final budget of the Agency for the financial year 2015 was EUR 125 000, representing an increase of 20.19 % compared to 2014.
• Budget and financial management: it also noted that budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2015 resulted in a commitment appropriations execution rate of 98.92 %, representing an increase of 7.84 % compared to 2014.

Parliament made some comments as regards the Agency’s staff. It also noted that in 2015, the Agency prepared and presented to its advisory committee a draft proposal to amend its rules in order to bring them into line with current market practices. It stressed that if adopted, this would be the first revision of the rules since 1975. It called on the Agency to inform the discharge authority of further developments regarding the amendment of its rules.