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2015 discharge: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)

2016/2182(DEC)

PURPOSE: to grant discharge to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) for the financial year 2015.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2017/1660 of the European Parliament on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Chemicals Agency for the financial year 2015.

CONTENT: with the present decision, the European Parliament grants discharge to the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2015.

This decision is in line with the European Parliament's resolution adopted on 27 April 2017 and comprises a series of observations that form an integral part of the discharge decision (please refer to the summary of the opinion of 27 April 2017).

Amongst Parliament’s main observations in the resolution accompanying the discharge decision, the latter noted that, in line with the discharge authority's recommendation from the previous year, it will include in its next annual report a separate chapter on transparency, accountability and integrity.

Parliament welcomed that the CVs and declarations of interests are well organised, visible, accessible and user-friendly on the Agency's website and that the guidelines for whistleblowers were adopted in December 2015.

Parliament noted that the Agency has implemented a robust conflict of interest policy and a detailed anti-fraud strategy in order to contribute to a culture of high ethical behaviour among the staff and experts working for the Agency.

Lastly, it welcomed the progress made in developing the authorisation process under the REACH Regulation and noted the Agency's conclusions that further improvements can still be made. The Agency’s proactive approach in seeking a dialogue with Parliament to address issues raised in its resolution of 25 November 2015 on the draft Commission Implementing Decision granting an authorisation for uses of bis(2-ethylhexhyl) phthalate (DEHP) under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council was welcomed.