2015 discharge: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)

PURPOSE: to grant discharge to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) for the financial year 2015.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2017/1720 of the European Parliament on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for the financial year 2015.

CONTENT: with the present decision, the European Parliament grants discharge to the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for the implementation of its 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 regretted the fact that the Agency's mandate still limits its role as regards the support for fundamental rights. It stressed that the Agency should be able to offer opinions on legislative proposals on its own initiative and that its remit should extend to all areas of rights protected under the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, including, for example, issues of police and judicial cooperation.

Parliament noted that the Agency has introduced for its staff a practical guide on the management and prevention of conflicts of interest and has developed an anti-fraud strategy. The Agency was congratulated for continuing its research on the situation of Roma in the Union as well as its work on the fight against anti-Gypsyism.

Lastly, Parliament recommended the inclusion of the proposed new thematic areas of police cooperation and judicial cooperation in criminal matters in the new Multiannual Framework, currently under negotiation.