Legislative Observatory
European Parliament
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2016 discharge: European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex)

2017/2164(DEC)

Having examined the revenue and expenditure accounts for the financial year 2016 and the balance sheet at 31 December 2016 of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States (Frontex), as well as the Court of Auditors' report on the annual accounts of the Agency for the financial year 2016, accompanied by the Agency's replies to the Court's observations, the Council recommended the European Parliament to give a discharge to the Executive Director of the Agency in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2016.

The Council welcomed the Court's opinion that, in all material respects, the Agency's annual accounts present fairly its financial position as at 31 December 2016 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended, in accordance with the provisions of the Agency's Financial Regulation, and that the underlying transactions for 2016 are legal and regular in all material respects.

The Agency was called on to:

  • avoid irregular payments, ensuring compliance with all EU Regulations;
  • continue improving its financial programming in order to reduce the level of commitments carried over to the next financial year to the minimum strictly necessary, in line with the budgetary principle of annuality. The Council supported the Court's suggestion to introduce differentiated appropriations;
  • avoid any unjustified delays in the launching of procurement procedures, as well as delays in the signature of cooperation agreements that could be detrimental to cooperation with the Agency's partners;
  • continue implementing staff retention measures in order to ensure that it will cope with the workforce needed for the extension of its mandate in the following years.