2017 discharge: European Banking Authority (EBA)

Having examined the revenue and expenditure accounts for the financial year 2017 and the balance sheet as at 31 December 2017 of the European Banking Authority (EBA), as well as the Court of Auditors' report on the annual accounts of the Authority for the financial year 2017, accompanied by the Authority's replies to the Court's observations, the Council recommended the European Parliament to give a discharge to the Director of the Authority in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2017.

The Council welcomed the Court's opinion that, in all material respects, the Authority's annual accounts present fairly its financial position as at 31 December 2017 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended, in accordance with the provisions of the Authority's Financial Regulation, and that the underlying transactions for 2017 are legal and regular in all material respects.

Nevertheless, the following observations were made:

- financial programming: the Council encouraged the Authority to continue improving its financial programming and monitoring of the budget implementation, taking into account the decision on the future location of the Authority.

- procurement: the Council, whilst taking note of the Authority's reply and actions taken, regretted the weaknesses found by the Court in the Authority's procurement procedures and called on the Authority to take appropriate actions in order to ensure the effectiveness of the process, competition in its procurement procedures, as well as the full implementation without unjustified delay of electronic public procurement;

- staff: the Council encouraged the Authority to ensure proper transparency and publicity of its vacancy notices, while avoiding unjustified costs.