2022 discharge: Euratom Supply Agency (ESA)

The European Parliament decided to grant discharge to the Acting Director General of the Euratom Supply Agency (ESA) for the financial year 2022 and to approve the closure of the accounts for that year.

Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it had obtained reasonable assurance that the Agency's annual accounts for the financial year 2022 were reliable and that the underlying transactions were legal and regular, Parliament adopted, by 577 votes to 16 with 13 abstentions, a resolution containing a series of recommendations which form an integral part of the discharge decision and which complement the general recommendations contained in the resolution on the performance, financial management and control of EU agencies.

Agency’s financial statements

The Agency's final budget for the year 2022 was EUR 167 000, representing a decrease of 20.48 % compared to 2021 (EUR 210 000).

Budgetary and financial management

Budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2022 resulted in the implementation of the current year commitment appropriation rate of 96.88 % representing a slight a decrease of 2.88 % compared to 2021. The execution of current year payment appropriation rate was 34.81 % representing a decrease of 16.4 % compared to 2021.

A large part of the Agency’s expenses are covered by the Commission, including the salaries calculated in EUR 1 937 817, the premises and IT expenses calculated in EUR 467 708 and the nuclear observatory and ESA management of information (NOEMI) IT system calculated in EUR 84 644.

Other observations

Parliament also made a series of observations concerning staff policy and public procurement.

In particular, it noted that:

- 2022 was marked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, raising EU concerns for the energy security in general, and in particular undermining the Union’s security of supply for nuclear materials and fuel and aggravating dependence issues;

- the Agency should report on how it has reduced the Union’s dependence on Russian nuclear fuel since 2022 in particular since the beginning of the war when the nuclear industry was exempted from sanctions and how the reduction and diversification affected the costs;

- the Agency’s efforts were welcomed to cooperate with partners and stakeholders to strengthen the security of supply of nuclear materials in view of the illegal and unprovoked Russia invasion to Ukraine;

- on 31 December 2022, the establishment plan was 100 % filled with 17 permanent posts, 8 administrators, 7 assistant posts and 2 assistant and secretarial posts;

- the Agency should improve its public procurement procedures, ensuring full compliance with the applicable rules, so that they achieve the best possible value for money;

- the Agency reinforced the access security to its premises, all members of staff and all external contractors hold security clearance.