2001 discharge: European Agency for safety and health at work

PURPOSE : to present the Council Recommendation on the discharge to be given to the Director if the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Agency for Safety and health at Work for the financial year 2001. CONTENT : based on the observations made by the Court of Auditors on the implementation of the budget, the Council recommends that the European Parliament give a discharge to the Director of the Agency. Recalling that EUR 1.7 million (85%) of the EUR 2 million in appropriations carried forward from the financial year 2000 to the financial year 2001 have been utilised and that EUR 6.2 million in appropriations have been carried forward from the financial year 2001 to the financial year 2002 and that EUR 1 million have been cancelled, the Court considers it important to make comments on this issue. In particular, the Council welcomes the fact that the Court of Auditors has been able to record a statement of assurance in respect of the reliability of the Agency's accounts for the financial year 2001, and in respect of the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions as a whole. The Council shares the Court's view on the need to improve the quality and monitoring of the planning of the Agency's operational activities with a view to limiting the carrying over of operating appropriations. The Council calls upon the Agency to apply without delay the valuation and depreciation rules for assets and to take account of them in the financial statements. The Council notes the Agency's undertaking to follow the Court's recommendations on setting up a system for monitoring pending recovery orders and the carry-over of appropriations relating to the reimbursement of missions.�