2002 Discharge: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction

PURPOSE : Council Recommendation on the implementation of the EU's budget for the European monitoring centre for drugs and drug addiction covering the financial year 2002. CONTENT : Taking into account the positive Report from the Court of Auditors concerning the Centre's annual accounts the Council recommends that the European Parliament should give a discharge to the Director of the Centre for the implementation of the budget covering the financial year 2002. The Council does, however, have some comments to make. They concern, in particular, the fact that for the financial year 2001-2002 only EUR 2.8 million, or 87.5%, of the EUR 3.2 million have been carried forward in appropriations. Similarly, for the financial year 2002-2003 only EUR 1.6 million have been carried forward in appropriations with EUR 1 million having to be cancelled. In respect to this situation the Council notes with regret the irregularities in non-automatic carry-over appropriations. The Centre is invited to keep automatic carry-overs to a minimum, in order to improve the implementation of the budget in line with the principle of annuality. The Council also notes that the current inventory system is less than satisfactory in that goods are not identified and their location not specified. Lastly, concerning management of the staff, the Council calls on the Centre to take appropriate measures to remedy the persistent shortcoming applied to the selection procedures for the Centre's staff.�