2003 discharge: European Maritime Safety Agency

PURPOSE : presentation of the financial statements and the balance sheets for the European Maritime

Safety Agency for the financial year 2003.

CONTENT : this report presented by the European Maritime Safety Agency presents the financial statements and balance sheets of its activities in 2003.

The European Maritime Safety Agency was established by Regulation 1406/2002/EC of 27 June 2002 therefore the year 2003 was the first in which the Agency actually began to carry out its operational activities.

The final budget of the Agency amounts to EUR 4.5 million in 2003 with a 100% Community contribution.

As regards the staffing policy, the Agency, whose temporary headquarters is in Brussels but planned relocation to Lisbon, Portugal, has not provided data concerning this issue.

The main objective of the European Maritime Safety Agency is to ensure a high, uniform and effective level of maritime safety and prevention of pollution by ships. It should provide the Member States and the Commission with technical and scientific assistance and it should monitor the implementation of the relevant Community legislation and evaluate the effectiveness of the measures in place. To date, the Agency has delivered 2 opinions and 4 inspections.