2003 discharge: European Aviation Safety Agency

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

Safety Agency for the financial year 2003.

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

The final budget of the Agency amounts to EUR 4.75 million in 2003 with a 100% Community contribution.

As regards the staffing policy, the Agency, whose temporary headquarters are in Brussels but planned relocation to Cologne, Germany, has a total of 80 posts. 1 post is currently occupied and 16 others are auxiliary contracts. Therefore, there is effectively 17 staff assigned to operations, administrative and mixed duties.

The European Aviation Safety Agency was established by Council Regulation 1592/2002/EC of 15 July 2002 therefore the year 2003 was the first in which the Agency actually began to carry out its operational activities. As a consequence, the activities are limited to the main missions provided for by Regulation 1592/2002/EC, which are :

- to deliver a number of opinions to the Commission (2 in 2003);

- to provide the Commission with a number of specifications and guidance documents on air safety (19);

- to certify decisions (2 132 with 1 606 relating to minor modifications).

Lastly, in 2003, the Agency did not carry out any inspections or investigations in the Member States.