2003 discharge: EC general budget, Court of Auditors

The European Parliament adopted a resolution drafted by Alexander STUBB (EPP-ED, FI) granting the Court of Auditors discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget for the 2003 financial year. (Please see the summary of 17/03/2005). The European Court of Auditors (ECA) administered a budget of EUR 77 076 689 of which 96.83 % had been committed and 89.58 % spent by 31 December 2003.

Parliament added that it was of the opinion that there could be a need to analyse whether the current structure and functioning of the "top heavy" European Court of Auditors should be reformed. At the moment the Court of Auditors has 736 employees, of whom 325 are professional auditors (A and B grades), with 275 (A and B grades) working in the audit groups and 50 (A grades) in Members' cabinets.