# CE2004065EN.01017001.xml

| 13.3.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 65/170 |
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13.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 65/170

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(2004/C 65 E/187)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2532/03

by Gabriele Stauner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 July 2003)

Subject:   Conflict of interests for the Commission's Accounting Officer

Subject:

On 1 January 2003 Mr Brian Gray was appointed Accounting Officer of the Commission. He is also Deputy Director-General for the Budget.

Does the Commission consider that this dual role is in keeping with the provision of the new budgetary rules, which require a strict functional separation between execution of the budget and accounting?

The Directorate-General for the Budget's organization chart on the Internet shows that while a number of heads of division of this Directorate-General report directly to Mr Gray this is not true of the accounting services.

Will the Commission say whether this is an oversight? If not, to whom do the accounting services report?

The organisation chart also shows that the Secretariat of the Commission's Audit Progress Committee reports to Mr Gray. He thus has a considerable say as regards inspections carried out by the Commission's internal audit service and the evaluation of its findings.

Does the Commission agree that this situation creates a potential conflict of interests for Mr Gray, in particular if the internal audit service wishes to inspect accounting and cash management?

Answer given by Mrs Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(30 September 2003)

(30 September 2003)

In recognition of the importance of the role played by the Accounting Officer, the Commission decided that this function should be occupied at the level of A1, and appointed Mr Brian Gray, the Deputy Director-General of Directorate General (DG) Budget. The execution of the budget is the responsibility of the delegated authorising officers in the operational Directorate-Generals. DG Budget is responsible for the execution of own resources and of its own administrative expenses. Mr Gray has no sub-delegations for any revenue or expenditure operations, nor do any staff of the services which report directly to him, namely Directorate C, and Unit 01. The Commission considers therefore that there is a strict functional separation in his respect.

The work associated with the responsibilities of the Accounting Officer, as set out in Articles 61 and 63 of the Financial Regulation (1), is undertaken by Directorate C of DG Budget, the Director of which reports directly to the Deputy Director-General. The organisation chart will clarify this issue.

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In order to facilitate the organisation of the Audit Progress Committee meetings, which concern several Commission services and external experts, the Commission decided on 9 July 2003 to transfer the Secretariat of the Audit Progress Committee to the Secretariat General. The organisation chart will be updated in this respect once the administrative procedures to implement this decision have been completed.

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(1)  Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities, OJ L 248, 16.9.2002.

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