Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 26.9.2009
RESOLUTION OF  THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
of 23 
April 2009
with observations forming an integral part of the Decision on discharge in respect of the 
implementation of the bu dget 
of the Eu ropean 
Centre for D isease 
Prevention and Control for the 
financial year 2007
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT,
—having reg ard to the final annual accounts of the European Centre for Disease Preven tion and Control for 
the financial 
year 2007
(1) OJ C 278, 31.10.2008, p. 48. (1), 
—having 
regard 
to the Court of Auditors’ report on  
the final 
annual 
account
s of the E uropean 
Centre 
for 
Disease Preven tion 
and 
Control 
for the fin ancial 
year 2007, tog ether 
with the Cen tre’s 
replies
(2) OJ C 311, 5.12.2008, p. 122. (2), 
—having 
regard 
to the Coun cil’s 
recommen dation 
of 10 February 
2009 (5588/2009 — C6-0060/2009), 
—having 
regard 
to the EC 
Treaty, an d 
in 
particular Article 276 thereof, 
—having 
regard 
to Council 
Regulation 
(EC, 
Euratom) 
No 1605/2002 of 25 June 
2002 on 
the Financial 
Regu­
lation
 applicable
 to the general
 budget
 of the European
 Commun ities
(3) OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1. (3), and in particular Article 185 
thereof,
 
—having 
regard 
to Regulation 
(EC) 
No 851/2004 of the E uropean 
Parliamen t 
and 
of the Coun cil 
of 21 April 
2004 estab lishing 
a European 
Centre 
for Disease Preven tion 
and 
Control
(4) OJ L 142, 30.4.2004, p. 1. (4), and in particular Article 23 
thereof,
 
—having
 regard
 to Commission Reg ulation
 (EC,
 Euratom)
 No 2343/2002 of 19 Novemb er
 2002 on the 
framework  
Financial 
Regulation 
for the bodies 
referred to in  
Article 185 of Reg ulation 
(EC, 
Euratom) 
No 
1605/2002
(5) OJ L 357, 31.12.2002, p. 72. (5), and in particular Article 94 thereof, 
—having 
regard 
to Rule 71 of, an d 
Annex 
V to, its Rules of Procedure, 
—having 
regard 
to the report of the Committee on  
Budgetary 
Control 
and 
the opinion 
of the Committee on  
the 
Environment, 
Public 
Health an d 
Food Safety (A6-0170/2009),
A. whereas the Court of Auditors (E CA) stated that it has ob tained reasonable assurance that the an nual 
accounts 
for the fin ancial 
year 2007 are reliab le, 
and 
the underlying 
transaction s 
are legal 
and 
regular,
B. whereas on  22  April 2008 Parliamen t granted the Director of the E uropean Centre for Disease Preven tion 
and 
Control 
discharge 
in 
respect of the implemen tation 
of the Cen tre’s 
bud
get 
for the fin ancial 
year 
2006
(6) OJ L 88, 31.3.2009, p. 126. (6), and, inter alia, noted the ECA’s observation, in its 2006 an nual report, that n early 45 % of the 
commitmen ts
 entered
 into
 during
 the year were carried over, an d
 that during the secon d
 half of 2006 
numerous 
transfers 
were made, due main ly 
to imprecise estimates of staffin g 
needs, 
without the Cen tre’s 
Management 
Board havin g 
been 
informed 
in 
due time,
1. Notes that the Cen tre’s 
budget 
increased 
from EUR 17 
100 000 in  
2006 to E UR 28 
900 000 in  
2007;
2. Considers 
the Centre 
to be 
an 
important 
institution 
for the stren gtheni
ng 
and 
developmen t 
of European 
disease 
surveillance 
and 
for the assessmen t 
and 
communi
cation 
of current 
and 
emerging 
threats to human  
health 
posed by 
infectious 
diseases;N E 4 3 1 / 5 5 2 L
Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion L 255/135
3. Notes with satisfaction  that in 2007 the Cen tre was able to develop a con s iderable number of products 
and 
services on  
epidemiolog y, 
surveillan ce 
and 
prevention 
and 
control 
of commun icable 
diseases, as well 
as publish 
a variety of scien tific 
reports;
4. Notes that, in  
2006, the carry-over rate was n early 
45 %, and 
that no 
major improvemen t 
was made in  
2007, 
when 
it was close to 43 %, which shows the Cen tre’s 
difficulties in  
implemen ting 
its budget;
5. Notes, 
furthermore, the E CA’s 
observation 
that the level of b udget 
amendmen ts 
revealed weak nesses 
in 
the 
monitoring 
of budget 
implemen tation;
6. Is 
concerned 
by 
the ECA’s 
finding 
that this situation  
is at odds with the prin ciples 
of annuality 
and 
specification ;
7. Notes 
the ECA’s 
observation 
that, althoug h 
the Centre’s 
2007 work  
progr
amme was activity-b ased, 
bud­
get 
amendments 
were not 
accompan ied 
by 
an 
evaluation  
of their impact on  
the work 
programme 
and 
the 
achievemen t 
of objectives;
8. Is 
satisfied with the Cen tre’s 
reply that it has b een 
updating 
its work 
programme 
in 
the event 
of budget 
amendments 
as from 2008;
9. Notes the E CA’s 
criticism con cerning 
the limited reliab ility 
of the spreadsheet b ased 
inventory;
10. Is 
satisfied that mean while 
the Centre 
implemen ted 
a new 
asset invento
ry system, which will b e 
used for 
the closure of the 2008 accoun ts;
11. Is 
concerned 
by 
the ECA’s 
observation 
that the Cen tre 
disbursed 
EUR 500 
000 on 
renovation 
works 
on 
the 
buildings 
rented 
for its premises, an d 
that, as in 
2006, these work s 
were decided upon  
by 
direct agree­
ment 
between 
the Centre 
and 
the owner 
without specifyin g 
the nature 
of the work s 
and 
the deadlin es 
and 
payment 
conditions; 
notes 
that, accordin g 
to the ECA, this practice did n o
t comply with the fin ancial 
regu­
lation 
and 
was at odds with the prin ciple 
of economy;
12. Calls 
on 
the Centre 
to align 
its practices with the fin ancial 
regulatio
n 
and 
the principle 
of economy 
as a 
matter of urg ency, 
and 
to report on  
the follow-up to the E CA’s 
observations 
in 
its report on  
budgetary 
and 
financial 
management 
2008;
13. Notes the prog ress 
made in 
the implemen tation 
of the Cen tre’s 
recruitmen t 
plan, 
but 
underlines 
that fur­
ther efforts have to b e 
made to reach the full quota of employees;
Follow-up 
to previou s 
discharge exercises
14. Notes that, as in  
2006, the E CA 
detected weak nesses 
as regards 
budget 
implemen tation, 
in 
particular a 
high 
level of appropriation s 
carried over;
15. Calls on 
the Centre 
to follow up on  
the ECA’s 
recommen dations, 
in 
particular as reg ards 
budget 
imple­
mentation, 
and 
to report on  
the action  
taken 
and 
the results achieved in  
its forthcomin g 
annual 
report 
2008;
16. Refers for other ob servations 
accompan ying 
its Decision  
on 
discharge 
which are of a horizon tal 
nature 
to 
its Resolution  
of 23 April 2009 on  
financial 
management 
and 
control 
of EU 
agencies
(1) See page 206 of this Official Journ al. (1).N E 9 0 0 2 . 9 . 6 2