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 
Food 
Safety Au thority 
for the financial year 2007
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT,
—having  reg ard  to the fin al  annual  accounts  of the European  Food Safety Authority for the finan cial  
year 2007
(1) OJ C 278, 31.10.2008, p. 35. (1), 
—having 
regard 
to the Court of Auditors’ report on  
the final 
annual 
account
s of the European 
Food Safety 
Authority for the fin ancial 
year 2007, tog ether 
with the Authority’s replies
(2) OJ C 311, 5.12.2008, p. 100. (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 178/2002 of the E uropean 
Parliamen t 
and 
of the Coun cil 
of 28 Janu­
ary 
2002 layin g 
down 
the general 
principles 
and
 requiremen ts 
of food law, estab lishing 
the European 
Food 
Safety Authority an d
 laying
 down procedures in matters of food safety
(4) OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1. (4), and in particular Article 44 
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 (A6-0172/2009),
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 Exe cutive Director of the European  Food Safety Author­
ity discharg e 
in 
respect of the implemen tation 
of the Authority’s b udget 
for the fin ancial 
year 2006
(6) OJ L 88, 31.3.2009, p. 184. (6), 
and 
in 
its resolution  
accompan ying 
the discharg e 
decision, 
inter 
alia,
—noted 
that underspending 
of paymen ts 
in 
2006 was main ly 
related to the Authority’s difficulties in  
recruiting 
highly-skilled 
scientific 
staff in 
Parma; stressed that on ly 
two-thirds of the 250 posts avail­
able 
under 
the Authority’s estab lishment 
plan 
had been 
filled by 
the end 
of 2006; un derlined 
that a 
lack 
of staff resulted in  
a lower level of spen ding 
of operation al 
funds,
 
—noted 
that in 
2006 paymen t 
rates were 56 % of appropriation s 
for admin istr
ative expen diture 
and 
50 % for operation al 
activities; that 20 % of appropriation s 
carried over from 2005 were can ­
celled 
at the end 
of 2006; an d 
that a larg e 
number 
of transfers 
was made, with a hig h 
concentration 
at 
the year-en d,N E 6 8 1 / 5 5 2 L
Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion L 255/187
1. Notes the E CA’s finding that appropriation s amounting to EUR 8  600 000 were carried over to 2008 an d 
EUR 4 
800 000 can celled; 
notes 
that this was partly due to the delayed adoption  
and 
implemen tation 
of 
the 2007 an nual
 work plan for g rants;
 notes
 that appropriation s
 carried over from the precedin g
 year 
amounted
 to EUR
 7 900 000, of which E UR
 4 500 000  was for operation al
 activities; n otes
 that over 
25 % of the appropriation s 
carried over for operation al 
activities had to be can celled 
at the year-en d;
2.
 Is
 concerned
 by
 the ECA’s
 conclusion
 that this situation is at odds with the prin ciple
 of annuality
 and
 
shows weak nesses 
in 
the Authority’s prog ramming 
and 
budgeting;
3. Notes 
the Authority’s reply that it took  
several measures in  
2008 in 
order to improve b udgetary 
manage­
ment, 
such as templates, a vademecum an d 
additional 
administrative 
support to accelerate the laun ch 
of 
grant 
calls;
4. Notes the Authority’s reply with reg ard 
to appropriation s
 carried over that the rate of carry-over (17-18 %) 
decreased b y 
comparison  
to 2006 (22 %); n otes 
however from the fin al 
accounts that the actual amoun t 
of 
carry-over in creased 
from EUR 7 
900 000 in  
2006 to E UR 8 
600 000 in  
2007;
5. Requests that the Authority follow up on the E CA’s
 remarks
 and
 make
 further efforts to improve an d
 
speed up b udget
 implemen tation;
 requests that the follow-up measures b e
 specified in the Authority’s 
annual 
activity report for 2008;
6. Notes the E CA’s 
finding 
that the Authority treated a con tribution 
received from the Commission  
in 
order 
to prepare for the accession of Croatia an d
 Turkey
 as a normal
 subsidy,
 although
 it should have b een
 
treated as assig ned 
revenue;
7. Notes 
the Authority’s reply that as from 2008 all specific con tribution
s have been 
registered 
as assigned 
revenue;
8. Notes 
the ECA’s 
findings 
concerning 
weaknesses 
in 
the management 
of mission s 
and 
the high 
number 
and 
value of exception s;
9. Notes 
the Authority’s reply that this situation  
was related to a specific un it 
where org anisational 
changes 
have 
since 
been 
implemen ted;
10. Notes 
that 2007 was the fifth operation al 
year for the Authority;
11. Underlines 
the Authority’s role in  
providing 
independent 
scientific 
advice on  
all matters with a direct or 
indirect 
impact on  
food safety, in cluding 
animal 
health and 
welfare an d 
plant 
protection , 
a role which is 
becoming 
more and 
more necessary 
in 
view of con sumers’ 
concerns 
and 
the nee
d to commun icate 
sci­
entific 
advice properly;
Follow-up 
to previou s 
discharge exercises
12. Congratulates 
the Authority on  
having 
succeeded in  
filling 
273 of the 300 posts provided for in  
its estab­
lishment 
plan 
after havin g 
had difficulties in  
recruiting 
highly-skille
d scientific 
staff in 
Parma for several 
years;
13. Observes 
that the person nel 
specific lin e 
reached 95 % of the execution  
rate instead 
of the 97 % forecast; 
notes,
 nevertheless,
 that the Authority still had difficulties in recruitin g
 highly
 skilled
 scientific
 staff to 
Parma;
14. Refers in 
terms of person nel 
to the staff survey carried out at the en d 
of 2007; en courages 
the Authority’s 
management 
to conduct 
such a survey on  
a regular 
basis 
and 
to incorporate 
its results in to 
its person nel 
management 
and 
daily work ;N E 9 0 0 2 . 9 . 6 2
Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 26.9.2009
15. Notes that weak nesses in recruitmen t procedures have b een highlighte d repeatedly in  previous discharg e 
exercises 
and 
again 
in 
the curren t 
ECA 
report;
16. Requests that the Authority alig n 
its recruitmen t 
procedures to the rules as a matter of urg ency;
17. Notes 
that, as in 
previous discharg e 
exercises, the Authority has b een 
criticised b y 
the ECA 
for not 
having 
complied 
with procuremen t 
rules in 
several cases; requests the Authority to pay particular atten tion 
to 
compliance 
with procuremen t 
rules;
18. Requests that the Authority g ive 
details in 
its annual 
activity report for 2008 of measures tak en 
to rem­
edy the shortcomin gs 
in 
the areas of recruitmen t 
and 
procuremen t;
19. Notes 
that the E xecutive 
Director of the Authority took  
over the role of coordin ator 
of the agencies 
net­
work 
on 1 
March 2009;
20. 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 8 8 1 / 5 5 2 L