Resolution of the European Parliament of 22 April 2008 with observations forming an integral part of the decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year 2006
Date: 2008-04-22
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: European Maritime Safety Agency, budgetary discharge, financial year, implementation of the budget

31.3.2009

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Official Journal of the European Union

L 88/193

RESOLUTION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

of 22 April 2008

with observations forming an integral part of
the
implementation of the budget of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year 2006

the decision on discharge in respect of

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT,

— having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year

2006 (1),

— having regard to the Court of Auditors' report on the final annual accounts of the European Maritime

Safety Agency for the financial year 2006, together with the Agency's replies (2),

— having regard to the Council's recommendation of 12 February 2008 (5843/2008 — C6-0084/2008),

— having regard to the EC Treaty, and in particular Article 276 thereof,

— having regard to Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial
the European Communities (3), and in particular

Regulation applicable to the general budget of
Article 185 thereof,

— having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of
27 June 2002 establishing a European Maritime Safety Agency (4), and in particular Article 19 thereof,

— having regard to Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2343/2002 of 19 November 2002 on the
framework Financial Regulation for the bodies referred to in Article 185 of Council Regulation (EC,
Euratom) No 1605/2002 (5), and in particular Article 94 thereof,

— having regard to Rule 71 of and 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 Transport and Tourism (A6-0115/2008),

A. whereas the Court of Auditors stated that it has obtained reasonable assurance that the annual accounts

for the financial year 2006 are reliable, and the underlying transactions are legal and regular,

B.

whereas on 24 April 2007 Parliament granted the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety
Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2005 (6),
and in its resolution accompanying the discharge decision, inter alia:

— noted that the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2005 was affected by delays in
staff recruitment and that this situation had repercussions for the utilisation of appropriations for
administrative expenditure,

(1) OJ C 261, 31.10.2007, p. 20.
(2) OJ C 309, 19.12.2007, p. 55.
(3) OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 208, 5.8.2002, p. 1.
(5) OJ L 357, 31.12.2002, p. 72.
(6) OJ L 187, 15.7 2008, p. 149.

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— noted that the documentation of transactions, a prerequisite for a valid system of internal control,
showed some weaknesses and that files which relate to commitments and payments were often
incomplete or confused,

— noted further various shortcomings in public procurement management and insisted that the

Agency had to comply with regulatory requirements;

General points which relate to horizontal issues affecting the EU agencies and which therefore
also have a bearing on the discharge procedure for each individual agency

1. Notes that the budgets of the 24 agencies and other satellite bodies audited by the Court of Auditors
totalled EUR 1 080,5 million in 2006 (the biggest being that of the European Agency for Reconstruction
at EUR 271 million and the smallest being that of
the European Police College (CEPOL) at
EUR 5 million);

2.

Points out that the range of external EU bodies subject to audit and discharge now includes not only
traditional regulatory agencies but also executive agencies set up to implement specific programmes, and
will in the near future also extend to joint undertakings set up as public-private partnerships (joint
technology initiatives);

3. Observes as regards the Parliament that the number of agencies subject to the discharge procedure has
evolved as follows: financial year 2000: 8; 2001: 10; 2002: 11; 2003: 14; 2004: 14; 2005: 16; 2006: 20
regulatory agencies and two executive agencies (not including two agencies which are audited by the
Court of Auditors but subject to an internal discharge process);

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Concludes therefore that the auditing/discharge process has become cumbersome and disproportionate
compared to the relative size of the agencies'/satellite bodies' budgets; instructs its competent committee
to undertake a wide-ranging review of the discharge process as regards agencies and satellite bodies with
a view to devising a simpler and more rational approach, bearing in mind the ever-growing number of
bodies each requiring a separate discharge report in future years;

Fundamental considerations

Requests that the Commission provide clear explanations regarding the following elements before the
creation of a new agency or reform of an existing agency: agency type, objectives of the agency, internal
governance structure, products, services, key procedures, target group, clients and stakeholders of the
agency, formal relationship with external actors, budget responsibility, financial planning, and personnel
and staffing policy;

Requests that each agency be governed by a yearly performance agreement which is formulated by the
agency and the responsible DG and which should contain the main objectives for the coming year, a
financial framework and clear indicators to measure performance;

Requests that the performance of the agencies be regularly (and on an ad-hoc basis) audited by the Court
of Auditors or another independent auditor; considers that this should not be limited to traditional
elements of
financial management and the proper use of public money, but should also cover
administrative efficiency and effectiveness and should include a rating of the financial management of
each agency;

Takes the view that in the case of agencies which are continually overestimating their respective budget
needs, technical abatement should be made on the basis of vacant posts; is of the opinion that this will
lead in the long run to less assigned revenue for the agencies and therefore also to lower administrative
costs;

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9. Notes that it is a serious problem that a number of agencies is criticised for not following rules on public
procurement, the Financial Regulation, the Staff Regulations, etc.; considers that the principal reason for
this is that most regulations and the Financial Regulation are designed for bigger institutions and that
most of the small agencies do not have the critical mass to be able to cope with these regulatory
requirements; therefore asks the Commission to look for a rapid solution in order to enhance the
effectiveness by grouping the administrative functions of various agencies together, in order to achieve
this critical mass (taking into consideration the necessary changes in the basic regulations governing the
agencies and their budgetary independence), or urgently to draft specific rules for the agencies (in
particular implementing rules for the agencies) which allow them to be in full compliance;

10.

Insists that the Commission, when drafting the Preliminary Draft Budget, take into consideration the
results of budget implementation by the individual agencies in former years, in particular in year n-1, and
revise the budget requested by the particular agency accordingly; invites its competent committee to
respect this revision and, if not undertaken by the Commission, to revise itself the budget in question to a
realistic level matching the absorption and implementation capacity of the agency in question;

11. Recalls its decision on discharge in respect of the financial year 2005, in which it invited the Commission
to present every five years a study on the added value of every existing agency; invites all relevant
institutions in the case of a negative evaluation of the added value of an agency to take the necessary
steps by reformulating the mandate of that agency or by closing it; notes that there has not been one
single evaluation undertaken by the Commission in 2007; insists that the Commission should present at
least five such evaluations before the decision on discharge in respect of the financial year 2007, starting
with the oldest agencies;

12.

Is of the opinion that recommendations of the Court of Auditors should be promptly implemented and
the level of subsidies paid to the agencies should be aligned with their real cash requirements; considers
further that the amendments to the general Financial Regulation should be incorporated into the
agencies' framework financial regulation and into their various specific financial regulations;

Presentation of reporting data

13. Notes that there is no standard approach among the agencies with regard to the presentation of their
activities during the financial year in question and of their accounts and reports on budgetary and
financial management, nor to the question as to whether a declaration of assurance should be drawn up
by the agency's director; observes that not all agencies clearly distinguish between (a) presenting the
agency's work to the public; and (b) technical reporting on budgetary and financial management;

14. Notes that while the Commission's standing instructions for the preparation of activity reports do not
expressly require the agency to draw up a declaration of assurance, many directors have none the less
done so for 2006, in one case including an important reservation;

15. Recalls paragraph 26 of its resolution of 12 April 2005 (1), inviting the directors of the agencies from
now on to accompany their annual activity report, which is presented together with financial and
management information, with a declaration of assurance concerning the legality and regularity of
operations, similar to the declarations signed by the Directors-General of the Commission;

16. Asks the Commission to amend its standing instructions to the agencies accordingly;

(1) Resolution of the European Parliament containing the comments accompanying the decision on the discharge to the
Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency in respect of the implementation of its budget for the
financial year 2003 (OJ L 196, 27.7.2005, p. 139).

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17. Suggests in addition that the Commission should work with the agencies towards producing a
harmonised model applicable to all agencies and satellite bodies clearly distinguishing between:

— an annual report
achievements,

intended for a general readership on the body's operations, work and

— financial statements and a report on implementation of the budget,

— an activity report along the lines of the activity reports of the Directors-General of the Commission,

— a declaration of assurance signed by the body's director, together with any reservations or
observations which he considers it appropriate to draw to the attention of the discharge authority;

General findings by the Court of Auditors

18. Notes the Court's finding (Annual Report, paragraph 10.29 (1)) that the disbursement of subsidies paid
by the Commission from the Community budget is not based on sufficiently justified estimates of the
agencies' cash requirements and that this, combined with the size of carry-overs, leads them to hold
sizeable cash balances; notes further the Court's recommendation that the level of subsidies paid to the
agencies should be in line with their real cash requirements;

19. Notes that at the end of 2006 14 agencies had still to implement the ABAC accounting system (Annual

Report, footnote to paragraph 10.31);

20. Notes the Court's remark (Annual Report, paragraph 1.25) concerning accrued charges for untaken leave
which are accounted for by some agencies; points out that the Court of Auditors has qualified its
statement of assurance in the case of three agencies (European Centre for the Development of Vocational
Training (Cedefop), CEPOL and the European Railway Agency) for the financial year 2006 (2005:
Cedefop, European Food Safety Authority, European Agency for Reconstruction);

Internal audit

21. Recalls that in accordance with Article 185(3) of the Financial Regulation the Internal Auditor of the
Commission is also the internal auditor of the regulatory agencies receiving grants charged to the EU
budget; points out that the Internal Auditor reports to each agency's management board and director;

22. Draws attention to the reservation entered in the Internal Auditor's Annual Activity Report for 2006 as

follows:

‘The Internal Auditor of the Commission is not in a position to properly fulfil his obligation assigned by
Article 185 of the Financial Regulation as internal auditor of the Community bodies due to a lack of staff
resources.’;

23. Notes, however, the Internal Auditor's remark in his activity report for 2006 that as from 2007, with the
additional staff resources granted by the Commission to the Internal Audit Service (IAS), all regulatory
agencies in operation will be subject to internal audit work on an annual basis;

24. Notes the ever-growing number of regulatory and executive agencies and joint undertakings required to
be audited by the IAS under Article 185 of the Financial Regulation; asks the Commission to inform its
competent committee as to whether the staff resources at the IAS's disposal will be sufficient to conduct
an annual audit of all such bodies in the coming years;

(1) OJ C 273, 15.11.2007, p. 1.

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25. Observes that Article 72(5) of Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2343/2002 requires each agency to send
each year to the discharge authority and the Commission a report drawn up by its director summarising
the number and type of internal audits conducted by the internal auditor, the recommendations made
and the action taken on these recommendations; asks the agencies to indicate whether this is done and, if
so, how;

26. Takes note, as regards internal audit capability, especially in relation to the smaller agencies, of a proposal
made by the Internal Auditor before Parliament's competent committee on 14 September 2006 that
smaller agencies should be authorised to buy in internal audit services from the private sector;

Evaluation of agencies

27. Recalls the joint statement by the Parliament, the Council and the Commission (1) negotiated at the
conciliation before the Ecofin budget Council of 13 July 2007 calling for (i) a list of agencies which the
Commission intends to assess; and (ii) a list of the agencies already assessed, together with a summary of
the major findings;

Disciplinary procedures

28. Notes that, because of their size, individual agencies have difficulty in setting up ad-hoc disciplinary
boards composed of staff at the appropriate career grade and that the Commission's IDOC (Investigation
and Disciplinary Office) is not competent for agencies; calls on the agencies to consider an inter-agency
disciplinary board;

Draft Interinstitutional Agreement

29. Recalls the draft Interinstitutional Agreement on the operating framework for the European regulatory
agencies presented by the Commission (COM(2005) 59), which was intended to create a horizontal
framework for the creation, structure, operation, evaluation and control of the European regulatory
agencies; notes that the draft represents a useful initiative in the effort to rationalise the creation and
running of agencies; notes the statement in the Commission's 2006 synthesis report (paragraph 3.1,
COM(2007) 274) that although progress in negotiations stalled after publication of the draft, discussions
on substance were relaunched in the Council at the end of 2006; regrets that it has not been possible to
make further progress towards adoption;

30. Welcomes therefore the Commission's commitment to bring forward a communication on the future of

the regulatory agencies during the course of 2008;

Self-financed agencies

31. Recalls that for the two self-financing agencies, discharge is given to the director by the administrative
board; notes that both have significant accumulated surpluses from fee income carried over from
previous years figures, as follows:

— Office for Harmonization of the Internal Market cash and cash equivalents: EUR 281 million (2),

— Community Plant Variety Office cash and cash equivalents: EUR 18 million (3);

(1) Council document DS 605/1/07 Rev1.
(2) Source: report on the annual accounts of the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market for the financial year

2006, together with the Office's replies (OJ C 309, 19.12.2007, p. 141).

(3) Source: report on the annual accounts of the Community Plant Variety Office for the financial year 2006, together with

the Office's replies (OJ C 309, 19.12.2007, p. 135).

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Specific points

32. Notes that the Agency had EUR 44,738 million in commitment appropriations and EUR 44,738 million
in payment appropriations from the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2006;

33. Expresses concern at the finding by the Court of Auditors in its 2006 report that more than 43 % of
payment appropriations had to be cancelled at the end of the year 2006 and, in addition, that there was a
concentration of transactions during the last quarter of the year so that the budgetary principle of
accuracy was not strictly observed;

34. Notes further the Court's finding that the procedures for establishing the budget and the establishment
plan were not sufficiently rigorous and that this led to a high number of budgetary transfers, the
inadequate planning of staff recruitment and incorrect budget presentation;

35. Notes the low utilisation rate for payment appropriations for anti-polluting measures at sea (67,7 %),
despite Parliament's continuing support for these measures in the process leading to the adoption of the
budget; in view of the impossibility of providing in 2006 and 2007 an anti-pollution vessel to cover the
Atlantic Arc area, comprising the Galician coasts and the Bay of Biscay, urges the Commission and the
Agency to step up their efforts to achieve this objective in 2008 within the framework of Regulation (EC)
No 2038/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on multiannual
funding for the action of the European Maritime Safety Agency in the field of response to pollution
caused by ships (1);

36. Recognises, however, as indicated in the Agency's replies, that the relocation of the Agency in 2006 from
Brussels to Lisbon had budgetary implications which were difficult to predict, including the departure of
almost 20 % of staff under contract;

37. Notes with concern the Court's observations that some legal commitments were entered into before the

corresponding budgetary commitment, and that some contracts were 100 % pre-financed;

38.

Invites the Agency to take urgent action to remedy the Court's finding that the Agency's inventory system
is weak and its records do not allow all goods to be physically traced, and, in particular, that computer
equipment is not recorded in the system;

39. Points out that the Agency's balance sheet includes cash and cash equivalents of EUR 11,6 million and an

accumulated surplus of EUR 7,18 million;

40. Draws attention to the statement by the Agency's accounting officer in his report on budgetary and
financial management that although the Agency's recruitment effort was particularly important during
the whole of 2006, the establishment plan and its related budget execution suffered due to numerous
staff resignations triggered by the move to Lisbon;

41. Notes with interest from the report on budgetary and financial management that with a view to the
phasing out of SI2 in 2007, the Agency requested to be the pilot project for the new generation of
financial systems called ABAC (Accrual Based Accounting), and, since April 2006, the Agency has been
using the same set of financial systems as the Commission in an outsourcing scheme, with all systems
being hosted and maintained by the Commission's DG DIGIT;

(1) OJ L 394, 30.12.2006, p. 1.

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42. Believes that further investigations should be carried out into the feasibility of pooling systems and
services between agencies, which could be of particular benefit to smaller agencies lacking critical mass
or new agencies in the start-up phase;

43. Notes the statement in the Agency's annual report that the reimbursement of the travel expenses of the
growing number of participants at its meetings is a labour-intensive process and that it is currently
improving the relevant procedures; asks the Court to look at the general question of the reimbursement
by agencies of travel expenses in its next reports on the agencies.