Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

|  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 5.12.2008 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 311/79 |

---

REPORT

on the annual accounts of the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation for the financial year 2007 together with the Agency's replies

(2008/C 311/12)

CONTENTS

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| 1-2 | INTRODUCTION |

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| 3-6 | STATEMENT OF ASSURANCE |

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| 7-8 | OBSERVATIONS |

Tables 1 to 4

The Agency's replies

INTRODUCTION

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| 1. | The Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (hereinafter referred to as the Agency) is the former Intelligent Energy Executive Agency (IEEA). Its mandate and the duration thereof were altered following Commission Decision 2007/372/EC of 31 May 2007 amending[(1)](#ntr1-C_2008311EN.01007901-E0001) Decision 2004/20/EC of 23 December 2003[(2)](#ntr2-C_2008311EN.01007901-E0002). The Agency was established for a limited period beginning on 1 January 2004 and now ending on 31 December 2015 with the aim of managing Community actions in the field of energy, entrepreneurship and innovation, and sustainable freight transport. |

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| 2. | Table 1 summarises the Agency's competences and activities. Key information taken from the financial statements drawn up by the Agency for the financial year 2007 is presented in Tables 2, 3 and 4. |

STATEMENT OF ASSURANCE

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| 3. | This Statement is addressed to the European Parliament and the Council in accordance with Article 14 of Council Regulation (EC) No 58/2003 of 19 December 2002[(3)](#ntr3-C_2008311EN.01007901-E0003); it was drawn up following an examination of the Agency's accounts, as required by Article 248 of the Treaty establishing the European Community. |

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| 4. | The Agency's accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2007[(4)](#ntr4-C_2008311EN.01007901-E0004) were drawn up by its Director, pursuant to Article 14 of Council Regulation (EC) No 58/2003, and sent to the Court, which is required to give a statement of assurance on their reliability and on the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions. |

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| 5. | The Court conducted its audit in accordance with the IFAC and ISSAI[(5)](#ntr5-C_2008311EN.01007901-E0005) International Auditing Standards and Codes of Ethics, insofar as these are applicable in the European Community context. The audit was planned and performed to obtain reasonable assurance that the accounts are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular. |

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| 6. | The Court has thus obtained a reasonable basis for the Statement set out below:  Reliability of the accountsThe Agency's accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2007 are, in all material respects, reliable.Legality and regularity of the underlying transactionsThe transactions underlying the Agency's annual accounts, taken as a whole, are legal and regular.The observations which follow do not call the Court's Statement into question. |

OBSERVATIONS

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| 7. | The Agency's final budget for 2007 amounted to 6,9 million euro as compared with 5,2 million euro allocated to the IEEA the previous year. Nearly 90 % of the budget, 6,2 million euro, was committed but 2,1 million euro were carried-over. A significant part of these carry-overs concerned goods and services which will, to a large extent, be delivered in 2008. This situation was at odds with the principle of annuality. Furthermore the amounts carried over were over-estimated by 0,3 million euro. |

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| 8. | Due to the extension of the Agency's mandate, the initial budget was amended twice during the year[(6)](#ntr6-C_2008311EN.01007901-E0006). The Agency published the two amending budgets in the Official Journal only on 4 January 2008. The revised figures that were published were not disclosed separately for each amended budget. This situation was at odds with the principle of transparency. |

This report was adopted by the Court of Auditors in Luxembourg at its meeting of 24 and 25 September 2008.

For the Court of Auditors

Vítor Manuel da SILVA CALDEIRA

President

---

[Top](#document1)