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2007 discharge: European GNSS Supervisory Authority GSA

2008/2273(DEC)

The European Parliament adopted a decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European GNSS Supervisory Authority for the financial year 2007.

Noting that the European Court of Auditors (ECA) was not in a position to form an opinion with regard to the reliability of the Authority's annual accounts for 2007, pointing out that the entire architecture of the Galileo project was being revised in 2007 and that the Authority's accounts were prepared in a fragile legal environment, MEPs approve the closure of the accounts of the European GNSS Supervisory Authority.

Moreover, the Parliament adopted by 423 votes to 8, with 23 abstentions, a resolution with observations which form an integral part of the decision to grant discharge. These observations can be summarised as follows:

  • Incomplete statement of assurance: the Parliament regrets that the ECA was not in a position to form an opinion with regard to the reliability of the Authority's annual accounts for 2007. Noting the ECA's explanation that it carried out its audit when the Galileo project and the role of the Authority were under revision and the new legal framework still incomplete, the Parliament notes that, in the meantime, Regulation (EC) No 683/2008 entered into force, under which the Commission is the manager of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes and the Community the owner of all tangible and intangible assets created or developed under the programmes. It also notes that the Authority will establish its annual accounts for 2008 under the new legal framework;
  • Budget implementation: the Parliament regrets the low consumption level of commitment and payment appropriations for operational activities of the Authority, the absence of a clear link between the Authority's work programme and the budget, transfers neither justified nor documented, repeated late booking of recovery orders and an inconsistent presentation of budget implementation. It therefore calls on the Authority to report on the action taken following the ECA's observations with regard to budget implementation, and on the results achieved, in its report on budgetary and financial management for 2008;
  • Uncertainties with regard to Galileo and EGNOS project assets: the Parliament considers that, under Regulation (EC) No 683/2008, the Community is the owner of the Galileo and EGNOS project assets. It regrets however that the process of transferring these assets from the Authority to the Commission only started in December 2008. It therefore calls on the Authority to do its utmost in order to clarify the situation with regard to Galileo and EGNOS project assets in its annual accounts for 2008;
  • The Authority's role in the winding-up of the Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU): the Parliament is concerned by the ECA's critical remarks as to how certain assets were transferred from the GJU to the Authority and recorded in the Authority's accounts. According to the Parliament, the winding-up of the GJU, including the role played by the Authority, must be thoroughly examined by the discharge authority, on the basis of the ECA's audit results. It therefore calls on the Court to put particular emphasis on the takeover of the GJU's activities and assets by the Authority and to publish its audit results in a special report before the 2009 summer break.

In addition to these recommendations, the Parliament refers to the recommendations that appear in its resolution on financial management and control of EU agencies - see 2008/2207(INI) - adopted in parallel.