2008 discharge: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control ECDC

Based on the observations contained in the revenue and expenditure account and the balance sheet of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2008, as well as on the Court of Auditor’s report and the Centre’s replies to the Court’s observations, the Council recommends that the Parliament grant the Director of the Centre discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2008.

The Council welcomes the Court's opinion that, on the one hand, the Centre's annual accounts present fairly, in all material aspects, the financial position as at 31 December 2008 and the results of operations and cash-flows for the year then ended, in accordance with the provisions of the Centre's Financial Regulation, and that, on the other hand, the underlying transactions for the financial year ended on 31 December 2008 are, in all material respects, legal and regular.

However, the Council considers that observations made in the Court of Auditor’s report call for a certain number of observations to be taken into account when granting discharge, particularly on the following points:

• carry-over rates: the Council notes with concern that the level of carry-overs still remains high and calls on the Centre to intensify its efforts to improve budgetary planning and implementation of the budget, thus complying strictly with the budgetary principle of annuality;
• recruitment procedures: the Council asks the Centre to remedy to shortcomings identified by the Court in the recruitment procedures. It welcomes the efforts made to find an agreement facilitating staff access to services and invites the Centre to monitor closely the implementation of agreed measures.