The European Parliament adopted by 532
votes to 84, with 34 abstentions, a decision on discharge to be granted to
the Executive Director of the Joint Undertaking for the implementation of the
Joint Technology Initiative on Innovative Medicines (IMI) in respect of the
implementation of the Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2009.
Noting that the Joint Undertaking’s
annual accounts for the financial year 2009 are reliable, and the underlying
transactions are legal and regular, Parliament approves the closure of its
accounts. However, it makes a number of recommendations that need to be taken
into account when the discharge is granted:
- implementation of the budget: Parliament notes that the utilisation rate for payment
appropriations was very low, even if the Joint Undertaking is still in a
start-up period;
- Members’ contributions: Parliaments call on the Joint Undertaking to harmonise the
presentation of members' contributions in the accounts under the
guidance of the Commission;
- internal control systems: Parliament urges the Joint Undertaking to complete the
implementation of its internal controls and financial information system
and to include in its Financial Rules a specific reference to the powers
of the Internal Audit Service of the Commission as its internal auditor.
It considers that the role of the Commission as internal auditor should
be to advise the Joint Undertaking on dealing with risks, by issuing
independent opinions on the quality of management and control systems
and by issuing recommendations for improving the conditions of implementation
of operations. In view of the size of its budget and the complexity of
its tasks, the Joint Undertaking should consider establishing an audit
committee, reporting directly to the Administrative Board;
- lack of host agreement: Parliament urges IMI to rapidly conclude a host agreement
with Belgium.