Having examined the
revenue and expenditure accounts for the financial year 2011 and
the balance sheet at 31 December 2011 of the European Banking
Authority, as well as the Court of Auditors' report on the annual
accounts of the Authority for the financial year 2011, accompanied
by the Authority's replies to the Court's observations, the Council
recommends the European Parliament to give a discharge to the
Executive Director of the Authority in respect of the
implementation of the budget for the financial year 2011.
The observations in the Court of Auditors' report in
relation to the financial year 2011 call for some comments by the
Council, which may be summarised as follows:
- the Council
welcomes the Court's opinion that, in all material respects, the
Authority's annual accounts present fairly its financial position
as at 31 December 2011 and the results of its operations and its
cash flows for the year then ended, in accordance with the
provisions of the Authority's Financial Regulation, and that the
underlying transactions for that financial year are legal and
regular;
- in line with the
budgetary principle of annuality, the Council calls on the
Authority to pay due attention to a proper budget planning and
implementation in order to improve the low implementation rate
of commitments;
- furthermore, the
Council urges the Authority to correct weaknesses in its public
procurement procedures and to ensure their compliance with the
provisions of the Financial Regulation;
- lastly, the
Council calls on the Authority to speed up the validation process
of its accounting system and to address the weaknesses identified
in its staff selection and recruitment procedures.