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2011 discharge: European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders (Frontex)

2012/2200(DEC)

The European Parliament adopted a decision on discharge to be granted to the Executive Director of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (FRONTEX) in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2011. The vote on the decision to grant discharge covers the closure of the accounts (in accordance with Annex VI, Article 5(1) of the European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure).

Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the annual accounts of FRONTEX for the financial year 2011 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Parliament adopted a resolution containing a number of recommendations that need to be taken into account when the discharge is granted, in addition to the general recommendations that appear in the draft resolution on performance, financial management and control of EU agencies:

  • Financing, budget and financial management: Parliament recalls that FRONTEX’s 2011 budget amounted to EUR 118.2 million, including an initial contribution of the Union of EUR 111 million. It acknowledges, however, that the Agency's 2011 budget was subject to three amending budgets, in order to cope with developments following events in North Africa.
  • Implementation rate of appropriations and carryovers: Parliament observes that the Agency’s budgetary execution rate for operational expenditure 2011 stood at 58% and calls on the Agency to implement specific measures to improve its budgeting process and execution rate of payment in the case of administrative and operational expenditure.
  • Supervisory and control systems: Parliament regrets that internal control weaknesses as regards the management of fixed assets were identified and that there is no procedure related to the disposal of fixed assets and the physical inventory is incomplete.

Lastly, Parliament made a series of observations as regards the Agency’s follow-up on the 2010 discharge recommendations.