2014 discharge: European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy - Fusion for Energy (F4E)

2015/2196(DEC)

PURPOSE: presentation by the Commission of the consolidated annual accounts of the European Union for the financial year 2014, as part of the 2014 discharge procedure.

Analysis of the accounts of the Fusion for Energy Joint Undertaking – ITER project.

CONTENT: this Commission document sets out the consolidated annual accounts of the European Union for the financial year 2014 as prepared on the basis of the information presented by the institutions, organisations and bodies of the EU, in accordance with Article 148 (2) of the Financial Regulation applicable to the EU's General Budget, including the F4E Joint Undertaking for the ITER project.

The document contains the figures on which the discharge procedure is based.

On this basis, the Financial Controller of the European Commission ensures the certification of the consolidated accounts as declared by the institutions, agencies and joint undertakings of the European Union.

Discharge procedure of the EU Joint Undertakings: the EU Budget finances a wide range of policies and programmes throughout the EU. In accordance with the priorities set by the European Parliament and the Council in the multi-annual financial framework (MFF), the European Commission carries out specific programmes, activities and projects in the field with the technical support of some specialised agencies.

The consolidated annual accounts of the EU provide information on the activities of the institutions, agencies and other bodies of the EU from a budgetary and accrual accounting perspective.

The consolidated reports on the implementation of the general budget of the EU include the budget implementation of all Institutions. Agencies and Joint Undertakings (JUs) do not have a separate budget inside the EU budget; and they are partially financed by a Commission budget subsidy.

This document sets out how the Joint Undertakings spent and implemented their budget in 2014. Each JU is subject to its own discharge procedure.

F4E: in 2014, the tasks and budget of the Joint Undertaking were as follows:

  • F4E and ITER: the F4E Joint Undertaking, located in Barcelona (ES), is the technical and organisational structure to provide Euratom’s contribution to the ITER international project (whose main facilities are located in Cadarache - FR). The JU was set up under Council Decision 2007/198/Euratom for a period of 35 years. ITER involves the EU and China, India, Russia, South Korea, Japan and USA. It was created to manage the ITER facilities, to encourage the exploitation of the ITER facilities, to promote public understanding and acceptance of fusion energy, and to undertake any other activities that are necessary to achieve its purpose;
  • accounts of the JU: the EU (Euratom) contribution to ITER International is given through the Fusion for Energy Agency, including also the contributions from Member States and from Switzerland. The total contribution is legally considered as a Euratom contribution to ITER since the Member States and Switzerland do not have ownership interests in ITER. As the EU legally holds the participation in the joint venture ITER International, the Commission must recognise the participation in its accounts. At 31 December 2014, the Commission held 40.61% of the ownership participation in ITER. The accounts of the JU for the year 2014 as presented by the Commission in its document on the consolidated annual accounts of the European Union are as follows:

Commitment appropriations :

- committed : EUR 1.169 billion;

- paid : EUR 1.169 billion;

- carried-over : 0.

Payment appropriations :

- committed : EUR 573 million;

- paid : EUR 507 million;

- carried-over : EUR 38 million.

Please also consult the final accounts of the Fusion4Energy Joint Undertaking.