2015 discharge: European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)

2016/2173(DEC)

The Committee on Budgetary Control adopted the report by Inés AYALA SENDER (S&D, ES) on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the financial year 2015.

The committee called on the European Parliament to grant the Executive Director of the Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the agency’s budget for the financial year 2015.

Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it had obtained reasonable assurance that the annual accounts of the Agency for the financial year 2015 were reliable and that the underlying transactions were legal and regular, Members called on Parliament to approve the closure of the Agency’s accounts. They made, however, a number of recommendations that needed 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:

  • Agency’s financial statements: Members noted that the final budget of the European Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2015 was EUR 204 907 790, representing an increase of 11.58 % compared with 2015.
  • Commitments and carry-overs: Members noted that the carry-overs of committed appropriations for operational expenditure were EUR 2 million (32 %) compared to EUR 2 million (38.1 %) in 2014. They acknowledged that these carry-overs mainly related to IT developments ordered near the year-end, as well as to rule making activities and research projects of a multiannual nature which therefore go beyond 2015.

Members also made a series of observations regarding procurement, recruitment procedures, internal audits and controls and the prevention and management of conflicts of interests.

The report highlighted the Agency's vital role in ensuring the highest possible level of aviation safety throughout Europe. It stressed that a common European assessment and alerting system is needed in Europe, in particular in the context of flights over conflict zones.

Members also stressed that, in the context of a fast-developing civil aviation sector, exemplified by the ever more widespread use of pilotless aircraft ('drones'), the Agency should be given the necessary financial, material and human resources to successfully perform its regulatory and executive tasks in the fields of safety and environmental protection.

Lastly, they noted with concern a gender imbalance of 23% female and 77% male within its Management Board members and alternate members and urged the Agency for this imbalance to be corrected and the results communicated to the Parliament as quickly as possible.