Having examined the revenue and expenditure accounts for the financial year 2016 and the balance sheet as at 31 December 2016 of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), as well as the Court of Auditors' report on the annual accounts of the Agency for the financial year 2016, accompanied by the Agency's replies to the Court's observations, the Council recommended the European Parliament to give a discharge to the Executive Director of the Agency in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2016.
The Council welcomed the Court's opinion that, in all material respects, the Agency's annual accounts present fairly its financial position as at 31 December 2016 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended, in accordance with the provisions of the Agency's Financial Regulation, and that the underlying transactions for 2016 are legal and regular in all material respects.
The Council regretted the deficiencies found by the Court in the Agency's procurement procedures. The Council also expressed concern about the accuracy of the Agency's assessment of the needs prior to the procurement process for purchasing IT-related goods and services, whereby the severe underestimation of the coverage and the total value of the original framework contract has led to a new procurement procedure increasing the contract value from EUR 7 million to EUR 49 million.
The Agency was called on to improve its procurement procedures, including the steps related to defining the tendering specifications in order to ensure the effectiveness of the process, as well as the full transparency and equal treatment of tenders.