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European Parliament
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2016 discharge: Office of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC Office)

2017/2175(DEC)

Having examined the revenue and expenditure accounts for the financial year 2016 and the balance sheet as at 31 December 2016 of the Office of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), as well as the Court of Auditors' report on the annual accounts of the Office for the financial year 2016, accompanied by the Office's replies to the Court's observations, the Council recommended the European Parliament to give a discharge to the Management Committee of the Office 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 Office'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 Office's Financial Regulation, and that the underlying transactions for 2016 are legal and regular in all material respects.

Nevertheless, the following observations were made:

  • procurement: despite some progress made by the Office, the Council regretted the deficiencies still found by the Court in the Office's procurement procedures. It urged the Office to further improve its procurement procedures in order to ensure the effectiveness of the process, as well as competition in its procurement procedures;
  • staff: while acknowledging that the main elements affecting the high staff turnover are outside the control of the Office, the Council called on the Office to further improve the actions already taken or planned to mitigate the risk factor stemming from the high turnover.