2016 discharge: European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA)

The Committee on Budgetary Control adopted the report by Bart STAES (Greens/EFA, BE) on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA) for the financial year 2016.

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 2016.

Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it had obtained reasonable assurance that the annual accounts of the Agency for the financial year 2016 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 the final budget of the Agency for the financial year 2016 was EUR 11 033 974.16, representing an increase of 9.64 % compared to 2015. The Union's contribution for the financial year 2016 to the Agency's budget amounted to EUR 10 120 000, representing an increase of 10.53 % compared to 2015.
• Follow-up of the 2013, 2014 and 2015 discharges: Members noted with concern that the situation remains unchanged and the payments from the Greek Government are still made with considerable delays, which in turn makes the payments to the landlords in Athens and Heraklion to be delayed as well.
• Budget and financial management: budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2016 resulted in a high budget implementation rate of 98.47 %, representing a decrease of 1.53 % compared to 2015, and that the payment appropriations execution rate was 89.18 %, representing an decrease of 3.71 % compared to 2015.
• Commitments and carry-overs: the carry-overs of committed appropriations for administrative expenditure were at EUR 300 000 (25 %), compared to EUR 150 000 (22 %) in 2015. Those carry-overs primarily related to investments in IT and a service car near year end - the use of this car and the reasons for its purchase will have to be communicated for information to the European Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control.

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

They welcomed the fact that the Agency has been, with the aim of ensuring a cost-effective and environment-friendly working place, recycling paper, glass and plastics, encouraging staff to avoid printing documents and has introduced an electronic system for internal workflows which has significantly reduced the use of physical files. They also welcomed that the Agency has, with the aim of reducing or offsetting CO2 emissions, encouraged the use of electronic means of communication as an alternative to physical travel, and implemented the ‘Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG) Transport tool’ for the first time in 2017 in order to compile the statistical data of business travel undertaken by Agency staff.