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2016 discharge: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)

2017/2150(DEC)

The European Parliament decided to grant discharge to the Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction in regard to the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the 2016 financial year and to approve the closure of the accounts for the financial year in question.

Noting that the Court of Auditors has stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the Centre’s annual accounts for the financial year 2016 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Parliament adopted by 561 votes to 123 with 10 abstentions, a resolution containing a series of recommendations, which form an integral part of the decision on discharge and which add to the general recommendations set out in the resolution on performance, financial management and control of EU agencies:

  • Centre’s financial statements: the final budget of the Centre for the financial year 2016 was EUR 15 421 357, representing a decrease of 16.73 % compared to 2015.
  • Budget and financial management: budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2016 resulted in a budget implementation rate of 99.95 %,representing an increase of 0.12 % compared to 2015, and that the payment appropriations execution rate was 95.64 %, representing a decrease of 1.71 % compared to 2015. Members noted with satisfaction that the high overall level of committed appropriations indicated that the commitments were made in a timely manner.
  • Commitments and carry-overs: the level of committed appropriations carried over for 2016 amounts to EUR 671 266 (4.36%). Carry-overs are often justified and do not necessarily indicate weaknesses in budget planning and implementation.

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

The Centre put in place a new procurement plan which was successfully executed in close collaboration with all units. Members stressed the need for the Centre to improve the management of IT projects.

Parliament welcomed the fact that the gender balance target had been met (since the ratio is 53.47 % female to 46.53 % male) and that the Centre had adopted a policy on protecting dignity of the person and preventing harassment. It also emphasised the need to establish an independent body with sufficient budgetary resources to support whistleblowers wishing to disclose information on possible irregularities negatively impacting on the Union’s financial interests, while ensuring their confidentiality is protected.

Lastly, Members encouraged the Centre’s commitment to providing improved access to its data to interested third parties, given that one of its main objectives is the dissemination of data and information on the state of the drugs problem, including data on relevant new trends.