2016 discharge: European GNSS Agency (GSA)

PURPOSE: to grant discharge to the European GNSS Agency (GSA) in respect of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2018/1433 of the European Parliament on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European GNSS Agency for the financial year 2016.

CONTENT: the European Parliament decided to grant discharge to the Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency for the implementation of its budget for the financial year 2016.

This decision is accompanied by a resolution of the European Parliament containing the observations which form an integral part of the discharge decision in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2016 (please refer to the summary dated 18.4.2018).

In this resolution, Parliament noted that the Agency operates the Galileo Security Monitoring Centre and the Galileo ground stations, both of which are located on United Kingdom territory. It pointed out that the status of the United Kingdom within those frameworks remains to be determined. The Agency is called on to work in close cooperation with the Commission regarding the Brexit negotiations in order to be sufficiently prepared to minimise any negative operational or financial impact that may occur.

It also noted with disappointment that the Agency's visibility remains unsatisfactory and that the Agency does not sufficiently highlight the work carried out by the Union in the Agency's field of activity. Parliament called on the Agency to be more proactive in presenting its mission and work to the wider public and in increasing its overall visibility.