2017 discharge: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

2018/2191(DEC)

The European Parliament decided to grant discharge to the Director of the European Centre for disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) for the financial year 2017 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 2017 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Parliament adopted by 510 votes to 116 with 7 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 draft 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 58 042 653, representing a slight decrease of 0.35 % compared to 2016. 97.80 % of the Centre’s budget derives from the Union budget.

Budget and financial management

Parliament recalled that the Centre has a budget which is denominated in euro. However, since its seat is outside the Euro-zone (in Sweden), a lot of its expenses are incurred in Swedish krona (SEK). The Centre is, therefore, exposed to exchange rate fluctuations since not only does it have bank accounts in Swedish krona, it also carries out certain transactions in other foreign currencies.

The budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2017 resulted in a budget implementation rate of 99.78 %, representing an increase of 1.76 % compared to 2016. Payment appropriations execution rate was 81.71 %, representing an increase of 2.45 % compared to the previous year. The cancellations of carry-overs from 2016 to 2017 amounted to EUR 953 754, representing 8.73 % of the total amount carried over, showing however a decrease of 3.11 % compared to 2016.

Members also made a series of observations regarding performance, staff policy, procurement and internal controls.

In particular, they noted that:

- the Centre responded to 59 formal scientific requests, 35 of which came from Parliament, and published a total of 210 reports (compared to 158 in 2016), including 38 rapid risk assessments addressing new disease threats in Europe, and 78 surveillance reports;

- the EPHESUS project was launched, aimed at evaluating all infectious disease surveillance systems in the Union/EEA public health sector, and started evaluating its disease programmes;

- the Centre has prioritised activities addressing the threats posed by antimicrobial resistance and the rise of vaccine hesitancy in the Union;

- on 31 December 2017, the establishment plan was 91.21 % executed, with 166 temporary agents appointed out of 182 temporary agents authorised under the Union budget;

- the Centre completed 316 procurement procedures in 2017;

- in July 2016, the Centre signed a new lease agreement for its new premises, that took effect at the end of February 2018, and that the duration of the new lease agreement is 15 years. The Centre moved to the new premises in April 2018.