The European Parliament decided to grant discharge to the Director-General of the Euratom Supply Agency (ESA) 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 Agency’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 107 with 13 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:
Agency’s financial statements
The final budget of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2017 was EUR 123 000, representing a slight decrease of 1.6 % compared to 2016.
Budget and financial management
Budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2017 resulted in a commitment appropriations execution rate of 98.88 %, representing an increase of 4.54 % compared to 2016. Payment appropriation execution rate was 74.64 %, representing a decrease of 11.48 % compared to 2016. The cancellation of carryovers from 2016 to 2017 amounted to EUR 148.09 representing 1.44 % of the total amount carried over, and a decrease of 2.07 % in comparison to 2016.
Members also made a series of observations regarding performance and staff policy.
In particular, they noted that:
- the Agency that in 2017 it processed 320 transactions, including contracts, amendments and notifications, and continued to take responsibility for the Union common nuclear supply policy in line with its statutory mandate, in order to ensure the security of the supply of nuclear materials;
- the Agency had 17 staff at the end of 2017, all being Commission Officials, out of 25 authorised by the establishment plan, the same as in 2016;
- that the United Kingdom (UK) submitted its intention to withdraw from the Union, including Euratom. Members noted that from the withdrawal date, the UK will have sole responsibility for ensuring compliance with its international obligations arising from its membership in the International Atomic Energy Agency and from various international treaties and conventions to which it is a party. The UK must establish its own nuclear safeguards regime and negotiate bilateral nuclear cooperation agreements with the various nations now covered by Euratom agreements.