2017 discharge: Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking

2018/2213(DEC)

The European Parliament decided to grant the Executive Director of the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2017 and to approve the closure of the joint undertaking’s accounts.

Noting that the Court of Auditors considered that the annual accounts of the Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2017 accurately reflected the financial position of the Joint Undertaking as at 31 December 2017, as well as the results of its operations, Parliament adopted by 499 votes to 108, with 26 abstentions, a resolution containing a series of observations which form an integral part of the discharge decision.

General

The maximum contribution from the Union to the Joint Undertaking second phase of activities is EUR 1 755 000 000 to be paid from the budget of Horizon 2020.

Budgetary and financial management

The Joint Undertaking’s final budget for 2017 included commitment appropriations of EUR 313 429 392 and payment appropriations of EUR 243 503 223. The commitment appropriations utilisation rate was 99.6 % and the rate of payment appropriations was 98.5 %.

Other observations

The resolution also contained a series of observations on calls for proposals, performance and internal audits. It noted in particular:

- the successful closure of the Clean Sky programme with the delivery in 2017 of a total of 28 significant demonstrators (ground and flight tested) together with having selected all its Core Partners and having achieved the addition of the Partners to the programme, bringing the total to 497 participants;

- that the Internal Audit Service (IAS) finalised an audit on the performance management of the joint activities. It noted that the audit identified two 'very important' issues, in the area of measuring the achievement of the strategic objectives and the impact of the Joint Undertaking activities;

- the setup of a working group in 2017 on synergies between national and regional programmes and the Joint Undertaking, aiming at identifying areas of cooperation and contribute to the Joint Undertaking action plan and activities on synergies with the European Structural and Investment Funds and cooperation with Member States and Regions.