The Committee on Budgetary Control adopted the report by Monica Luisa MACOVEI (EPP, RO) on discharge to be granted to the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2010.
Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for the financial year 2010 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Members approve the closure of the Agency’s accounts. However, they make a number of recommendations that need to be taken into account when the discharge is granted, in addition to the general recommendations that appear in the draft resolution on performance, financial management and control of EU agencies:
- Budgetary and financial management: Members note that the implementation rate of the Union contribution followed the previous year's trend and remained at 100 %, and that the budget execution rate in terms of payments reached 61.65 % in 2010 compared to 60.64 % in 2009. They, therefore call on the Agency to make further efforts and to take appropriate actions to ensure a greater level of budget execution in terms of payment;
- Carryover appropriations and transfers: Members urge
- the Agency to improve its budgetary implementation planning in order to reduce its high level of carryovers (EUR 6.9 million) with a concentration of spending in the final weeks of the year. They note with concern the Court of Auditors' comment on the commitment of 48 % of the operational expenditure in the last month of 2010 and on the high level of carryovers as a consequence. They call on the Agency to take measures to avoid this situation in the future;
- Human resources: Members note with concern the delay in completing recruitment procedures, meaning that only 59 out of 72 posts could be filled during 2010 and call on the Agency to take all necessary steps to prevent a recurrence of this situation. They are particularly concerned about the allegations of harassment of staff and call on the Agency to address those allegations adequately;
- Internal audit: lastly, Members note that, according to information provided by the Agency, the Internal Audit Service (IAS) performed an audit on planning and monitoring in March 2011 and formulated certain recommendations some of which were considered “important”. They call for these recommendations to be addressed.