PURPOSE: to grant discharge to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the financial year 2016.
NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2018/1388 of the European Parliament on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Medicines Agency for the financial year 2016.
CONTENT: the European Parliament decided to grant discharge to the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency for the implementation of the Agency’s budget for 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 in particular that the Agency will be facing an additional workload and additional budgetary needs throughout the 2018-2020 relocation and transition period, as a consequence of the decision of the United Kingdom (UK) to withdraw from the Union. It called on the Commission to make available adequate staff and budgetary resources during this period to ensure that the Agency can both continue to carry out its tasks effectively and launch all required activities in preparation for its relocation in 2019. It proposed in addition that the Agency, limited by legislation and in line with the principle of sound financial management, be authorised to maintain a budgetary reserve generated from revenue fees to respond to unforeseen costs and unfavourable exchange rate fluctuations that may be incurred in 2018 and beyond.
Lastly, Parliament stressed the need for the accelerated building approval procedure so as to avoid any delays in the start of the construction of the new Agency’s premises in Amsterdam.