Text tabled : A7-0329/2011

  Zigmantas Balčytis (S&D), in writing. – (LT) I voted in favour of this report, in which the European Parliament granted discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Medicines Agency for the financial year 2009 and approved the closure of the agency’s accounts for the financial year 2009. On the basis of information provided to the European Parliament, one positive point is that the agency has taken actions to address its serious weaknesses disclosed by the reports for 2009 from both the Court of Auditors and the Internal Audit Service, as a result of which, on 10 May 2011, Parliament decided to postpone its decision on granting discharge in respect of the implementation of the agency’s budget for the financial year 2009. In the second half of 2011, the agency submitted a report to Parliament on the level of implementation of the IAS recommendations, stating that, a significant proportion of the ‘very important’ recommendations on human resources management, administrative procedures relating to selection and internal control standards had already been implemented or were being implemented. Moreover, the agency has begun to develop an action plan on improving procurement procedures. It has also rectified the deficiencies identified by the IAS concerning contract agent selection. I agree with the rapporteur that Parliament must continue to carefully monitor the level of implementation of the measures undertaken to address the agency’s serious weaknesses.