The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the final annual accounts of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2018,

–  having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2018, together with the agencies’ replies(1),

–  having regard to the statement of assurance(2) as to the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions provided by the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2018, pursuant to Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to the Council’s recommendation of 18 February 2020 on discharge to be given to the Agency in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2018 (05761/2020 – C9‑0054/2020),

–  having regard to Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to Article 106a of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community,

–  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002(3), and in particular Article 1(2) thereof,

–  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012(4), and in particular Article 68 thereof,

–  having regard to Council Decision 2008/114/EC, Euratom of 12 February 2008 establishing Statutes for the Euratom Supply Agency(5), and in particular Article 8 of the Annex thereto,

–  having regard to Rule 100 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A9-0056/2020),

1.  Grants the Director General of the Euratom Supply Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018;

2.  Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3.  Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Director General of the Euratom Supply Agency, the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors, and to arrange for their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (L series).

(1) OJ C 417, 11.12.2019, p. 1. (2) OJ C 417, 11.12.2019, p. 34. (3) OJ L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1. (4) OJ L 193, 30.7.2018, p. 1. (5) OJ L 41, 15.2.2008, p. 15.

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the final annual accounts of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2018,

–  having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2018, together with the agencies’ replies(1),

–  having regard to the statement of assurance(2) as to the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions provided by the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2018, pursuant to Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to the Council’s recommendation of 18 February 2020 on discharge to be given to the Agency in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2018 (05761/2020 – C9‑0054/2020),

–  having regard to Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to Article 106a of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community,

–  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002(3), and in particular Article 1(2) thereof,

–  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012(4), and in particular Article 68 thereof,

–  having regard to Council Decision 2008/114/EC, Euratom of 12 February 2008 establishing Statutes for the Euratom Supply Agency(5), and in particular Article 8 of the Annex thereto,

–  having regard to Rule 100 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A9-0056/2020),

1.  Approves the closure of the accounts of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2018;

2.  Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Director General of the Euratom Supply Agency, the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors, and to arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (L series).

(1) OJ C 417, 11.12.2019, p. 1. (2) OJ C 417, 11.12.2019, p. 34. (3) OJ L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1. (4) OJ L 193, 30.7.2018, p. 1. (5) OJ L 41, 15.2.2008, p. 15.

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2018,

–  having regard to Rule 100 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A9-0056/2020),

A.  whereas, according to its financial statements of revenue and expenditure, the final budget of the Euratom Supply Agency (the ‘Agency’) for the financial year 2018 was EUR 123 000, representing the same amount as in 2017; whereas the entire budget of the Agency derives from the Union budget;

B.  whereas the Court of Auditors (the ‘Court’), in its report on the Agency’s annual accounts for the financial year 2018 (the ‘Court's report’), stated that it had obtained reasonable assurances that the Agency’s annual accounts are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular;

Budget and financial management

1.  Notes that budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2018 resulted in a commitment appropriations implementation rate of 97,84 % representing a decrease of 1,04 % compared to 2017; notes with concern, however, that the payment appropriation execution rate was 72,90 % representing a decrease of 1,73 % compared to 2017;

Cancellation of carryovers

2.  Raises concerns that the cancellation rate of budget appropriations carried over from 2017 to 2018 is high, at 21 %, demonstrating unjustified commitments in the previous year; calls on the Agency to carry over budget appropriations only when justified;

Performance

3.  Notes that in 2018 the Agency processed 331 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; acknowledges the Agency’s continuing efforts on the diversification of sources of supply;

4.  Encourages the Agency to pursue the digitalisation of its services;

Staff policy

5.  Notes that the Agency had 16 members of staff at the end of 2018, all being Commission officials, out of 25 authorised by the establishment plan, the same number as were authorised in 2017;

Other comments

6.  Notes that the United Kingdom has withdrawn from the Union, including Euratom; calls on the Agency to ensure that it remain aware of the effects of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal and that it report to the discharge authority of any developments in that regard;

7.  Calls on the Agency to focus on disseminating the results of its research to the public, and to reach out to public via the social media and other media outlets;

o
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8.  Refers, for other observations of a cross-cutting nature accompanying its decision on discharge, to its resolution of 14 May 2020(1) on the performance, financial management and control of the agencies.

(1) Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0121.