REPORT on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2007

1. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

23.3.2009 - (C6‑0441/2008 – 2008/2268(DEC))

Committee on Budgetary Control
Rapporteur: Christofer Fjellner

Procedure : 2008/2268(DEC)

Document stages in plenary

Document selected :

A6-0170/2009

Texts tabled :

A6-0170/2009

Debates :

PV 21/04/2009 - 19
CRE 21/04/2009 - 19

Votes :

PV 23/04/2009 - 6.10

Texts adopted :

P6_TA(2009)0269

1. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

Date adopted

Result of final vote

+:

–:

0:

Members present for the final vote

Adamos Adamou, Georgs Andrejevs, Pilar Ayuso, Irena Belohorská, Maria Berger, Johannes Blokland, John Bowis, Martin Callanan, Magor Imre Csibi, Chris Davies, Avril Doyle, Mojca Drčar Murko, Elisabetta Gardini, Matthias Groote, Françoise Grossetête, Satu Hassi, Gyula Hegyi, Marie Anne Isler Béguin, Christa Klaß, Eija-Riitta Korhola, Holger Krahmer, Urszula Krupa, Peter Liese, Linda McAvan, Péter Olajos, Miroslav Ouzký, Vladko Todorov Panayotov, Vittorio Prodi, Frédérique Ries, Dagmar Roth-Behrendt, Guido Sacconi, Amalia Sartori, Carl Schlyter, Horst Schnellhardt, Richard Seeber, María Sornosa Martínez, Antonios Trakatellis, Thomas Ulmer, Åsa Westlund

Substitute(s) present for the final vote

Iles Braghetto, Jutta Haug, Hartmut Nassauer, Andres Tarand

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2007

(C6‑0441/2008 – 2008/2268(DEC))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2007[1],

– having regard to the Court of Auditors' report on the final annual accounts of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2007, together with the Centre's replies[2],

– having regard to the Council's recommendation of 10 February 2009 (5588/2009 – C6‑0060/2009),

– having regard to the EC Treaty, and in particular Article 276 thereof,

– having regard to Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities[3], and in particular Article 185 thereof,

– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 851/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 establishing a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control[4], and in particular Article 23 thereof,

– having regard to Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2343/2002 of 19 November 2002 on the framework Financial Regulation for the bodies referred to in Article 185 of Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002[5], and in particular Article 94 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 71 of, and Annex V to, its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control and the opinion of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (A6-0170/2009),

1. Grants the Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre's budget for the financial year 2007;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this Decision and the resolution that forms an integral part of it to the Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 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).

2. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2007

(C6‑0441/2008 – 2008/2268(DEC))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2007[6],

– having regard to the Council's recommendation of 10 February 2009 (5588/2009 – C6‑0060/2009),

– having regard to the EC Treaty, and in particular Article 276 thereof,

– having regard to Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities[8], and in particular Article 185 thereof,

– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 851/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 establishing a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control[9], and in particular Article 23 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 71 of, and Annex V to, its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control and the opinion of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (A6-0170/2009),

1. Notes that the final annual accounts of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control are as annexed to the Court of Auditors' report;

2. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2007;

3. Instructs its President to forward this Decision to the Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 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).

3. MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

with observations forming an integral part of the decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2007

(C6‑0441/2008 – 2008/2268(DEC))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2007[11],

– having regard to the Council's recommendation of 10 February 2009 (5588/2009 – C6‑0060/2009),

– having regard to the EC Treaty, and in particular Article 276 thereof,

– having regard to Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities[13], and in particular Article 185 thereof,

– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 851/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 establishing a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control[14], and in particular Article 23 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 71 of, and Annex V to, its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control and the opinion of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (A6-0170/2009),

A. whereas the Court of Auditors (ECA) stated that it has obtained reasonable assurance that the annual accounts for the financial year 2007 are reliable, and the underlying transactions are legal and regular,

B. whereas on 22 April 2008 Parliament granted the Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre's budget for the financial year 2006[16], and, inter alia, noted the ECA's observation, in its 2006 annual report, that nearly 45 % of the commitments entered into during the year were carried over, and that during the second half of 2006 numerous transfers were made, due mainly to imprecise estimates of staffing needs, without the Centre's Management Board having been informed in due time,

1. Notes that the Centre's budget increased from EUR 17 100 000 in 2006 to EUR 28 900 000 in 2007;

2. Considers the Centre to be an important institution for the strengthening and development of European disease surveillance and for the assessment and communication of current and emerging threats to human health posed by infectious diseases;

3. Notes with satisfaction that in 2007 the Centre was able to develop a considerable number of products and services on epidemiology, surveillance and prevention and control of communicable diseases, as well as publish a variety of scientific reports;

4. Notes that, in 2006, the carry-over rate was nearly 45 %, and that no major improvement was made in 2007, when it was close to 43 %, which shows the Centre's difficulties in implementing its budget;

5. Notes, furthermore, the ECA's observation that the level of budget amendments revealed weaknesses in the monitoring of budget implementation;

6. Is concerned by the ECA's finding that this situation is at odds with the principles of annuality and specification;

7. Notes the ECA's observation that, although the Centre's 2007 work programme was activity-based, budget amendments were not accompanied by an evaluation of their impact on the work programme and the achievement of objectives;

8. Is satisfied with the Centre's reply that it has been updating its work programme in the event of budget amendments as from 2008;

9. Notes the ECA's criticism concerning the limited reliability of the spreadsheet based inventory;

10. Is satisfied that meanwhile the Centre implemented a new asset inventory system, which will be used for the closure of the 2008 accounts;

11. Is concerned by the ECA's observation that the Centre disbursed EUR 500 000 on renovation works on the buildings rented for its premises, and that, as in 2006, these works were decided upon by direct agreement between the Centre and the owner without specifying the nature of the works and the deadlines and payment conditions; notes that, according to the ECA, this practice did not comply with the financial regulation and was at odds with the principle of economy;

12. Calls on the Centre to align its practices with the financial regulation and the principle of economy as a matter of urgency, and to report on the follow-up to the ECA's observations in its report on budgetary and financial management 2008;

13. Notes the progress made in the implementation of the Centre's recruitment plan, but underlines that further efforts have to be made to reach the full quota of employees;

Follow-up to previous discharge exercises

14. Notes that, as in 2006, the ECA detected weaknesses as regards budget implementation, in particular a high level of appropriations carried over;

15. Calls on the Centre to follow up on the ECA's recommendations, in particular as regards budget implementation, and to report on the action taken and the results achieved in its forthcoming annual report 2008;

° °

16. Refers for other observations accompanying the discharge decision which are of a horizontal nature to its resolution of .....April on financial management and control of EU agencies[17].

12.2.2009

OPINION of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

for the Committee on Budgetary Control

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2007

(SEC(2008)2359 - C6-0441/2008 - 2008/2268(DEC))

Rapporteur: Péter Olajos

SUGGESTIONS

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions in its motion for a resolution:

1. Expresses its satisfaction with the successful second year of operation of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which was also characterised by an effective implementation of the 2007 budget both in terms of commitments and payments;

2. Considers the ECDC as an important institution to strengthen and develop European disease surveillance, to assess and communicate current and emerging threats to human health posed by infectious diseases;

3. Notes with satisfaction that the ECDC has been able to develop a considerable number of products and services in 2007 on epidemiology, surveillance, prevention and control of communicable diseases as well as publishes a variety of scientific reports;

4. Notes the progress made to implement the recruitment plan but underlines that further efforts have to be made to reach the full quota of employees;

5. Recalls the Court of Auditors Report on the annual accounts of the ECDC for the financial year 2007 together with the ECDC's replies and calls on the agency to take up necessary measures to remedy deficiencies;

6. On the basis of the data available, is of the opinion that the Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control can be granted discharge in respect of implementation of the budget of the ECDC for the financial year 2007.

RESULT OF FINAL VOTE IN COMMITTEE

RESULT OF FINAL VOTE IN COMMITTEE

[1] OJ C 278, 31.10.2008, p. 48.
[2] OJ C 311, 5.12.2008, p. 122.
[3] OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1.
[4] OJ L 142, 30.4.2004, p. 1.
[5] OJ L 357, 31.12.2002, p. 72.
[6] OJ C 278, 31.10.2008, p. 48.
[7] OJ C 311, 5.12.2008, p. 122.
[8] OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1.
[9] OJ L 142, 30.4.2004, p. 1.
[10] OJ L 357, 31.12.2002, p. 72.
[11] OJ C 278, 31.10.2008, p. 48.
[12] OJ C 311, 5.12.2008., p. 122.
[13] OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1.
[14] OJ L 142, 30.4.2004, p. 1.
[15] OJ L 357, 31.12.2002, p. 72.
[16] Texts adopted, P6_TA(2008)0152.
[17] Texts adopted, P6_TA-PROV(2009)...

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