The European Parliament adopted the report by Jan MULDER (ELDR, NL) concerning the granting of discharge to the Director of Eurojust in respect of the implementation of its budget for the financial year 2002.

The Parliament records its comments in the accompanying resolution.

Firstly, the Parliament notes Eurojust's position that it at present concentrating on setting up and that problems that might be encountered during the initial stage of its work with regard to budget implementation are expected to be overcome in the financial year 2004.

Concerning the financial Regulation, Parliament expresses its satisfaction that agreement seems imminent on Eurojust's compliance with the framework Financial Regulation; asks to be fully informed about the final agreement on this matter.

As far as Interinstitutional cooperation is concerned, Parliament welcomes Eurojust's readiness to draw on the experience, mechanisms and working methods of existing institutions; notes its remark on the difficulties that a small agency may encounter when dealing with a far bigger and complex institution such as the Commission. It also welcomes Eurojust's position that it looks forward to receiving help and guidance from the Commission's services in particular in the areas of accounting and internal audit and control.

Lastly, Eurojust is invited to endeavour to establish a good working relationship with Parliament and its competent committees as regards both the discharge procedure and issues relating to its specific role and tasks.

In parallel, the Parliament has made a series of horizontal points on all of the Agencies' discharges which can be summarised as follows:

- Internal audit and control measures : Parliament reiterates the position taken in its resolutions 2003 accompanying the discharge given to the Agencies for 2001 as regards the implementation of the new Financial Regulation and invites the Commission and the Agencies to continue their cooperation, in particular in the areas of accounting, internal audit, management and control procedures, so as to ensure that a coherent harmonised framework for the functioning of the Agencies is established. It recalls that it expressed concern in the discharge resolution for 2001 concerning the lack of controls on the agencies carried out by the internal audit service of the Commission (IAS). Parliament expresses grave concern that such controls do not seem to have been carried out this year. It stresses that it is essential that the Agencies be required to submit to the investigative powers of OLAF under the same conditions as the other institutions.

- Financial Management : Parliament invites the Agencies to indicate in particular which of their activities of a multi-annual nature might be financed by such appropriations. The Commission is invited to present its position on such a solution.

- Review of the agencies : the Parliament states that that, prior to any decision to set up an agency, the Commission must make a rigorous analysis of the need for and added value of the functions that the agency will perform. Like last year, the Commission is called upon to make a general study of activities currently carried out by various Community bodies that might overlap or serve the same goals, and to propose appropriate solutions, including the possible mergers of agencies. Parliament is concerned by the fact that there is an imbalance between administrative and operational expenditure in many Agencies, with administrative expenditure exceeding expenditure for operational purposes. The Commission and the Agencies are called upon to set targets and a timetable to reduce the level of administrative expenditure as a proportion of total expenditure. The Agencies are encouraged to improve cooperation between themselves in order to meet their needs in specific areas (for example, software development) and reduce costs. A close working relationship with the competent parliamentary committees is also required.

- New sources of financing : Parliament calls on the Commission and the Agencies to come forward with constructive proposals with regard to further development of new sources of additional financing, which would increase the level of self-financing. It welcomes the financial contributions of some Member States and regions to the agencies located on their area and considers it important for Council and the Commission to demand such contributions, especially when new agencies are set up.

- Harmonised operating framework : Parliament recalls its that the multitude of different forms in the existing agencies' structures was thought to be "neither transparent nor comprehensible. Therefore, it has invited the Commission to present appropriate proposals, aimed at creating such a harmonised framework for the agencies, prior to or at least in parallel with the presentation of the legislative proposals for the new agencies. It insists that an interinstitutional agreement spelling out common guidelines is a pre-condition for creating the harmonised framework.

- Staff policy : the Parliament considers that the staff policy of the Agencies should comply with the Financial Regulation, the Staff Regulations and the best practice generally followed by the Institutions. The Parliament recalls the principle that the Agencies should as far as possible employ staff on temporary contracts, in order to maintain flexibility and efficiency. In this respect, it is concerned about the serious anomalies detected in connection with the selection procedures of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and that selection procedures organised by the Agencies should meet the same standards as those organised by the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) and that they should not be perceived as a backdoor for easy entry into the European civil service.

T5-0326/2004
OJ C 104 30.04.2004, p. 0421-0588 E

The European Parliament adopted the report by Jan MULDER (ELDR, NL) concerning the granting of discharge to the Director of Eurojust in respect of the implementation of its budget for the financial year 2002.

The Parliament records its comments in the accompanying resolution.

Firstly, the Parliament notes Eurojust's position that it at present concentrating on setting up and that problems that might be encountered during the initial stage of its work with regard to budget implementation are expected to be overcome in the financial year 2004.

Concerning the financial Regulation, Parliament expresses its satisfaction that agreement seems imminent on Eurojust's compliance with the framework Financial Regulation; asks to be fully informed about the final agreement on this matter.

As far as Interinstitutional cooperation is concerned, Parliament welcomes Eurojust's readiness to draw on the experience, mechanisms and working methods of existing institutions; notes its remark on the difficulties that a small agency may encounter when dealing with a far bigger and complex institution such as the Commission. It also welcomes Eurojust's position that it looks forward to receiving help and guidance from the Commission's services in particular in the areas of accounting and internal audit and control.

Lastly, Eurojust is invited to endeavour to establish a good working relationship with Parliament and its competent committees as regards both the discharge procedure and issues relating to its specific role and tasks.

In parallel, the Parliament has made a series of horizontal points on all of the Agencies' discharges which can be summarised as follows:

- Internal audit and control measures : Parliament reiterates the position taken in its resolutions 2003 accompanying the discharge given to the Agencies for 2001 as regards the implementation of the new Financial Regulation and invites the Commission and the Agencies to continue their cooperation, in particular in the areas of accounting, internal audit, management and control procedures, so as to ensure that a coherent harmonised framework for the functioning of the Agencies is established. It recalls that it expressed concern in the discharge resolution for 2001 concerning the lack of controls on the agencies carried out by the internal audit service of the Commission (IAS). Parliament expresses grave concern that such controls do not seem to have been carried out this year. It stresses that it is essential that the Agencies be required to submit to the investigative powers of OLAF under the same conditions as the other institutions.

- Financial Management : Parliament invites the Agencies to indicate in particular which of their activities of a multi-annual nature might be financed by such appropriations. The Commission is invited to present its position on such a solution.

- Review of the agencies : the Parliament states that that, prior to any decision to set up an agency, the Commission must make a rigorous analysis of the need for and added value of the functions that the agency will perform. Like last year, the Commission is called upon to make a general study of activities currently carried out by various Community bodies that might overlap or serve the same goals, and to propose appropriate solutions, including the possible mergers of agencies. Parliament is concerned by the fact that there is an imbalance between administrative and operational expenditure in many Agencies, with administrative expenditure exceeding expenditure for operational purposes. The Commission and the Agencies are called upon to set targets and a timetable to reduce the level of administrative expenditure as a proportion of total expenditure. The Agencies are encouraged to improve cooperation between themselves in order to meet their needs in specific areas (for example, software development) and reduce costs. A close working relationship with the competent parliamentary committees is also required.

- New sources of financing : Parliament calls on the Commission and the Agencies to come forward with constructive proposals with regard to further development of new sources of additional financing, which would increase the level of self-financing. It welcomes the financial contributions of some Member States and regions to the agencies located on their area and considers it important for Council and the Commission to demand such contributions, especially when new agencies are set up.

- Harmonised operating framework : Parliament recalls its that the multitude of different forms in the existing agencies' structures was thought to be "neither transparent nor comprehensible. Therefore, it has invited the Commission to present appropriate proposals, aimed at creating such a harmonised framework for the agencies, prior to or at least in parallel with the presentation of the legislative proposals for the new agencies. It insists that an interinstitutional agreement spelling out common guidelines is a pre-condition for creating the harmonised framework.

- Staff policy : the Parliament considers that the staff policy of the Agencies should comply with the Financial Regulation, the Staff Regulations and the best practice generally followed by the Institutions. The Parliament recalls the principle that the Agencies should as far as possible employ staff on temporary contracts, in order to maintain flexibility and efficiency. In this respect, it is concerned about the serious anomalies detected in connection with the selection procedures of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and that selection procedures organised by the Agencies should meet the same standards as those organised by the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) and that they should not be perceived as a backdoor for easy entry into the European civil service.

T5-0326/2004

PURPOSE : to grant discharge to Eurojust in respect of the implementation of its budget for the financial year 2002.

LEGISLATIVE ACT : Decision 2004/713/EC of the European Parliament concerning discharge to the Director of Eurojust for the financial year 2002.

CONTENT : with this present Decision, the European Parliament gives discharge to the Director of Eurojust, in respect of the implementation of its budget for the financial year 2002.

This Decision is in conformity with the European Parliament’s resolution approved on 21 April 2004 and which is accompanied by a series of which complete the discharge decision (please refer to the summary of the opinion).

Budget 2004/713
OJ L 330 04.11.2004, p. 0040-0040

Debate in Parliament

A5-0212/2004

A5-0212/2004

06186/2004

OJ C 319 30.12.2003, p. 0042-0046
N5-0031/2003

N5-0031/2003