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From · Plenary report · 2024-03-21 A-9-2024-0106 on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Asylum (before 19.1.2022 the European Asylum Support Office) for the financial year 2022
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To · Adopted text · 2024-04-11 TA-9-2024-0268 Discharge 2022: European Union Agency for Asylum (before 19 January 2022: European Asylum Support Office)
+7 added · −74 removed · 3 modified paragraphs

PR_DEC_Agencies

P9_TA(2024)0268

1. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

Discharge 2022: European Union Agency for Asylum (before 19 January 2022: European Asylum Support Office)

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of European Union Agency for Asylum (before 19.1.2022 the European Asylum Support Office) for the financial year 2022

Committee on Budgetary Control

(2023/2164(DEC))

PE753.532

1. European Parliament decision of 11 April 2024 on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Asylum (before 19.1.2022 the European Asylum Support Office) for the financial year 2022 (2023/2164(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Asylum for the financial year 2022,

– having regard to the statement of assurance 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 2022, pursuant to Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to the Council’s recommendation of 22 February 2024 on discharge to be given to the Agency in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2022 (00000/2024(06180/2024 – C90000/2024),C90102/2024),

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

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Asylum, 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

2. European Parliament decision of 11 April 2024 on the closure of the accounts of European Union Agency for Asylum (before 19.1.2022 the European Asylum Support Office) for the financial year 2022 (2023/2164(DEC))

on the closure of the accounts of European Union Agency for Asylum (before 19.1.2022 the European Asylum Support Office) for the financial year 2022

(2023/2164(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Asylum for the financial year 2022,

– having regard to the statement of assurance 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 2022, pursuant to Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to the Council’s recommendation of 22 February 2024 on discharge to be given to the Agency in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2022 (00000/2024(06180/2024 – C90000/2024),C90102/2024),

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

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Asylum, 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

3. European Parliament resolution of 11 April 2024 with observations forming an integral part of the decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of European Union Agency for Asylum (before 19.1.2022 the European Asylum Support Office) for the financial year 2022 (2023/2164(DEC))

with observations forming an integral part of the decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of European Union Agency for Asylum (before 19.1.2022 the European Asylum Support Office) for the financial year 2022

(2023/2164(DEC))

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Asylum for the financial year 2022,

° °

31. Refers, for other observations of a cross-cutting nature accompanying its decision on discharge, to its resolution of [...]11 April 2024 on the performance, financial management and control of the agencies.

ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that he has received input from the following entities or persons in the preparation of the report, until the adoption thereof in committee:

Entity and/or person

EUAA Pauline Chaigne (Policy Officer EUAA)

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.

24.1.2024

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON CIVIL LIBERTIES, JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

for the Committee on Budgetary Control

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Asylum (before 19.1.2022 the European Asylum Support Office) for the financial year 2022

(2023/2164(DEC))

Rapporteur for opinion: Tomáš Zdechovský

SUGGESTIONS

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its motion for a resolution:

1. Notes the fact that the Court of Auditors (the ‘Court’) has declared the transactions underlying the annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) for the financial year 2022 to be legal and regular in all material respects;

2. Welcomes the fact that two issues, the high number of temporary managers and the lack of update of the policy for the management and prevention of conflict of interest, identified in previous years Court’s observations have been addressed; notes that the observations on procurement procedures reported in previous years, namely the rented premises in Lesbos and in Rome will be closed in 2023;

3. Welcomes the EUAA’s efforts to implement the new mandate in force since January 2022 despite the lack of sufficient number of additional staff; calls the Commission and Member States to allow additional staff and reclassification of certain posts to ensure a proper implementation in particular as regards the Fundamental Rights Officer, the Asylum reserve Pool and the monitoring and operational activities to ensure that the rights of asylum applicants are always safeguarded and in line with applicable rules;

4. Recalls the role of EUAA in providing support for the processing of applications for international protection as well as for the training of caseworkers responsible for processing asylum claims; states the need for EUAA to continue providing support to Member States and third countries in dealing with asylum and migration applications; calls to focus the budget on further staff recruitment if needed to help member states to ensure fair and just examination of the asylum applications for international protection, especially of interpreters and psychologists for applicants that belong to vulnerable groups;

5. Welcomes that almost 4 million persons benefited from temporary protection after the Council mandated the EUAA, along with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), to provide operational support to Member States requesting assistance in coping with the refugee arrivals following the Russian invasion of Ukraine;

6. Recalls the recomendation of Discharge authority in its report for 2020; notes the EUAA’s continues support to Member States in ensuring a protective reception system for unaccompanied minors through the provision of training, operational support, guidance, tools and informational material such as leaflets and videos targeting minors in reception; recalls that in 2022, 42 000 asylum applications were lodged by unaccompanied minors in the EU and in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland (EU+ countries); further appreciates organisation of a thematic meeting in Slovenia with the participation of 13 countries allowing various stakeholders to discuss best practices for reception facilities of unaccompanied minors;

7. Notes with satisfaction that EUAA implemented operational plans in 14 Member States, thus expanding its operations to six additional EU countries and that EUAA deployed personnel to a non-EU country, Moldova first since its foundation; further appreciates EUAA’s strong engagement in the external dimension of Common European Asylum System (CEAS) supporting EU+ countries resettle 2,585 persons through support for 13 selection and 3 pre-departure missions;

8. Notes EUAA’s assistance to Western Balkan partner countries through the provision of institutional capacity building, training and on-the-job coaching on core asylum procedures;

9. Notes the Court’s observation that the agreements between the EU and the Schengen associated countries (SAC) serving as legal basis for calculating their contributions to EUAA’s budget are unclear and allow divergent interpretations, resulting lower contribution by SAC; notes EUAA’s response that its approach is in line with the legal provisions; calls the Commission to examine these agreements;

10. Recalls that OLAF is currently conducting an investigations concerning allegations of misconduct and staff-related irregularities in EUAA’s senior management; requests that allegations of misconduct are thoroughly checked and investigated; welcomes EUAA’s commitment to full cooperation with OLAF; calls on EUAA to ensure the full and sincere cooperation with OLAF throughout all stages of the investigation and to regularly report to the European Parliament about the progress of the state and outcome of the investigation;

ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

The rapporteur has received input from the following entities or persons in the preparation of the opinion:

Entity and/or person

European Union Agency for Asylum (“EUAA”)

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted

23.1.2024

Result of final vote

+:

–:

0:

51

4

0

Members present for the final vote

Magdalena Adamowicz, Abir Al-Sahlani, Katarina Barley, Pietro Bartolo, Theresa Bielowski, Patrick Breyer, Jorge Buxadé Villalba, Damien Carême, Patricia Chagnon, Lena Düpont, Lucia Ďuriš Nicholsonová, Cornelia Ernst, Laura Ferrara, Nicolaus Fest, Maria Grapini, Sylvie Guillaume, Andrzej Halicki, Evin Incir, Sophia in ‘t Veld, Patryk Jaki, Marina Kaljurand, Assita Kanko, Łukasz Kohut, Moritz Körner, Alice Kuhnke, Jeroen Lenaers, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Erik Marquardt, Javier Moreno Sánchez, Maite Pagazaurtundúa, Diana Riba i Giner, Isabel Santos, Birgit Sippel, Vincenzo Sofo, Tineke Strik, Jana Toom, Milan Uhrík, Tom Vandendriessche, Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi, Javier Zarzalejos

Substitutes present for the final vote

Cyrus Engerer, José Gusmão, Beata Kempa, Leopoldo López Gil, Janina Ochojska, Anne-Sophie Pelletier, Bergur Løkke Rasmussen, Róża Thun und Hohenstein, Maria Walsh, Tomáš Zdechovský

Substitutes under Rule 209(7) present for the final vote

Andrus Ansip, Hildegard Bentele, Maria da Graça Carvalho, Marisa Matias, Caroline Nagtegaal

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Key to symbols:

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Date adopted

4.3.2024

Result of final vote

+:

–:

0:

17

7

0

Members present for the final vote

Dominique Bilde, Gilles Boyer, Olivier Chastel, Caterina Chinnici, Ilana Cicurel, Carlos Coelho, Daniel Freund, Isabel García Muñoz, Monika Hohlmeier, Joachim Kuhs, Markus Pieper, Petri Sarvamaa, François Thiollet

Substitutes present for the final vote

Katalin Cseh, Bas Eickhout, Hannes Heide, Sabrina Pignedoli, Wolfram Pirchner

Substitutes under Rule 209(7) present for the final vote

Malin Björk, Marc Botenga, Michael Gahler, César Luena, Matjaž Nemec, Barbara Thaler

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Key to symbols: