On discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) for the financial year 2022
A-9-2024-0120
Committee on Budgetary Control · Rapporteur: Petri Sarvamaa
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Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control proposes granting discharge to the Director of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) for the 2022 budget and approving the closure of its 2022 accounts.¶¶ It sets out observations on budget management, performance, staff, procurement, conflicts of interest, transparency and internal control.¶¶¶ It notes the Court of Auditors' reasonable assurance that ACER's accounts are reliable and transactions legal and regular.¶ It calls on ACER to address high carry-overs, improve transparency and governance, enforce payment limits, and report on gender balance targets.¶¶¶
Committee position. The Committee on Budgetary Control proposes that Parliament grant discharge to ACER's Director for the 2022 budget and approve the closure of its 2022 accounts, while setting out observations on budget management, performance, staff, procurement, conflicts of interest, transparency and internal control.¶¶¶
Key points
- Grants the Director of ACER discharge for the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2022.¶
- Approves the closure of ACER's accounts for the financial year 2022.¶
- Notes that ACER's final budget for 2022 was EUR 24 827 843, an increase of 5,25 % compared to 2021, funded mainly by fees and the Union contribution.¶
- Notes that the Court of Auditors obtained reasonable assurance that ACER's annual accounts are reliable and the underlying transactions legal and regular.¶
- Notes budget implementation of 99,26 % for commitment appropriations and 70,12 % for payment appropriations, short of the 75 % target.¶
- Notes with concern high carry-overs of EUR 7,2 million (29,4 %) in 2022 and insists this could indicate a structural issue or weak planning.¶
- Notes that 82 % of the work programme was achieved or achieved with a small issue, and 18 % was not achieved or postponed due to limited human resources.¶
- Acknowledges that the Russian invasion of Ukraine increased ACER's responsibilities and welcomes its efforts on additional tasks.¶
- Takes note of the Court's observation on weaknesses in ACER's monitoring and reporting framework and calls for more explicit planning.¶
- Notes that the establishment plan was 97,40 % implemented with 74 temporary agents appointed out of 76 authorised, and calls for gender balance in future recruitments.¶¶
- Notes that ACER partially resolved previous procurement weaknesses and that 246 procurement procedures were concluded in 2022.¶¶
- Calls on ACER to improve transparency and accountability, and on the Commission to evaluate and propose improvements to ACER's governance.¶¶
Who is affected
- ACER: must address carry-overs, improve transparency, enforce payment limits, and report on gender balance targets.¶¶¶
- The Commission: called on to evaluate and propose improvements to ACER's governance.¶
- ACER's senior management: called on to consider gender balance in future recruitments and appointments.¶
Figures and deadlines
- EUR 24 827 843: ACER's final budget for 2022.¶
- 5,25 %: increase in ACER's budget compared to 2021.
- 99,26 %: budget implementation rate of current year commitment appropriations.¶
- 70,12 %: current year payment appropriations execution rate.
- 75 %: ACER's planned target for payment appropriations execution.
- EUR 7,2 million (29,4 %): carry-overs of commitment appropriations in 2022.¶
- EUR 714 720: payment order authorised beyond the delegated limit of EUR 500 000.¶
Legal basis: Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.¶¶