Skip to content
DRAFT REPORT (2023/2150(DEC))

On discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2022

CONT-PR-753518

Committee on Budgetary Control · Rapporteur: Petri Sarvamaa

Official HTML ↗ PDF DOCX
✦ In shortFull text
✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 25 Sept 2026

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

This is a draft report by the Committee on Budgetary Control on granting discharge to the European Fisheries Control Agency for its 2022 budget. It proposes to grant discharge and close the accounts, and sets out observations on budget management, performance, staff, transparency, procurement and internal control. The rapporteur notes the Agency's 2022 budget of EUR 34 967 797, a 99,41 % commitment rate and a 57,78 % payment rate, and raises concern about carry-overs of EUR 11,9 million. The report welcomes the Agency's 95,4 % implementation of its Annual Work Programme and its efficiency gains, but calls on it to improve procurement and internal control for external experts and vessel chartering.

Committee position. The rapporteur proposes that Parliament grant discharge to the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the 2022 budget and approve the closure of the accounts, while setting out observations on budget management, performance, staff, transparency, procurement and internal control.

Key points

  1. Parliament would grant the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency discharge for the 2022 budget and approve the closure of the Agency's 2022 accounts.
  2. The Agency's final 2022 budget was EUR 34 967 797, up 61,73 % from 2021, with about 84 % from the EU budget and 16 % from earmarked revenue.
  3. The Court of Auditors found the Agency's 2022 accounts reliable and the underlying transactions legal and regular.
  4. Budget implementation in 2022 reached a 99,41 % commitment rate and a 57,78 % payment rate; the report notes with concern carry-overs of EUR 11,9 million (41 %) to 2023.
  5. The Agency implemented 95,4 % of its Annual Work Programme and uses key performance indicators for operational and horizontal activities.
  6. Additional resources in 2022 supported monitoring under the Common Fisheries Policy and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the UK, and three new grant-funded projects under the European Maritime Fisheries and aquaculture Fund.
  7. An external evaluation for 2017-2021 assessed the Agency on effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and EU added value, and made ten recommendations.
  8. The Agency gained efficiencies from corporate IT systems, interinstitutional tenders, centralised administrative tasks and shared recruitment reserve lists.
  9. On 31 December 2022 the establishment plan was 96,10 % filled, with 74 temporary agents out of 77 authorised posts, plus contract agents, seconded national experts and interim staff.
  10. The Agency publishes declarations of interests and CVs of its Administrative Board and senior management, applies a conflict-of-interest policy and has an anti-fraud strategy in place since 2014.
  11. The Court found the Agency's justification for a six-year EUR 90 million vessel chartering framework contract insufficient, and said payments beyond four years would be irregular.
  12. The report calls on the Agency to improve procurement, strengthen selection and contracting of external experts, and rectify weaknesses in planning and procurement management for vessel chartering.

Who is affected

  • The European Fisheries Control Agency and its Executive Director, who would receive discharge and must address the observations.
  • The Agency's staff, including temporary agents, contract agents and seconded national experts, covered by its staff and conflict-of-interest policies.
  • Contractors and external experts working for the Agency, affected by procurement and selection rules.

Figures and deadlines

  • EUR 34 967 797 — the Agency's final budget for the financial year 2022.
  • 61,73 % — increase in the 2022 budget compared to 2021.
  • 99,41 % — current year commitment appropriation rate in 2022.
  • 57,78 % — current year payment appropriations execution rate in 2022.
  • EUR 11,9 million (41 %) — 2022 commitment appropriations carried over to 2023.
  • 95,4 % — share of the Annual Work Programme implemented in 2022.
  • 96,10 % — establishment plan filled on 31 December 2022, with 74 temporary agents out of 77 authorised posts.
  • EUR 90 million — value of the framework contract for chartering three vessels, with an initial duration of 24 months, renewable up to six years.

Legal basis: Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.