Sittings · Document

DRAFT REPORT (2024/2030(DEC)) 2025-01-16

On discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agencies for the financial year 2023

Committee on Budgetary Control · Rapporteur: Erik Marquardt

PR_DEC_Agencies

1. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

– 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 2023, pursuant to Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to the Council’s recommendation of ... 2025 on discharge to be given to the Agency in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2023 (00000/2025 – C100000/2025),

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012, and in particular Article 70 thereof,

– having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, and in particular Article 70 thereof,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/942 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 establishing a European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, and in particular Article 35 thereof,

– having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/715 of 18 December 2018 on the framework financial regulation for the bodies set up under the TFEU and Euratom Treaty and referred to in Article 70 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and in particular Article 105 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the opinions of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, the Committee on Transport and Tourism, the Committee on Fisheries, the Committee on Culture and Education, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, and the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Director of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Director of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, 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 Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Director of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, 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. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Agency for Support for BEREC for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the Agency for Support for BEREC for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2018/1971 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 establishing the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) and the Agency for Support for BEREC (BEREC Office), amending Regulation (EU) 2015/2120 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1211/2009, and in particular Article 28 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Director of the Agency for Support for BEREC discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Agency for Support for BEREC discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Director of the Agency for Support for BEREC, 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).

4. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the Agency for Support for BEREC for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the Agency for Support for BEREC for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the Agency for Support for BEREC for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Agency for Support for BEREC for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Director of the Agency for Support for BEREC, 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).

5. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

– having regard to the Council’s recommendation of ... 2025 on discharge to be given to the Centre in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2023 (00000/2025 – C100000/2025),

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

– having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2965/1994 of 28 November 1994 setting up a Translation Centre for Bodies of the European Union, and in particular Article 14 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Director of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Director of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union, 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).

6. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2965/1994 of 28 November 1994 setting up a Translation Centre for Bodies of the European Union, and in particular Article 14 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Director of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union, 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).

7. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/128 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 January 2019 establishing a European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 337/75, and in particular Article 15 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Executive Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 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).

8. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Executive Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 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).

9. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2015/2219 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 on the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) and replacing and repealing Council Decision 2005/681/JHA, and in particular Article 20 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

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 Law Enforcement Training, 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).

10. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training, 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).

11. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2018 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and amending Regulations (EC) No 2111/2005, (EC) No 1008/2008, (EU) No 996/2010, (EU) No 376/2014 and Directives 2014/30/EU and 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 552/2004 and (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91, and in particular Article 121 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the acting Executive Director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the acting Executive Director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

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

12. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the acting Executive Director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, 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).

13. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Banking Authority for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Banking Authority for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

– having regard to the Council’s recommendation of ... 2025 on discharge to be given to the Authority in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2023 (00000/2025 – C100000/2025),

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 establishing a European Supervisory Authority (European Banking Authority), amending Decision No 716/2009/EC and repealing Commission Decision 2009/78/EC, and in particular Article 64 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Banking Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Banking Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Executive Director of the European Banking Authority, 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).

14. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Banking Authority for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Banking Authority for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Banking Authority for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Banking Authority for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Executive Director of the European Banking Authority, 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).

15. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– 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, and in particular Article 23 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

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 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting 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 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming 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).

16. 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 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2023;

2. 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).

17. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Chemicals Agency for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Chemicals Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC, and in particular Article 97 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

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

18. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Chemicals Agency for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Chemicals Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Chemicals Agency for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Chemicals Agency for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency, 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).

19. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Environment Agency for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Environment Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 401/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the European Environment Agency and the European Environment Information and Observation Network, and in particular Article 13 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

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

20. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Environment Agency for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Environment Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Environment Agency for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Environment Agency for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency, 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).

21. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/473 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 March 2019 on the European Fisheries Control Agency, and in particular Article 45 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency, 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).

22. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/473 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 March 2019 on the European Fisheries Control Agency, and in particular Article 45 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency, 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).

23. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Food Safety Authority for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Food Safety Authority for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety, and in particular Article 44 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the acting Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the acting Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the acting Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority, 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).

24. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Food Safety Authority for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Food Safety Authority for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Food Safety Authority for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Food Safety Authority for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the acting Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority, 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).

25. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

– having regard to the Council’s recommendation of ... 2025 on discharge to be given to the Institute in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2023 (00000/2025 – C100000/2025),

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

– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1922/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on establishing a European Institute for Gender Equality, and in particular Article 15 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality, 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).

26. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality, 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).

27. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

– having regard to the Council’s recommendation of ... 2025 on discharge to be given to the Autority in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2023 (00000/2025 – C100000/2025),

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1094/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 establishing a European Supervisory Authority (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority), amending Decision No 716/2009/EC and repealing Commission Decision 2009/79/EC, and in particular Article 64 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Autority’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Autority’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Executive Director of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority, 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).

28. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Executive Director of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority, 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).

29. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/819 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 on the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, and in particular Article 23 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, 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).

30. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, 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).

31. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Labour Authority for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Labour Authority for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/1149 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 establishing a European Labour Authority, amending Regulations (EC) No 883/2004, (EU) No 492/2011, and (EU) 2016/589 and repealing Decision (EU) 2016/344, and in particular Article 28 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Labour Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Autority’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Labour Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Autority’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Executive Director of the European Labour Authority, 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).

32. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Labour Authority for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Labour Authority for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Labour Authority for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Labour Authority for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Executive Director of the European Labour Authority, 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).

33. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Medicines Agency for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Medicines Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 laying down Union procedures for the authorisation and supervision of medicinal products for human use and establishing a European Medicines Agency, and in particular Article 68 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

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

34. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Medicines Agency for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Medicines Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Medicines Agency for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Medicines Agency for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency, 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).

35. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (now European Union Drugs Agency) for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1920/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, and in particular Article 15 thereof,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2023/1322 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2023 on the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1920/2006, and in particular Article 41 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Director of European Union Drugs Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of European Union Drugs Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

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

36. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (now European Union Drugs Agency) for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Director of European Union Drugs Agency, 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).

37. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2002 establishing a European Maritime Safety Agency, and in particular Article 19 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency, 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).

38. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2002 establishing a European Maritime Safety Agency, and in particular Article 19 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency, 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).

39. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/881 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on ENISA (the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity) and on information and communications technology cybersecurity certification and repealing Regulation (EU) No 526/2013 (Cybersecurity Act), and in particular Article 31 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

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 Cybersecurity, 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).

40. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity for the financial year 2023;

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

41. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Railways for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Railways for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2016/796 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the European Union Agency for Railways and repealing Regulation (EC) No 881/2004, and in particular Article 65 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Railways discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Railways discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

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 Railways, 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).

42. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Railways for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Railways for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Railways for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Railways for the financial year 2023;

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

43. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Article 106a of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community,

– having regard to Council Decision 2008/114/EC, Euratom of 12 February 2008 establishing Statutes for the Euratom Supply Agency, and in particular Article 8 of the Annex thereto,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Director General of the Euratom Supply Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director General of the Euratom Supply Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Director General of the Euratom Supply Agency, 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).

44. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Article 106a of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community,

– having regard to Council Decision 2008/114/EC, Euratom of 12 February 2008 establishing Statutes for the Euratom Supply Agency, and in particular Article 8 of the Annex thereto,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Director General of the Euratom Supply Agency, 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).

45. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Securities and Markets Authority for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Securities and Markets Authority for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 establishing a European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority), amending Decision No 716/2009/EC and repealing Commission Decision 2009/77/EC, and in particular Article 64 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Securities and Markets Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Securities and Markets Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Executive Director of the European Securities and Markets Authority, 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).

46. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Securities and Markets Authority for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Securities and Markets Authority for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Securities and Markets Authority for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Securities and Markets Authority for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Executive Director of the European Securities and Markets Authority, 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).

47. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Training Foundation for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Training Foundation for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

– having regard to the Council’s recommendation of ... 2025 on discharge to be given to the Foundation in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2023 (00000/2025 – C100000/2025),

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

– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1339/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 establishing a European Training Foundation, and in particular Article 17 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Director of the European Training Foundation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Training Foundation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Director of the European Training Foundation, 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).

48. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Training Foundation for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Training Foundation for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1339/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 establishing a European Training Foundation, and in particular Article 17 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Training Foundation for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Training Foundation for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Director of the European Training Foundation, 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).

49. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of European Union Agency for Asylum for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Asylum for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) No 439/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 establishing a European Asylum Support Office, in particular Article 36 thereof,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/2303 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 2021 on the European Union Agency for Asylum and repealing Regulation (EU) No 439/2010, and in particular Article 55 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Asylum discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Asylum discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

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).

50. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of European Union Agency for Asylum for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Asylum for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) No 439/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 establishing a European Asylum Support Office, in particular Article 36 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Asylum for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Asylum for the financial year 2023;

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).

51. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2018/1726 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 on the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA), and amending Regulation (EC) No 1987/2006 and Council Decision 2007/533/JHA and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1077/2011, and in particular Article 47 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Interim Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Interim Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Interim Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, 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).

52. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Interim Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, 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).

53. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/126 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 January 2019 establishing the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 2062/94, and in particular Article 16 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Interim Executive Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Interim Executive Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Interim Executive Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 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).

54. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Interim Executive Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 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).

55. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/127 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 January 2019 establishing the European Foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions (Eurofound), and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 1365/75, and in particular Article 16 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Executive Director of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 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).

56. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Executive Director of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 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).

57. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2018/1727 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 on the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust), and replacing and repealing Council Decision 2002/187/JHA, and in particular Article 63 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Administrative Director of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Administrative Director of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Administrative Director of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, 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).

58. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Administrative Director of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, 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).

59. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2016/794 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and replacing and repealing Council Decisions 2009/371/JHA, 2009/934/JHA, 2009/935/JHA, 2009/936/JHA and 2009/968/JHA, and in particular Article 60 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

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 Law Enforcement Cooperation, 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).

60. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, 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).

61. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/696 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing the Union Space Programme and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme and repealing Regulations (EU) No 912/2010, (EU) No 1285/2013 and (EU) No 377/2014 and Decision No 541/2014/EU, and in particular Articles 85 and 86 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

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 the Space Programme, 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).

62. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme for the financial year 2023;

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

63. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 of 15 February 2007 establishing a European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, and in particular Article 21 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

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

64. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 of 15 February 2007 establishing a European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, and in particular Article 21 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 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).

65. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 November 2019 on the European Border and Coast Guard and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1052/2013 and (EU) 2016/1624, and in particular Article 116 thereof,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2023;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, 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).

66. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the closure of the accounts of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2023, together with the agencies’ replies,

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

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency for the financial year 2023 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency for the financial year 2023;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, 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).

67. MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

with observations forming an integral part of the decisions on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agencies for the financial year 2023

(2024/2030(DEC))

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Agency for Support for BEREC for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Banking Authority for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Chemicals Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Environment Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Food Safety Authority for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Labour Authority for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Medicines Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Railways for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Securities and Markets Authority for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Training Foundation for the financial year 2023,

– 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 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2024),

A. whereas EU agencies are distinct legal entities set up to carry out specific technical, scientific or managerial tasks that help Union institutions to design and implement policies; whereas they are located in different member states and have significant influence in areas of vital importance to European citizens’ daily lives, such as health, safety, security, freedom and justice;

B. whereas this resolution contains, for each body within the meaning of Article 70 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, and for the Euratom Supply Agency, cross-cutting observations accompanying the discharge decisions, in accordance with Article 268 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and Article 3 of Annex V to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure;

C. whereas Union decentralised agencies and the Euratom Supply Agency should focus on missions with clear European added value and the organisation of such missions should be optimised to avoid overlaps in the best interests of the Union taxpayer;

D. whereas in the context of the discharge procedure, the discharge authority aims to emphasise the significant importance of enhancing the democratic legitimacy of Union institutions; whereas this involves enhancing transparency and accountability, as well as implementing performance-based budgeting and ensuring good governance of human resources;

E. whereas the Union’s action in the field of budgetary control is based on two principles: on the one hand, ensuring that the Union’s budget is properly spent, on the other, protecting the Union’s financial interests, and combating fraud;

F. whereas, in 2012, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission adopted a ‘Joint Statement’ and a comprehensive set of guiding principles – a ‘Common Approach’ – to make the agencies more coherent, effective and accountable; whereas the Commission committed to follow-up on this agreement, where relevant in cooperation with the agencies;

G. whereas acknowledging the legally non-binding character of the Joint Statement and of the Common Approach in its annex, and without prejudice to their attributions in the legislative and annual budgetary procedures, the institutions will take this Common Approach into account in the context of all their future decisions concerning Union decentralised agencies, following a case by case analysis;

General

1. Notes that there are three types of EU agencies, decentralised agencies, executive agencies and other bodies;

2. Recalls that this resolution covers 31 out of the 33 decentralised agencies and 2 of the other four bodies (EIT - European Institute of Innovation and Technology, and ESA - Euratom Supply Agency); highlights that the budgetary and discharge procedures for two fully self-financed decentralised agencies, namely the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), are administered by the CPVO Administrative Council and the EUIPO Budget Committee, respectively, and are not part of this resolution; notes that, similarly, the Single Resolution Board’s (SRB) annual budgetary and discharge procedure is solely under the responsibility of its Board;

3. Highlights the importance of the discharge procedure as it is not only a treaty-based obligation, but also promotes and aims to ensure transparency, accountability and open dialogue on the finances of the Union; notes that it also grants the agencies a possibility to showcase their work and demonstrate their added value to the Union and its citizens; stresses, furthermore, that agencies provide answers to the questionnaires sent by Parliament and are invited to public hearings by the discharge authority and that this gives citizens, companies, NGOs and other stakeholders the possibility to follow the meetings and be assured that the revenue and expenditure are in line with the principles of sound financial management;

4. Considers that the concept of granting discharge by an internal discharge authority as in the case of the EUIPO, CPVO and SRB could potentially lead to a conflict of interest; believes that discharge granted by Parliament avoids the potential for conflicts of interest and contributes to the transparency and public image of the agencies;

5. Is of the opinion that, notwithstanding the legal framework, the same principles of accountability and transparency should be applied to all EU-related bodies;

6. Recalls point 58 of the Common Approach on fully self-financed agencies to ensure public scrutiny by the Parliament that states: “The possibilities for securing democratic accountability for fully self-financed agencies (i.e. financed by their clients) should be explored, as they are Union bodies in charge of implementing EU policies but not subject to a discharge within the meaning of the TFUE. A possibility could be that the agencies in question, submit to the European Parliament, to the Council and to the Commission an annual report on the execution of their budget and consider requests or recommendations issued by the Parliament and Council.”;

7. Points out that while the establishment or expansion of EU agencies is intended to enhance the Union's capabilities, it is critical to ensure that this process is guided by thorough evaluations, impact assessments, and a clear demonstration of added value; highlights that this approach would not only ensure better regulation but also enhance the effectiveness, accountability, transparency and coherence of the Union’s institutional landscape;

8. Recalls that point 60 of the Common Approach states that every EU agency should be evaluated every 5 years; notes that the Commission should be responsible for organising these evaluations and that, for every second evaluation, the sunset/review clause is to be applied; echoes the recommendation of the Court of Auditors (“the Court”) in the Special Report 22/2020 which advises the Commission to increase the use of cross-cutting evaluations of agencies in the context of the Commission’s fitness checks of the different policy areas; insists, moreover, that evaluation results should be used to identify synergies and possible changes, including mergers, and, where appropriate, to prepare legislative proposals in response to changing needs;

Governance

9. Recalls that the Common Approach, gives an overview of the governance structure of the decentralised agencies; reminds that the Common Approach suggests that the management board should consist of one representative from each Member State, two representatives from the Commission, one member designated by the European Parliament (where appropriate), and a 'fairly limited' number of stakeholder representatives (where appropriate);

10. Observes that the governance structure of the decentralised agencies is overall quite similar for all the agencies; notes that all of them have a Management/Administrative Board (MB) and a Director; notes that nine agencies have an Executive Board (Cedefop, EUDA, ENISA, ERA, EU-OSHA, Eurofound, Eurojust, FRA, EIT) while only the agencies related to the European Union space programme have a Security Accreditation Board; notes, furthermore, that a Board of Regulators or Supervisors has been established by the three European Supervisory Authorities (EBA - European Banking Authority, ESMA - European Securities and Markets Authority, and EIOPA - European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority) and two agencies in the single market cluster (ACER - European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, and BEREC - Agency for Support for BEREC);

11. Recalls that Eurofound, Cedefop and EU-OSHA’s managing boards have a tripartite structure; notes that each Member State is represented in each board by a government, an employer and a trade union member (81 representatives in total); notes that the European Commission has three representatives, and that there is an independent expert (without voting rights) appointed by the European Parliament; recalls the smaller size of the ETF’s governing board, including 27 representatives from Member States (without social partners), three Commission representatives (who share one vote in the Board), three experts appointed by the European Parliament (compared to one per tripartite Agency), and three partner country representatives appointed by the Commission;

12. Takes note of the conclusions of the evaluation of Eurofound, Cedefop, ETF and EU-OSHA concerning the tripartite governance structure (Eurofound, Cedefop and EU-OSHA); observes that the tripartite structure provides benefits such as representation, strategic direction, and knowledge-sharing but the size and diversity of the management boards pose challenges in navigating compromises on core business and administrative decisions; points out that the evaluation considered alternative governance models to involve social partners more efficiently, with a focus on reducing costs through hybrid meetings; stresses that the evaluation suggested that while stakeholder expertise is crucial, exploring other models may offer equally effective and more efficient ways of involving stakeholders;

13. Takes note of the results of the second and independent evaluation of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) and the subsequent proposal by the Management Board (MB) to review the composition of the MB and the establishment of an Executive Board aiming at the representation of all EU Member States in the Agency’s MB alongside the creation of an Executive Board of the MB that would be based on the current Standing Committee, and which would help to streamline the decision-making process in EIGE and contribute to enhancing efficiency and effectiveness;

14. Takes note of the conclusions of the report on the evaluation of Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 on the European Border and Coast Guard (Frontex) and its findings deeming the Regulation fit for purpose, including a review of the Standing Corps published in February 2024, highlighting with regard to the Governance of the Agency the following aspects:

– there is a clear distribution of tasks between the MB and the Executive Director;

– insufficient representation of authorities responsible for returns on the MB, as members are primarily from national border management authorities which are often not responsible for returns;

– Frontex's internal governance is not fully equipped to support its expanded 2019 mandate, with issues like overlapping responsibilities and occasional conflicting approaches; notes that the implementation of the new organisational structure adopted by the MB in November 2023 should address this matter; notes that key proposals involve consolidating strategic insight and coordination functions, decentralising management to increase accountability, and reallocating resources effectively;

15. Reiterates the necessity of fundamental rights training for Standing Corps officers (Frontex), ensuring their awareness of and compliance with relevant fundamental rights obligations and standards, with international human rights and humanitarian law;

Budgetary and Financial Management

16. Notes that the total final revenue for 2023 (after amending budgets) and the comparative figures for 2022 for the 33 Union agencies that are part of this resolution had the following breakdown:

Revenue 2023 in euros

Revenue 2022 in euros

∆

ACER

€29.582.967

€24.827.843

19,15%

BEREC

€7.697.265

€7.428.456

3,62%

CDT

€47.140.900

€48.721.800

-3,24%

CEDEFOP

€20.140.610

€18.434.420

9,26%

CEPOL

€14.211.723

€13.805.510

2,94%

EASA

€169.665.375

€163.367.860

3,85%

EBA

€52.672.002

€50.315.014

4,68%

ECDC

€102.526.724

€112.796.588

-9,10%

ECHA

€123.280.140

€116.981.740

5,38%

EEA

€76.114.130

€92.863.021

-18,04%

EFCA

€30.862.554

€35.734.297

-13,63%

EFSA

€148.954.729

€134.773.287

10,52%

EIGE

€9.358.919

€8.432.920

10,98%

EIOPA

€36.714.492

€34.571.120

6,20%

EIT

€367.607.241

€448.920.650

-18,11%

ELA

€39.973.330

€34.689.842

15,23%

EMA

€448.603.000

€421.815.000

6,35%

EUDA (EMCDDA)

€22.082.074

€18.839.136

17,21%

EMSA

€111.954.231

€115.807.270

-3,33%

ENISA

€25.183.495

€39.207.625

-35,77%

ERA

€38.532.447

€33.983.956

13,38%

ESA

€258.160

€167.000

54,59%

ESMA

€72.509.657

€68.068.551

6,52%

ETF

€28.542.956

€25.051.848

13,94%

EUAA

€170.135.127

€168.842.192

0,77%

EU-LISA

€300.524.142

€296.508.265

1,35%

EU-OSHA

€17.038.950

€16.405.100

3,86%

EUROFOUND

€25.369.931

€22.438.000

13,07%

EUROJUST

€59.324.460

€49.086.843

20,86%

EUROPOL

€212.925.809

€197.759.722

7,67%

EUSPA

€76.922.866

€65.392.492

17,63%

FRA

€26.191.031

€25.857.952

1,29%

FRONTEX

€829.352.752

€693.122.858

19,65%

TOTAL

€3.741.954.189

€3.605.018.178

3,80%

17. Highlights that the increase in the revenue from 2022 to 2023 has been significant in some Agencies, representing 54,59 % for the European Supply Agency (ESA), 20,86 % for Eurojust, 19,65 % for Frontex and 19,15 % for ACER;

18. Notes that in ESA the increase is mainly due to the continued development of the Nuclear Observatory and ESA Management of Information (NOEMI) IT system and the provision of accounting services to the agency; in Eurojust the increase is mainly due to the additional resources necessary to perform tasks added by three Commission proposals for regulations and the particularly severe impact of inflation; in Frontex the budget increase aims to continue building the standing corps of border guards, including equipment; in the case of ACER, the increase is mainly due to the additional tasks delegated in planned revised Regulations on energy infrastructure and methane emissions reduction, the related annual remuneration indexation, higher legal expenses, and a higher budget allocation derived from fees for specific projects;

19. Is of the opinion that considering the average growth rate of 32 % in Frontex’s budget, from EUR 364 million to EUR 829 million from 2020 to 2023, along with recurrent high levels of carryovers (45 % in 2023), further increases in Frontex’s budget should be reconsidered and re-evaluated by the Commission in the annual budgetary procedure, until the budgetary absorption capacity is improved, particularly by means of recruiting staff and other operational expenditures;

20. Recalls that the majority of Union agencies receive their funding entirely from contributions from the EU budget; notes, however, that some agencies are fully or partially financed through alternative sources of revenue, including certificates, authorisations, registration of substances, contributions, data collection, market surveillance, supervision, and other services such as translation and terminology as provided by the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union (CdT);

21. Acknowledges, specifically, that:

– partially self-financed agencies include the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), European Medicines Agency (EMA);

– fully self-financed agencies include CdT; and

– agencies partially co-financed by national public authorities include the European Banking Authority (EBA), European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), and European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA);

22. Notes that for 2023 the source of finance for self-financed agencies that are part of this resolution had the following breakdown:

Revenue 2023 in euros

EU subsidy

Own revenue

Other

ACER

€29.576.964

€19.418.599

66%

€10.158.245

34%

€120

CDT

€47.140.900

€0

€46.295.800

98%

€845.100

EASA

€169.665.375

€44.329.433

26%

€120.937.434

71%

€4.398.508

EBA

€52.672.002

€19.428.306

37%

€31.479.331

60%

€1.764.364

ECHA

€123.280.140

€81.274.568

66%

€33.107.484

27%

€8.898.088

EIOPA

€36.714.492

€13.470.715

37%

€22.086.958

60%

€1.156.819

EMA

€448.603.000

€25.044.000

€398.209.000

89%

€25.350.000

ERA

€38.532.447

€27.418.274

71%

€10.312.858

27%

€801.315

ESMA

€72.509.657

€18.588.578

26%

€52.224.114

72%

€1.696.965

TOTAL

€1.018.694.977

€248.972.473

€724.811.224

€44.911.279

23. Takes note of the Court’s observation that the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), the European union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) are legally required to identify and account separately for the costs of activities funded from own revenue; notes that these agencies have systems in place to comply with this requirement and notes that certain agencies such as EMA, EASA and ERA go beyond those requirements;

24. Observes that the founding regulations for the three European supervisory authorities (EBA, EIOPA, and ESMA - with the exception of activities financed by supervisory fees) set out that, initially, the contributions they receive from national competent authorities should account for 60 % of their budgets, with the remaining 40 % coming from the EU budget; notes that this arrangement reflects the mix of regulatory tasks, which are suitable for EU funding, and supervisory convergence tasks, which are appropriate for contributions from national competent authorities, in the mandates of the three authorities; highlights that, due to the absence of a clear delineation between the activities funded by the two sources in the founding regulations, these authorities do not differentiate between the costs covered by the EU budget subsidy and those covered by national contributions;

25. Calls on EBA, EIOPA and ESMA to develop this capacity to identify and separately account for the costs of activities generating each of their own revenue streams in order to improve their decision-making and the quality of information they provide to stakeholders as regards the deficits or surpluses that such activities produce;

26. Notes that CdT has a system in place to monitor the cost of each activity and product generating its own revenue, allowing it to calculate profits or losses; highlights that in 2023, 10 of the CdT's 17 main products reported losses totalling EUR 3,4 million;

27. Underlines that over the last decade CdT experienced 7 years of budgetary deficits and 6 years of accounting losses due to declining volumes of business; takes note that, to address the fall in business volumes, CdT has been drawing on a special reserve that was established in 2011 to ensure budget and price stability; notes that this reserve peaked at EUR 15,6 million in 2014, subsequently dropped to EUR 10,3 million in 2022 and EUR 8,9 million in 2023; is aware that once the reserve is fully depleted, any further deficits would have to be covered by EU budget subsidies, as provided for by the CdT’s founding regulation; calls on CdT to report back to the discharge authority on its plans to mitigate the risks of business continuity;

Main risks identified by the Court

28. Notes the conclusion of the European Court of Auditors (the ‘Court’) in its annual report on Union agencies for the financial year 2023 (the ‘Court’s report’), that the Court’s audit had similar results as in the previous year (2022), with weaknesses in public procurement procedures having remained the main source of irregular payments;

29. Notes from the Court’s report that the overall risk to the reliability of agencies’ accounts, as established by applying the accounting rules adopted by the Commission’s accounting officer and based on international accounting standards, is generally low, as was the case in 2022;

30. Underlines that the Court considers the overall risk to the legality and regularity of revenue underlying the agencies’ accounts to be low for most agencies, and to be medium for the partly self-financed agencies where specific regulations are applicable to collection of fees and other revenue contributions, as was the case in 2022;

31. Remarks that the Court considers the risk to the legality and regularity of payments underlying the agencies’ accounts overall to be medium, varying from low to high for specific budget titles; notes that the Court considers the risk for Title I (Staff Expenditure) to be generally low, for Title II (Administrative Expenditure) to be medium, and for Title III (Operational Expenditure) to be low to high, depending on the agency in question and the nature of its operational expenditure; points out that the Court considers the risk as regards Title III similar to the risk of Title II, but since there are far higher amounts at stake under Title III, the impact is considered to be higher;

32. Notes that the Court, for the sixth year in a row, considers the risk to sound financial management to be medium and primarily associated with public procurement procedures that did not ensure that the best possible value for money was achieved;

33. Notes that the Court considers the risk to budget management to be low, with the Court’s audit showing high carryovers of committed appropriations;

34. Notes that, according to the Court’s report, the prevalent issues across the agencies were: i) Public procurement weaknesses, which remained the largest source of irregular payments; ii) Budgetary management challenges, such as excessive carryovers and late payments; iii) Internal control weaknesses, particularly in ensuring compliance with financial regulations and procedural guidelines;

Overview of the audit results

35. Notes that the Court issued an unqualified audit opinion on the reliability of the accounts of all agencies; notes that the Court issued an unqualified opinion on the legality and regularity of the revenue underlying the accounts for all agencies; observes, however, that while an unqualified opinion on the legality and regularity of the payments underlying the accounts was issued for most agencies, exceptions were noted for four agencies: the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), the European Labour Authority (ELA), the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), and the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems (eu-LISA);

36. Observes that, for the EIT, the qualification concerns irregular grant payments, where EIT conducted ex post verification on a sample of 174 cost items; notes that EIT rejected costs related to 27 cost items and that the Court identified three additional cost items for which EIT could not provide evidence that beneficiaries met essential grant agreement conditions, resulting in an estimated total of EUR 12,2 million in irregular grant payments, corresponding to an estimated error rate of 3,4 %; notes that the EIT disputes one of the errors reported by the Court, affecting three cost items, which, in its opinion are eligible; notes furthermore that according to EIT, without this case, the estimated error rate reported by the Court would be below the 2 % materiality threshold, leading to a clean audit opinion on the legality and regularity of EIT’s payments;

37. Acknowledges that, concerning ELA, the qualification relates to payments amounting to EUR 1,6 million in 2023, representing 3,8 % of the total payment appropriations available; notes that this amount includes EUR 1,3 million related to a contract deemed irregular in the 2022 audit report due to the awarded value exceeding the established maximum contract limit, and EUR 0,3 million associated with deficiencies in ex ante checks on contract implementation; takes note of ELA reply’s explaining that the irregular contract ended on February 2024, and was replaced by a new framework agreement established in November 2023; is aware of ELA’s decision to continue with the irregular contract temporarily to mitigate risks, protect its reputation, and ensure uninterrupted service delivery, allowing it to maintain consistent operations and fulfil planned activities until the new agreement took effect;

38. Notes that, for ENISA, the qualification relates to irregular payments of EUR 1,8 million made in 2023, representing 4,1 % of the total payment appropriations available in 2023; recalls that in August 2022, ENISA received an additional EUR 15 million in its budget to provide enhanced cybersecurity support to member states following Russia's invasion of Ukraine; further notes that in September 2022, ENISA initiated a procurement procedure with 28 lots and subsequently signed 28 separate framework contracts worth EUR 14,4 million; is aware that in early 2023, the management board made an exception to temporarily deviate from its financial regulations to meet revised cybersecurity support requests from member states; takes note that according to ENISA’s reply, the Management Board’s decision constituted an exception (limited in time and scope) to respond to a particular exceptional situation in an extremely difficult international context; notes that this exception was duly registered as per application of ENISA's Internal Control Framework and accordingly reported in the 2023 Consolidated Annual Activity Report;

39. Observes that, for eu-LISA, the qualification concerns irregular payments totalling EUR 12,6 million made in 2023, representing 3,2 % of total payment appropriations available including EUR 2,7 million for contracts audited in 2023 and EUR 9,9 million for contracts assessed as irregular in the 2022 audit report;

40. Notes with concern the recurrence of a qualified opinion on the legality and regularity of eu-LISA’s payments, reflecting persistent issues raised by the Court in previous reports since 2020; takes note of the Court’s observation that most of the contracts affected by error have either expired or been terminated by eu- LISA in 2023;

41. Observes that the basis for a qualified opinion (eu-LISA) in 2023 included the following irregularities:

– framework Contract Irregularity: notes that eu-LISA made significant changes in some pricing elements of the financial offers of two tenderers, going beyond the corrections allowed under Article 151 of the Financial, directly affecting the tender’s outcome, with related payments totalling EUR 2,7 million in 2023

– unjustified Negotiated Procedure: further notes the irregular payment of EUR 7,7 million connected to a framework contract awarded via a negotiated procedure without proper justification, contravening procurement standards;

– unauthorised Contract Amendment: observes that payments amounting to EUR 1,8 million were classified as irregular following an unauthorized amendment that increased the value of a fixed-price contract by EUR 3,6 million;

– non-compliance with Framework Contract Terms: notes with concern that payments of the framework contract for maintaining shared infrastructure totalling EUR 0,4 million were irregular, as the specific contract deviated from the framework contract;

42. Expresses deep concern over the recurrence of procurement issues that result in a qualified opinion for the fourth year in a row and urges eu-LISA to take immediate corrective action to address and prevent these problems in future financial management and procurement practices, ensuring full compliance with the Financial Regulation;

43. Notes that the Court, during the hearing, acknowledged that despite the opinion issued for 2023 (eu-LISA), the identified faults are being addressed and improvements have been noted;

44. Insists that although the Financial Regulation does not set ceilings for carryovers, recurrent and excessive levels of carryovers undermine the budgetary principle of annuality and are indicative of structural issues in the budget process and implementation cycle; notes that in 14 Agencies (ENISA, Eurofound, EIGE, eu-LISA, EMA, EUSPA, ELA, FRA, EFCA, ECDC, EU-OSHA, ACER, Frontex and ESA) the level of carryovers affecting all budget titles combined is higher than 15 %; notes that in the case of Frontex and ESA, carryovers reach more than 40 % and 50 % respectively;

45. Recalls that the regulatory framework mandates that agencies make payments within specific deadlines; notes that any failure to meet these deadlines may result in creditors being entitled to late-payment interest; observes that, for the year 2023, the Court reports that while the total amount of late-payment interest incurred was considered immaterial, it is noteworthy that nine agencies (ACER, ECDC, EEA, EUDA, ENISA, ERA, EU-OSHA, Eurojust, and Frontex) frequently failed to meet their payment deadlines; asks the agencies in question to ensure adherence to legal time limits for payments; highlights that although the amount of late-payment interest incurred was minor, the high frequency of delayed payments may negatively impact the agencies’ reputations;

46. Highlights that the Court issued ‘emphasis of matter’ paragraphs to underline a matter presented or disclosed in the accounts which is of such importance that it is fundamental to the understanding of the accounts or the underlying revenue or payments; further notes that, for the 2023 financial year, the Court used ‘emphasis of matter’ paragraphs for the following agencies that are part of this resolution: CdT, EBA, EIT, EMA, ERA, ESMA, Eurojust, eu-LISA and Frontex;

47. Recalls that CdT provides disclosures in its financial statements on the decline in operating revenue, which has negatively affected its economic outcome;

48. Draws attention to disclosures in the annual accounts of ERA and Eurojust regarding the implementation of SUMMA; notes that, throughout 2023, technical issues continued to contribute to a rise in late payments (50 % in 2023) and instances of non-compliance in Eurojust; notes that ERA experienced technical issues during the first trimester, though substantial improvements were made in comparison with 2022;

49. Notes that the accounts of ESMA and the EBA include a disclosure of uncertainty regarding the outcome of a lawsuit; takes note that ESMA was formally notified of a legal case related to a joint procurement procedure where apart from ESMA, three other EU agencies participated (EBA, EIOPA and ERA); is aware that the procedure resulted in a framework contract worth EUR 40,2 million, and by the end of 2023, ESMA and EBA had signed specific contracts totalling in ESMA EUR 2 185 226 and EUR 6 306 786 in the case of EBA;

50. Is concerned that the applicant is seeking annulment of a tender decision and monetary compensation ranging from EUR 400 000 to EUR 3,5 million; notes that due to the early stage of the proceedings, the management of both ESMA and EBA are unable to provide a reliable estimate of potential costs resulting from the case;

51. Draws attention to the disclosure in ESMA’s accounts of an impairment of EUR 368 300, corresponding to outstanding fees from third-country supervised entities; notes that the impairment is linked to the fact that the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) does not provide ESMA with an effective mechanism for enforcing the collection of outstanding fees from outside the Union; welcomes that the recent co-legislators’ agreement to amend the regulation (EMIR 3) introduced the possibility for ESMA to withdraw recognition from third-country supervised entities that do not pay their fees;

52. Notes that the EBA’s accounts include disclosures on the significant impacts of the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) and the Markets in Crypto-assets Regulation (MiCAR) as regards the unfunded resources needed to set up the related tasks and implement an appropriate oversight and supervisory policy that took place in 2023 before fee collection could start; takes note that EBA had to reallocate resources to these preparatory activities;

53. Takes note that the EIT’s accounts disclose assumptions that were used to estimate operational costs (grant expenses), which are accrued and presented in the balance sheet as a decreasing item of pre-financing assets; recalls that grant expense accrual is a significant estimate that inevitably entails uncertainty;

54. Notes that EMA provides significant disclosures in its annual accounts relating to its former London premises and the uncertainties created by the fact that the subtenant´s parent company has filed for bankruptcy; notes with concern that EMA could be held liable for the entire amount remaining payable under the head lease; is aware that the maximum amount, including a council tax liability, that will be payable by EMA if the premises remain vacant for the remainder of the lease, is EUR 550 million; notes that EMA is currently renegotiating the sublease conditions with the group’s UK branch and as part of these renegotiations, EMA has agreed to a deferral of rental payments for the first two quarters of 2024 and a reduction in the subtenant’s rent from 1 January 2024; notes that in this connection EMA has made a provision for onerous contract in the amount of EUR 131,4 million; takes note that the Agency´s subtenant has met its contractual obligations for the year 2023, with rental payments covering the period up to 31 December 2023;

55. Observes that the accounts of eu-LISA include a disclosure regarding the financial situation of a key contractor with two active framework contracts; notes that eu-LISA has two active framework contracts with a contractor that is a member of a consortium and that this contractor replaced its parent company in the contracts and is responsible for implementing and maintaining the Entry Exit System and providing services under the Transversal Operations Framework Lot 1; takes note that the outstanding contracted amounts are EUR 97,5 million and EUR 41 million respectively; notes that in order to address potential risks related to the financial viability of the parent company, eu-LISA closely monitors the contractor's financial health using independent risk assessment tools and direct queries; notes that additionally, eu-LISA regularly assesses the progress of Assets under Development (AuDs) to ensure no adverse impacts on their mandate and are proactive in managing and mitigating risks associated with supply chain disruptions within the limits of the financial rule;

56. Recalls the recurrent different approaches of Frontex and the Court regarding the calculation of contributions from Schengen Associated Countries (SAC) to Frontex’s budget; takes note that the Court considers Frontex’s interpretation to be flawed, leading to the SAC contributing around EUR 3,5 million (7 %) less to Frontex’s budget than the size of their economies, in relation to the economy of the Union, would dictate; takes note that the accounting officer ad interim examined the situation and, similar to the MB, considers that there is no need for Frontex to revise the current calculation methodology concerning the contribution of the SAC to the budget of Frontex; takes note of Frontex's follow-up report to the 2022 discharge report which states that the agency does not intend to change the methodology used for these calculations; asks the Agency to report back to the discharge authority with a detailed explanation of the methodology used in these calculations;

Performance

57. Notes that the Common Approach on decentralised agencies introduces the concept of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) aimed at improving performance tracking for the agencies;

58. Notes, in addition, that according to the roadmap developed by the Commission, the KPIs should be developed concerning the work of both the agency and its Director; notes, moreover, that the Commission also proposed that templates be developed for the annual work programme or the evaluation;

59. Points out that, according to the Roadmap, KIPs should be developed on an annual basis by the agencies and the Commission and therefore change year-to-year, making tracking the performance of the agency over a longer period difficult as some KPIs might not be followed over several years;

60. Underlines that the Commission’s guidelines for the KPIs for Directors of EU decentralised agencies focus entirely on the performance of Directors of the agencies, i.e., mainly related to budget and human resources management and are not used to giving an assessment of the results or of the efficiency and effectiveness of the operations under the agencies’ mandates;

61. Stresses, moreover, that, because there is no standard approach for presenting the KPIs in the Annual Activity Reports (AARs) of the agencies, it is difficult to have an overview of the status of the performance of each agency;

62. Underlines that, based on Court’s conclusions, the KPIs do not contribute to tracking the performance of the agencies in terms of operations and financial and human resources management;

63. Notes that budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2023 resulted in a budget implementation rate of current year commitment appropriations averaging above 97 %, with the exceptions of CdT and ELA, which had rates of 89,55 % and 93,72 % respectively; notes that the agencies exhibiting the lowest execution rate of current year payment appropriations are as follows, listed in ascending order along with their respective percentages: ESA at 47,61 %, Frontex at 55,37 %, EU-OSHA at 68,83 %, ACER at 70,69 % and ECDC at 71,79 %;

Procurement

64. Notes with concern that public procurement weaknesses remain the largest source of irregular payments; highlights that the Court made 38 observations on public procurement weaknesses in 2023 (compared to 41 in 2022 and 28 in 2021);

65. Notes that, according to the Court, 13 of the observations on weaknesses leading to irregular payments in 2023 refer to irregularities detected and mentioned in previous audits; notes that for the remaining 25 observations, nine impacted payments and the other 16 did not lead to irregular payments in 2023; notes that the observations of the year that did not affect payments relate to the agencies ACER, EBA, eu-LISA, ESMA, EMSA, ENISA, ERA, EIGE, ECDC, EEA, EUDA, EUAA, and CEPOL; takes note of the Agencies replies and calls on them to take measures to correct the weaknesses detected and report back to the discharge authority on the actions taken to address them;

66. Draws attention to the nine observations of the year made by the Court that affect payments; notes that in the case of ENISA, eu-LISA, as well as for ELA, the irregularities detected, along with those identified in previous audits that resulted in payments in 2023 (only for eu-LISA and ELA), form the basis for a qualified opinion by the Court and have been described under heading “Overview of the audit results” of this resolution;

67. Observes that the remaining observations of the year affecting payments refer to CdT, EIGE, EFCA, ERA, and EU-OSHA with one observation per agency, with the exception of the latter agency which has two; notes that the reason for the observation as well as the agencies’ reply for the Court’s observation have the following breakdown:

– In the case of CdT the observation refers to the incorrect use of direct award procedure instead of the launch of competitive procedure based on an estimate of future costs, resulting in irregular payments under these contracts totalling EUR 25 800 in 2023; takes note of CdT’s reply that it will organize simplified competitive procedures for maintenance services exceeding EUR 1 000;

– In the case of ERA the observation is related to the signature of a specific contract without a reopening of competition as required by the framework contract which led to a total of EUR 254 400 of payments in connection with this contract; notes ERA’s reply that as from 2024, the agency has started to apply its own reopening of competition for the services in scope;

– EIGE’s observation refers to incorrect application of ex ante checks, exceeding the ceiling of the framework contract, and incorrect application of daily rates which resulted in EUR 76 500 in irregular payments; notes that EIGE will ensure proper implementation of interinstitutional framework contracts with attention to HR-related contracts;

– EFCA used an interinstitutional framework contract for the provision of travel arrangements beyond its scope for acquiring event organization services and the associated 2023 payments of EUR 257 300 were irregular; notes that according to EFCA, the agency encountered unexpected situations leading to procedural delays and will develop as corrective action, a contingency plan to mitigate the impact of unexpected events;

– EU-OSHA has two observations:

1) Irregularities in awarding three negotiated procedures with a single economic operator, without the publication of a contract notice that according to the Court did not meet the conditions set out in point 11.1(c) of Annex I to the Financial Regulation and led to EUR 67 100 in irregular payments in 2023; takes note of EU-OSHA’s reply that it was in a situation of extreme urgency and had no other viable options to ensure business continuity;

2) Two directly awarded contracts resulted in irregular payments of EUR 29 700; notes that these contracts should have been combined into a single competitive procedure since they were for nearly identical services, contravening Article 160 of the financial regulation, which prohibits the splitting of contracts; notes that EU-OSHA will improve the documentation of its market prospections and explore alternative procurement tools;

68. Echoes the Court’s recommendation that, when implementing framework contracts, the agencies concerned should only use specific contracts to procure goods or services covered by the associated framework contract; further echoes the Court’s recommendation that the agencies concerned should also ensure that they comply with the rules given in the Financial Regulation for modifying existing contracts, that specific contracts define the prices quantities and delivery times and that contract implementation is subject to adequate checks relating to these key elements;

69. Recalls the importance for all procurement procedures to ensure fair competition between tenderers and to procure goods and services at the best price, respecting the principles of transparency, proportionality, equal treatment and non-discrimination;

70. Insists on the need to strengthen procurement cooperation between EUAN and the European Commission;

Staffing policy, gender equality, inclusion, conflict of interest and fraud prevention

71. Notes that, in 2023, the 33 decentralised agencies reported that they employ a total of 10 580 members of staff (compared to 10 146 in 2022), comprising officials, temporary agents, contract agents and seconded national experts (SNEs), representing an increase of 4,27 % compared to 2022;

72. Notes that cases of burnout (in total 25) were registered in 6 agencies, namely EASA (five cases), EEA (four cases), EFCA (one case), EFSA (two cases), EMA (ten cases) and Europol (three cases); notes however, that not all agencies, including such as ECDC, ECHA, EMSA, ENISA, ERA, FRA, Frontex, collect data related to cases of burnout due to data protection; expresses its concern about medical data not being collected as these are important to follow the mental wellbeing of the agencies’ staff; urges the agencies to take further measures to prevent cases of burnout; notes that overtime was taken by several employees in 19 agencies in 2022 (13 in 2021); notes in particular that a high number of employees have taken overtime in EFSA (81 % of staff) and Eurofound (97 % of staff);

73. Notes with concern that, in 2023, the staff turnover rate was more than 5 % in 18 out of 33 agencies (namely Cedefop, CEPOL, EBA, EFCA, EIGE, EIOPA, EIT, ELA, EUDA, ETF, EUAA, eu-LISA, Eurofound, Eurojust, Europol, EUSPA), and that three of them exceeded the 10 % rate (namely BEREC, CdT, Eurojust); commends the agencies that have taken targeted measures to prevent high staff turnover rates; highlights the importance for all agencies to implement measures with a view to improving talent management and retention; counts on EUAN to be a forum for its member agencies with regard to exchanging good practices and, where possible, joining forces in this regard;

74. Highlights that geographical balance is still a challenge for several agencies for which considerable percentages of their overall staff are nationals of the Member State where the agencies are located;

75. Recalls that the Agencies located in countries with relatively low correction coefficient are facing continuous challenges in attracting skilled and geographically diverse staff;

76. Acknowledges that attracting talent and ensuring a geographically diverse work force are linked to agencies’ individual specificities (e.g. location, infrastructure, schooling, policy area), as well as to external limiting factors (e.g. competition with the private sector, job uncertainty due to short term contracts, low correction coefficients); notes with appreciation from the EUAN’s follow-up report to the discharge for 2021, the actions taken by the EUAN to remedy the lack of attractiveness and improve the representativeness of the agencies’ staff in terms of age, gender and geographical origin;

77. Calls on all the agencies to prioritise permanent staff over external consultants and contractual staff, in order to guarantee high quality working conditions and to prevent knowledge and experience from being lost;

78. Notes a slightly improved gender distribution in 2023 compared to 2022 at the level of senior and middle management, with 64 % men and 36 % women (67 % and 33 %, respectively in 2022) and within the management board members, with 58 % men and 42 % women (60 % and 40 %, respectively in 2022); notes that the gender balance reported for staff overall did not change, with 54 % men and 46 % women (54 % and 46 %, respectively in 2022); calls on the agencies to work towards the furtherimprovement of the gender balance in senior management; especially calls on the following agencies to encourage and support women in applying for management positions as their gender distribution is not balanced: ACER, BEREC Office, Cedefop, ECDC, ECHA, EFSA, EIOPA, EMCDDA, EMSA, ENISA, ERA, eu-LISA, ELA, Europol, EUAA, EUSPA, Frontex; reiterates its calls on the Commission and Member States to observe gender balance when nominating and appointing members of the management or administrative boards; recalls the ambition of the agencies to align with the Commission to reach a gender balance of 50 % at all levels of its management by the end of 2025;

79. Notes that all agencies have put in place measures to improve staff’s well-being at work and work-life balance; notes that the number and impact of such measures varies significantly from one agency to another and that no common framework of reference across agencies appears to exist; calls on the EUAN to coordinate efforts for the development of a common framework of reference in this this regard; notes with satisfaction that a large majority of agencies have put measures for integration of persons with disabilities in place; encourages the Agencies to maintain good practices of inclusion and staff well-being; invites the Agencies to provide relevant and regular trainings to their staff;

80. Underlines that perceived conflict of interest can constitute a reputational risk to the agency, even if it turns out to be unsubstantiated; believes, therefore, while giving due consideration to proportionality, that a risk of perceived conflict of interest should be treated as if it were an actual conflict;

81. Notes that, for 2023, no major cases of conflict of interest were reported by the Court with the exception of Frontex and EMCDDA;

82. Considers that currently, most agencies have robust and comprehensive procedures in place to raise awareness and prevent conflicts of interest, giving the required assurance of the independence of their staff members to stakeholders and the public;

Internal control

83. Notes with concern the Court’s findings in the area of management and control systems affecting 9 agencies, namely EMA, Europol, EUSPA, Eurofound, EIT, Eurojust ACER, ENISA and EEA;

84. Highlights that in the case of Europol and EIT, two out of three observations resulted in irregular payments in 2023;

85. Recalls that the Court found in 2022 that Europol had irregularly reimbursed VAT through grants to public authorities by considering it eligible cost and that in 2023 reimbursement for this concept totalled EUR 279 900; welcomes Europol's decision to no longer consider VAT as an eligible cost for new operational grants;

86. Notes that in the case of EIT, one of the observations forms the basis for a qualified opinion on the legality and regularity of the payments underlying the accounts which has been described under heading “Overview of the audit results” of this resolution;

87. Is concerned that the Court's second observation on the EIT refers to the agency's move to a multi-annual grant agreement structure, but procedures and guidelines for ex post checks of grant payments have not been updated to account for the implications; notes that EIT is already in the process of updating its ex-post control mechanism to address these implications;

88. Is aware that during the first quarter of 2023, EMA carried out a data migration but did not respect the deadlines for 48 veterinary inspections, resulting in significant invoice delays not reported in the register of exceptions and wrongly booked revenue; notes that this contravenes EMA's financial regulation and reveals a weakness in its management and control systems; takes note of EMA’s aim to improve the process in the context of implementing the New Fee Regulation;

89. Notes that Eurofound made a payment of EUR 38 600, linked to a contract for assessing the quality of survey data, without collecting some key supporting documents relating to the contractual deliverables;

90. Notes that, in 2023, Eurojust observed an increase in non-standard transactions classified as exceptions or non-compliance events, with the number growing from 43 to 71 and the total amount concerned rising from EUR 294 000 to EUR 566 400 compared with 2022; acknowledges the Eurojust response to the observation attributing the majority of the total non-compliance events in 2023 to a single event for a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) grant; takes note that according to Agency, the increase is primarily due to insufficient human resources and internal process inefficiencies that Eurojust has addressed by revising the current procedure for registering and reporting non-compliance events in 2024;

91. Notes that EUSPA's executive director had confirmed an early start to monitoring activities before the signing of a grant agreement, resulting in activities carried out without a budgetary commitment; highlights that this was not reported in the exceptions register or annual activity report, which contravenes the Financial Regulation; notes that EUSPA argue that there was no need to register the early start of activities without a budgetary commitment in the Exceptions Register but they acknowledge that the case was not reported in the annual activity report as required;

92. Takes note of ACER’s appointment of a new accounting officer, who was also the team leader of the budget, finance, and procurement department, in violation of ACER's financial regulation requiring a segregation of duties for authorizing officers and accounting officers; is aware that as from 1 May 2024 a reorganisation took place, and the team leader of the Budget, Finance and Procurement team has been released from her team leadership duties;

93. Notes that in September 2023, ENISA’s Executive Director allowed 15 interim staff to assume roles in the financial circuit without prior approval, contravening regulations; is aware that according to the agency reply, ENISA has been using interim agents and SNEs due to business needs and resource shortages, and will seek to derogate from financial rules if the resource shortage persists;

94. Notes furthermore that ENISA’s Accounting Officer was also appointed as the Internal Control Coordinator, contrary to regulations stipulating segregation of duties; takes note of ENISA’s acknowledgement of the observation, but considers the roles of Internal Control Coordinator and Accounting Officer not necessarily incompatible since the Authorising Officer had not delegated any powers to the Internal Control Coordinator; welcomes that ENISA will clarify the roles and responsibilities of the Internal Control Coordinator in its internal processes;

95. Observes that EEA approved lump-sum grant payments without being able to show how the amount was calculated, posing a risk that it was not commensurate with the services provided; takes note that the EEA considers the written decision on the lump-sum payment to be fully compliant with the relevant clauses of the Financial Regulation; stresses that the Agency will ensure that lump sum amounts are properly determined and documented for cases where costs are declared by one-person company/self-employed partner in the ETCs (European Topic Centres);

96. Takes note that EEA outsourced ex ante financial checks to an external contractor and that the Court found shortcomings in the control arrangements; notes that in response, the EEA acknowledged the Court's observation and will update the procedures for ex-ante checks to ensure that this risk is addressed;

97. Calls on the agencies to diligently implement the Court’s observations and further improve their internal control frameworks;

Cybersecurity, ethics, and transparency

98. Notes that decentralised agencies of the European Union have established various mechanisms to address transparency and lobbying activities in their respective policy fields; underlines, however, that, according to the Court, agencies are not always successful in achieving the satisfactory levels of transparency and value for money in tenders with complex procurement rules and procedures;

99. Emphasises that, for the sake of full clarity and transparency and in line with Court’s observation, agencies that collect own revenue should disclose that same information in an easy-to-understand way in its final annual accounts, consolidated annual activity report and single programming document, since these reports serve different purposes;

100. Recalls that, in 2022 the Ombudsman opened an own-initiative inquiry CASE OI/4/2022/PB to look into how Frontex deals with requests for public access to documents (PAD), the Ombudsman found issues with two practices used by Frontex: deferring the registration of requests to prevent statutory time-limits from starting, and suspending time-limits due to imprecise requests; the Ombudsman considered that this amounts to maladministration and made a recommendation to Frontex that it discontinue the practices; Frontex failed to accept the recommendation, and the Ombudsman closed the inquiry in 2024, confirming her finding of maladministration; recalls that the Parliament in 2022 discharge made a call to the agency to deal with PAD more swiftly and transparently as a matter of priority;

101. Notes, furthermore, that in 2023 Frontex refused to grant public access to a report by its Fundamental Rights Officer concerning a Frontex operation in Albania (case 652/2023/VB), leading to an Ombudsman inquiry; the Ombudsman considered that Frontex should have given access to some parts of the report and Frontex accepted the Ombudsman’s proposal for a solution;

102. Regrets that the application of the Transparency Register to outside contacts is not mandatory for the decentralised agencies; notes, however, that according to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register the agencies have the possibility to use the Transparency Register on a voluntary basis;

103. Highlights that the use of the Transparency Register is promoted and encouraged by the signatories of the Interinstitutional Agreement;

104. Notes that currently only two agencies are requiring outside contacts to register in the Transparency Register, namely eu-LISA and Frontex;

105. Notes that eu-LISA focused on cybersecurity and combating threats in the cyber domain, in particular, making necessary preparations for obligations stemming from the new Union Regulations on information security and cybersecurity; highlights that eu-LISA operates and maintains a security monitoring platform, cybersecurity incident plan, response playbooks, and 24/7 stand-by duty arrangements to ensure timely identification of and response to cyber threats; welcomes the role of eu-LISA in supporting inter-agency cybersecurity exercises in cooperation with the JHA Agencies Network (JHAAN);

Sustainability, environmental impact and social inclusion

106. Notes that overall 11 of the 33 EU agencies (33 %) have already implemented the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS); takes positive note of the proactive steps being undertaken by several agencies in their pursuit of obtaining EMAS certification in the near future; regrets that some of the agencies with larger budget have not communicated their plans to implement EMAS in the short term;

107. Recalls that the 2022 discharge (horizontal) report pointed to 14 agencies still not having the corporate sustainability plans in place; notes that for the 2023 financial year Court’s report did not provide updated figures on the issue; reiterates the importance of all agencies having the corporate sustainability plans in place;

108. Encourages the Court to update on a regular basis the figures on the corporate sustainable plans situation in the agencies;

109. Notes that in the financial year 2023 the agencies demonstrated a growing commitment to environmental and sustainability goals; notes that the European Environment Agency (EEA) played a pivotal role in monitoring and reporting on climate change and environmental performance across the Union; notes that agencies such as CINEA and EEA spearheaded the implementation of sustainability-related programs, contributing to EU-wide initiatives aimed at reducing carbon footprint and promoting renewable energy;

110. Notes with concern that, despite the general trend of progress, some agencies faced difficulties integrating sustainability into their corporate strategies due to procedural inefficiencies and insufficient resource allocation; stresses therefore the need for a more cohesive and actionable framework to ensure long-term sustainability in agency operations;

Follow up of previous years’ observations raised by the Court

111. Notes that “observations” in the agencies’ specific annual reports are in fact “not timed recommendations” by the Court; notes that the Court of Auditors annually follows-up on those observations by assessing their status as “open” or “closed”;

112. Notes that out of a total of 115 observations made by the Court corresponding to previous years of the agencies that are part of this resolution, a total of 57 have been closed during 2023, with a total of 53 still open and five partially closed; observes that the number of ongoing observations varies among the agencies, with some having none open observations, as is the case for BEREC, EBA, ECHA, EEA,EMSA, ENISA, EU-OSHA, EUSPA and Eurofound, while the highest number of open observations is for eu-LISA, Frontex , and ELA with eight, seven, and five respectively; requests these agencies to take proactive measures to resolve these open issues;

113. Takes note that six out of the 53 open observations refer to high level of carryovers (ACER, ELA, EFCA, eu-LISA, FRA, Frontex); is especially concerned that in the case of Frontex this observation remains open since 2018;

114. Notes that ERA has an open observation since 2018 regarding the collection of fees and charges for certification tasks, which began in 2019; notes that according to the regulation the specific needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should be considered and ERA is expected to implement effective controls to verify whether applicants qualify as SMEs; calls on the agency to report back to the discharge authority on the current status of this issue and to provide reasons for its continued open status;

115. Notes that EASA has accumulated more than EUR 50 million surplus from industry-financed activities over the years, for which there is no provision in its founding regulation; asks the Commission to propose a solution at legislative level to address this issue;

116. Notes that ACER had been using interim workers performing long-term tasks to make up for a lack of directly employed staff members since 2019; calls on the Commission to provide additional statutorily staff posts;

° °

117. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the agencies subject to this discharge procedure, 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).

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 received input from the following entities or persons in the preparation of the draft report:

Entity and/or person

European Medicines Agency Executive Director, Emer Cooke and Staff

European Union Asylum Agency Executive Director, Nina Gregori Staff

Frontex Executive Director, Hans Leijtens and Staff

Europol Deputy Executive Director of Governance, Ebner Jürgen and Staff

Eurofound Staff

European Labour Authority Staff

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

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur for opinion declares that he has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.