Skip to content
Adopted text

Discharge 2022: Single European Sky ATM Research 3 Joint Undertaking

TA-9-2024-0271 · P9_TA(2024)0271 · PE753.502

Official HTML ↗ PDF DOCX
✦ In shortFull text
✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 28 Sept 2026

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

Parliament grants the Executive Director of the Single European Sky ATM Research 3 Joint Undertaking discharge for the 2022 financial year and approves the closure of its 2022 accounts. In its resolution, Parliament notes the Digital European Sky programme began in 2022, with 48 of 127 project proposals selected, representing a total investment of EUR 350 million. Parliament notes the 2022 budget was EUR 146,9 million in payment appropriations and EUR 158,8 million in commitment appropriations, and a surplus of EUR 107,2 million. Parliament calls on the Joint Undertaking to improve its risk monitoring for ex-ante controls, address weaknesses in the reinforced monitoring tool, and adapt its risk-based approach to grant management under Horizon Europe.

Key points

  1. Parliament grants discharge to the Executive Director for the implementation of the 2022 budget and approves the closure of the 2022 accounts.
  2. Parliament notes the Digital European Sky programme started in 2022 with two Horizon Europe calls; 48 of 127 proposals were selected, for a total investment of EUR 350 million.
  3. Parliament notes the 2022 available budget was EUR 146,9 million in payment appropriations and EUR 158,8 million in commitment appropriations.
  4. Parliament notes the 2022 surplus of EUR 107,2 million, attributed to the late adoption of the Single Basic Act.
  5. Parliament notes that under Horizon 2020 the Joint Undertaking fully committed the maximum EU operational contribution of EUR 555,8 million, with around EUR 65,7 million (11,8 %) still to be paid.
  6. Parliament notes the 2022 operational budget implementation rate was 54 %, compared with 93 % in 2021, due to rising costs and delivery problems.
  7. Parliament notes the Commission made a cash contribution of EUR 83,5 million for Horizon Europe projects in 2022, used in the first half of 2023.
  8. Parliament notes the Joint Undertaking managed 71 projects with 300 beneficiaries, of which nearly 20 % are SMEs, 17 % higher education institutions and 9 % research organisations.
  9. Parliament notes the Joint Undertaking strengthened its partnership with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) through a service-level agreement.
  10. Parliament notes the Court found the Joint Undertaking lacked a structured risk-based approach to ex-ante controls and that its risk monitoring excluded beneficiaries never ex-post audited and newcomers, and did not assess risk at project level.
  11. Parliament calls on the Joint Undertaking to enhance its risk monitoring to include potentially risky beneficiaries and projects, and to address weaknesses in the reinforced monitoring tool.
  12. Parliament notes the 2022 staff establishment plan allows for 37 temporary agents, one contract agent and two seconded national experts, and that the vacancy rate at the end of 2022 was 8,1 %.

Who is affected

  • The Single European Sky ATM Research 3 Joint Undertaking and its Executive Director, who receive discharge and must act on Parliament's observations.
  • Beneficiaries of Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe grants, including SMEs, newcomers and larger consortia, who face adapted risk-based controls.
  • The Joint Undertaking's members: the Union, Eurocontrol and more than 50 aviation organisations.

Figures and deadlines

  • EUR 350 million: total investment of the 48 selected projects.
  • EUR 146,9 million: 2022 payment appropriations.
  • EUR 158,8 million: 2022 commitment appropriations.
  • EUR 555,8 million: maximum EU operational contribution committed under Horizon 2020.
  • EUR 65,7 million (11,8 %): Horizon 2020 committed amount still to be paid.
  • EUR 107,2 million: 2022 surplus.
  • 54 % in 2022 and 93 % in 2021: operational budget implementation rates.
  • 8,1 %: vacancy rate at the end of 2022.

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