On discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2022

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SUGGESTIONS

The Committee on Transport and Tourism calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its motion for a resolution:

1. Welcomes the finding of the Court of Auditors that the accounts of the European Aviation Safety Agency ('the Agency') for the 2022 financial year are legal and regular in all material respects;

2. Notes that appropriations authorised in the Agency’s budget for 2022 totalled EUR 224 million and welcomes the budget implementation rate for year 2022 at 97.1%, above the Commission’s target of 95%;

3. Notes that the rate of cancelled appropriations relating to commitments carried over to 2022 was at 2.82%, below the 5 % ceiling set by the Commission;

4. Remarks that the Agency’s total revenues for 2022 increased to EUR 174.4million compared to 2021, of which EUR 109,4 million came from fees and charges, EUR 39.6 million from EU subsidy and EUR 21.9 million from delegation agreements and grants;

5. Notes that the Agency ended the year with a fees and charges surplus of EUR 8.2 million; notes that the accumulated ‘fees and charges’ surplus was brought down from EUR 72.1 million to EUR 63.9 million;

6. Welcomes the fact that the Agency achieved 97% of its Annual working programme objectives; commends the Agency's proficiency in execution, with 77% of KPIs deemed on-track; acknowledges that 17% of KPIs have experienced delays, and a 5% necessitate additional attention;

7. Salutes digital transformation of the European skies, including enhanced mobility options and streamlined qualifications for Air Traffic Controllers licencing and training and ATM Ground Systems; calls for the amendment of SERA RT phraseologies for communication between pilots and air traffic controllers;

8. Highlights the importance of Single European Sky tackling the fragmentation of European airspace and aiming at improving ATM performance from the safety, capacity, cost-efficiency and environmental perspectives; welcomes the Agency’s work in SES 2+ reform in 2022, particularly in the harmonization of ATCOs through licensing and the certification by EASA of ATM/ANS ground systems; commends that both reforms reduce cost and increase capacity for ATM, and provide significant added value for the Single European Sky 2+ package of initiative;

9. Stresses that digital transformation of the European skies comprises several individual components and building blocks that are critical solutions for the future airspace architecture and aim to support safety, efficiency, and environmental performance;

10. Welcomes the EASA Sustainable Aviation Programme (2020 - 2024) for achieving a quieter and more sustainable aviation system; salutes program's alignment with ReFuelEU Aviation legislation, entrusting the Agency in the monitoring and reporting on the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) and establishing an EU SAF Clearing House; welcomes the Agency's participation in 20 new projects, fostering cooperation with the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, and creating partnerships with European Industrial Alliances for the introduction of hydrogen- and electric-powered aircraft; calls for sufficient funding and incentives for further research and development of SAFs, enhancing their efficiency, affordability, and market accessibility;

11. Salutes the efforts of the Agency in integrating new technologies, ensuring safe EU airspace integration;

12. Commends the response of the Agency to Russian invasion to Ukraine publishing a Conflict Zone Information Bulletin (CZIB) within two hours for aircraft safety and preventing aircraft flying over or into the areas with intense or heightened military activity and highlights the Agency’s role in European military mobility; understands concerns about Russian passenger fleets; in particular, welcomes the involvement of the Agency in the Civil-Military Airspace Safety Team Ukraine, especially in relation to the increasing demands for airspace to facilitate State and NATO military exercises; acknowledges the successful implementation of the work programme with the European Defence Agency (EDA), which has significantly bolstered collaboration in the emerging frontier of innovation; welcomes that EASA supported EC initiatives in the framework of RescEU program (fire fighters’ contract and aeronautical MEDEVAC/transport capacity);

13. Salutes the focus of the agency to integrate Ukraine as a Candidate State into the EU system;

14. Reiterated its call for close relationship with European State and Military Aviation Authorities, EDA, Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) and NATO, as appropriate for the discharge of the Agency’s tasks, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, to improve flight safety and security in Europe;

15. Stresses that the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 impacted the Agency’s International Cooperation activities; highlights that as an EU Agency, EASA complied with the sanctions and policies set by the European Commission, leading to the suspension of all cooperation with Russia;

16. Welcomes the Agency’s role in shaping standardized rules for drones' safe integration and its effort in supporting U-Space regulations and contributing to the EU Drones Strategy 2.0, fostering a competitive and sustainable European drone industry;

17. Proposes that Parliament grants the Executive Director of the Agency discharge for the implementation of the Agency’s budget for 2022.

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

The rapporteur declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not receive input from any entity or person to be mentioned in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted

23.1.2024

Result of final vote

+:

–:

0:

32

1

1

Members present for the final vote

Magdalena Adamowicz, Andris Ameriks, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Ciarán Cuffe, Karima Delli, Carlo Fidanza, Mario Furore, Isabel García Muñoz, Elsi Katainen, Kateřina Konečná, Bogusław Liberadzki, Peter Lundgren, Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska, Marian-Jean Marinescu, Tilly Metz, Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar, Caroline Nagtegaal, Philippe Olivier, Rovana Plumb, Tomasz Piotr Poręba, Bergur Løkke Rasmussen, Dominique Riquet, Thomas Rudner, Vera Tax, Achille Variati, Petar Vitanov, Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi, Lucia Vuolo

Substitutes present for the final vote

Markus Ferber, Vlad Gheorghe, Roman Haider, Pär Holmgren, Ljudmila Novak, Dorien Rookmaker

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

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