On discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Railways 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 Union Agency for Railways ('the Agency') for the 2022 financial year are legal and regular in all material aspects;

2. Notes that the Agency’s final annual budget for 2022 was estimated at EUR 34.98 million (EUR 26.28 million from EU subsidy, EUR 8 million from fees and charges) and that the implementation rate was 99.95% in commitments; due to lower-than-planned fees and charges revenues, the Agency requested a budget amendment and the final budget was EUR 33.9 million;

3. Notes that the budget outturn in 2022 was EUR 81 821, up from EUR 69 638 in 2021;

4. Welcomes that, the Railway Package Steering Group successfully continued its activities evaluating the Agency’s preparedness for the 4th Railway Package;

5. Salutes the increase in Agency’s delivery of authorisations for placing 1861 railway vehicles on the market, 66 single safety certificates for railway undertakings and 2 ERTMS trackside approvals despite the increase in the number of applications received; recalls the importance of completion of ERTMS by 2030;

6. Welcomes the report on EU Railway safety and interoperability;

7. Commends the Agency’s efficiency and budget execution through Strengthening Action Plan adopted as part of Single Programming Document 2023-2025; notes however that these efforts cannot compensate the insufficient budget;

8. Recalls that the Agency has the smallest budget among the transport agencies despite the outstanding environmental benefits of rail prioritized by Commission;

9. Proposes that Parliament grants discharge to the Executive Director of the Agency in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2022.