Activites

• 2013/11/16 Final act published in Official Journal
• 2013/04/17 Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
  • T7-0163/2013 summary

    The European Parliament adopted a decision on discharge to be granted to the Executive Director of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (FRONTEX) in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2011. The vote on the decision to grant discharge covers the closure of the accounts (in accordance with Annex VI, Article 5(1) of the European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure). Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the annual accounts of FRONTEX for the financial year 2011 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Parliament adopted a resolution containing a number of recommendations that need to be taken into account when the discharge is granted, in addition to the general recommendations that appear in the draft resolution on performance, financial management and control of EU agencies: Financing, budget and financial management: Parliament recalls that FRONTEX’s 2011 budget amounted to EUR 118.2 million, including an initial contribution of the Union of EUR 111 million. It acknowledges, however, that the Agency's 2011 budget was subject to three amending budgets, in order to cope with developments following events in North Africa. Implementation rate of appropriations and carryovers: Parliament observes that the Agency’s budgetary execution rate for operational expenditure 2011 stood at 58% and calls on the Agency to implement specific measures to improve its budgeting process and execution rate of payment in the case of administrative and operational expenditure. Supervisory and control systems: Parliament regrets that internal control weaknesses as regards the management of fixed assets were identified and that there is no procedure related to the disposal of fixed assets and the physical inventory is incomplete. Lastly, Parliament made a series of observations as regards the Agency’s follow-up on the 2010 discharge recommendations.

• 2013/04/16 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2013/03/21 Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
  • A7-0079/2013 summary

    The Committee on Budgetary Control adopted the report by Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY (ADLE, NL) on discharge to be granted to the Executive Director of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (FRONTEX) in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2011. Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the annual accounts of FRONTEX for the financial year 2011 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Members approve the closure of the Agency’s accounts. However, they make a number of recommendations that need to be taken into account when the discharge is granted, in addition to the general recommendations that appear in the draft resolution on performance, financial management and control of EU agencies: Financing, budget and financial management: FRONTEX’s 2011 budget amounted to EUR 118.2 million, including aan initial contribution of the Union of EUR 111 million. Members acknowledge, however, that the Agency's 2011 budget was subject to three amending budgets, in order to cope with developments following events in North Africa; Implementation rate of appropriations and carryovers: Members observe that the Agency’s budgetary execution rate for operational expenditure 2011 stood at 58% and call on the Agency to implement specific measures to improve its budgeting process and execution rate of payment in the case of administrative and operational expenditure; Lastly, Members made a series of observations as regards the Agency’s supervisory and control systems and the follow-up on the 2010 discharge recommendations.

• 2013/03/19 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
• 2013/02/27 Amendments tabled in committee
  • PE497.852
• 2013/02/01 Document attached to the procedure
  • 05753/2013 summary

    Having examined the revenue and expenditure accounts for the financial year 2011 and the balance sheet at 31 December 2011 of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union, as well as the Court of Auditors' report on the annual accounts of the Agency for the financial year 2011, accompanied by the Agency's replies to the Court's observations, the Council recommends the European Parliament to give a discharge to the Executive Director of the Agency in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2011. The observations in the Court of Auditors' report in relation to the financial year 2011 call for some comments by the Council, which may be summarised as follows: the Council welcomes the Court's opinion that, in all material respects, the Agency's annual accounts present fairly its financial position as at 31 December 2011 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended, in accordance with the provisions of the Agency's Financial Regulation, and that the underlying transactions for that financial year are legal and regular; as in previous years, the Council recalls that the Agency should reduce the high amount of appropriations carried over to the next financial year, in line with the budgetary principle of annuality. Moreover, the Council regrets the use of global commitments to justify the carry-over of non-differentiated appropriations; the Council recommends the Agency to set up and implement a policy on ex-ante controls, including the submission and check of supporting documents, in order to detect ineligible expenditure. Likewise, the Council invites the Agency to address the weaknesses detected by the Court in the management of fixed assets; lastly, and as last year, the Council regrets that the Agency's accounting system has not yet been validated by the Accounting Officer.

• 2013/01/23 Committee draft report
  • PE497.851
• 2012/09/13 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2012/09/05 Court of Auditors: opinion, report
  • OJ C 388 15.12.2012, p. 0202
  • N7-0034/2013 summary

    PURPOSE: presentation by the Court of Auditors of its report on the annual accounts of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Members States (FRONTEX) for the financial year 2011, together with the Agency’s replies. CONTENT: in accordance with the tasks and objectives conferred on it by the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the Court of Auditors, in the context of the discharge procedure, addresses to the European Parliament and the Council a Statement of Assurance on the reliability of the annual accounts, as well as of the legality and regularity of the transactions underlying them of each EU institution, body or agency, on the basis of an external, independent audit. This audit also covered the annual accounts of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Members States (FRONTEX). In the Court's opinion, the Agency's annual accounts presented fairly, in all material respects, its financial position as of 31 December 2011 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended, in accordance with the provisions of its Financial Regulation. The Court also stated that the transactions underlying the annual accounts of the Agency for the financial year ended 31 December 2011 were, in all material respects, legal and regular. The report again confirmed that the Agency's 2011 final budget amounted to EUR 118.2 million and that it employed 314 agents during the financial year. The report also included comments on the Agency's budgetary and financial management, together with the Agency's replies. The main comments are as follows: Court's comments: budgetary and financial management: the level of carryovers is excessive and at odds with the budgetary principle of annuality; supervisory controls: as in the previous year, the Agency’s accounting system has still to be validated by the Accounting Officer. In addition, internal control weaknesses were identified as regards the management of fixed assets. Agency’s replies: Frontex notes that the high level of carry over is partly a consequence of the budgetary procedure in force, which is not appropriate for reactions on exceptional developments. The Agency would like to provide also the information that the carryovers from 2010 were used to a level of 81 %; the Agency states that the Accounting Officer has started the validation of the Accounting System in the first quarter of 2012 and will finalise it by September 2012. An audit on asset registration and conducting inventories will be finalised by August 2012 and the management intends to address potential weaknesses identified with corrective actions. Lastly, the Court of Auditors’ report contains a summary of the Agency’s activities in 2011. This is focused on the following: the Risk Analysis Unit produced strategic assessments, quarterly reports, analytical products supporting Joint Operations; the Joint Operations Unit organised 19 joint operations, 42 joint return operations were coordianted; the Frontex Situation Centre (FSC) provided 1 900 Situational Reports, Flash Reports, Falsified Document Alerts and 11 Mission Awareness Reports for internal and external customers; partnership and cooperation with third countries: two Working Arrangements (WAs) were concluded with the National Police of Cape Verde and with the Migration, Asylum and Refugees Regional Initiative (MARRI) Regional Centre, increasing the overall number of WAs to 16; cooperation with EU Bodies and international organisations through various activities.

• 2012/07/25 Non-legislative basic document
  • COM(2012)0436 summary

    PURPOSE: presentation by the Commission of the consolidated annual accounts of the European Union for the financial year 2011, as part of the 2011 discharge procedure. Analysis of the accounts of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Members States (FRONTEX). CONTENT: this Commission document sets out the consolidated annual accounts of the European Union for the financial year 2010 as prepared on the basis of the information presented by the institutions, organisations and bodies of the EU, in accordance with Article 129 (2) of the Financial Regulation applicable to the EU's General Budget, including the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Members States (FRONTEX). In 2010, the tasks and budget of this agency were as follows: description of the Agency's tasks: FRONTEX, which is located in Warsaw, was established in 2004 by Regulation (EC) No 2007/2004 and its main task is to coordinate Member States' activities in the field of the management of external borders (support for operational cooperation, technical and operational assistance, risk analysis); the Agency’s budget for the 2010 financial year: the Agency’s budget for 2011, as presented in the Commission document on the consolidated annual accounts of the European Union, gives the following figures: forecasted income budget: EUR 118 million; entitlements established: EUR 119 million; amounts received: EUR 119 million; outstanding: EUR 0 million. The complete version of the Agency's final accounts may be found at the following address: http://www.frontex.europa.eu/about/governance-documents/

  • DG {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/budget/', 'title': 'Budget'}, ŠEMETA Algirdas

Documents

• Non-legislative basic document published: COM(2012)0436
• Court of Auditors: opinion, report: OJ C 388 15.12.2012, p. 0202
• Court of Auditors: opinion, report: N7-0034/2013
• Committee draft report: PE497.851
• Document attached to the procedure: 05753/2013
• Amendments tabled in committee: PE497.852
• Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A7-0079/2013
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T7-0163/2013

Amendments

Dossier

23

2012/2200(DEC) 2013/01/23 LIBE 6 amendments... Amendment 1 # Monica MACOVEI Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Takes note that Frontex’s final budget amounted EUR 118 200 000 for the financial year 2011 with an Union contribution representing EUR 111 000 000; acknowledges that Frontex’s budget was the subject to three amending budgets which purpose was threefold: - to introduce the budget item ‘Eurosur’ under Title 3, - to increase Frontex’s budget by EUR 12 700 000 as part of the emergency response package to the developments in Northern Africa, - to include a package of EUR 31 800 000 in commitment appropriations for the Emergency Response Package in the Mediterranean; Amendment 2 # Monica MACOVEI Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1 b. Observes that in terms of paid appropriations the Agency’s execution rate stands at 96% under Title 1 (Staff), 74% under Title 2 (Administrative) and 58% under Title 3 (Operations); calls on Frontex to implement specific measures to improve its budgeting process and execution rate of payment in the case of administrative and operational expenditure; Amendment 3 # Ska KELLER Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Notes the high amount of carry-overs, which the Court of Auditors qualifies in its report as ‘excessive’; notes the reply of Frontex in which it points to the arrival of a large part of additional funds, worth EUR 31,8 Million, only in late October 2011; acknowledges that additional funds of such a volume becoming available relatively late in the year indeed pose a challenge for budgetary management; understands that Frontex is an operational agency and the implementation of its budget planning highly depends on external factors, for instance required reactions on exceptional developments; is nevertheless of the opinion that planning can be improved and that the ordinary, yearly budget procedure should be used with few exceptions. Amendment 4 # Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes the remarks of the Court of Auditors regarding the weaknesses of the management of fixed assets as well as the late validation of the accounting system; welcomes Frontex’s reply that it ‘has started the validation of the Accounting System in the first quarter of 2012 and will finalise it by September 2012’; calls on Frontex to continue improving its management and to notify the discharge authority of the introduction of procedures for the disposal of fixed assets and the compilation of full inventories; Amendment 5 # Monica MACOVEI, Georgios PAPANIKOLAOU Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Welcomes the fact that in March 2011 Frontex successfully finalised the first Rapid Border Intervention Team Operation; Amendment 6 # Georgios PAPANIKOLAOU Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Generally considers that there should beinvites the European Court of Auditors to further focus on auditing Frontex’s the sound financial management of Frontex, namely the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which Frontex has used its appropriations in carrying out its responsibilities. source: PE-504.054 2013/02/27 CONT 17 amendments... Amendment 1 # Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY Proposal for a decision 1 Paragraph 1 1. ...Grants the Executive Director of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011; Amendment 10 # Monika HOHLMEIER Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Deplores that within the total amount carried over, the Agency carried over global commitments of EUR 5,1 million, e; observens thoughat the Agency's Financial Regulation does not provide a clear basis for such a carryover; is aware that fundings received at the end of the financial year may result in higher carryovers; Amendment 11 # Monica MACOVEI Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Notes that the Agency adopted and implemented ex-post control strategy in 2012 and carried out three on-the-spot- visits covering 9% of the EUR 73 million grant payments made in 2011; welcomes the fact that the error rate was found to be below 1 % and that six on- the-spot-visits are planned in 2013; Amendment 12 # Monika HOHLMEIER Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Notes the Agency's efforts and the persistent difficulties it faces in the process of budgetary implementation; notes the Agency's explanations; regrets, nevertheless, the apparent absence of stating that difficulties have been caused inter alia by external factors such as solution to the situation, andudden developments at the external borders; urges the Agency to continue its efforts in this area; Amendment 13 # Monika HOHLMEIER Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Is concernedaware that despite performing reasonableness checks, the Agency doesid not usually request supporting documentation that would address the risk of ineligible expenditure of Agency- financed grants ,amounting to EUR 74 million, for joint operations carried out by Member States and Schengen Associated Countries; welcomes that the Agency adopted policies aiming at strengthening ex-ante controls systematically including the request of supporting documents; Amendment 14 # Monika HOHLMEIER Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Is surprised to learn that as in 2010,Notes that due to internal reasons the validation of the Agency's accounting system shall be validated by its Accounting Officer was only finalised in September 2012; Amendment 15 # Monika HOHLMEIER Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. RegretNotes that internal control weaknesses as regards the management of fixed assets were identified; regrets that there is no procedure related to the disposal of fixed assets and the physical inventory is incomplete; welcomes that the identified weaknesses have been addressed and corrective measures have been initiated; Amendment 16 # Martin EHRENHAUSER Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) Transparency 7a. Calls on the Agency to publish how many classified documents it has produced, broken down by level of classification, and how many classified documents, broken down by level of classification, it has received from (or forwarded to) individual institutions, other bodies and Member States of the European Union and third parties; Amendment 17 # Bart STAES Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. calls on the agency in the strongest possible terms to address the critical remarks in this report immediately so that for the 2012 discharge procedure adequate solutions are fully implemented in order to prevent the competent committee to propose to the House postponement of the discharge or not to grant discharge at all; Amendment 2 # Inés AYALA SENDER Proposal for a decision 1 Paragraph 1 1. ...Grants the Executive Director of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011; Amendment 3 # Philip BRADBOURN Proposal for a decision 1 Paragraph 1 1. ...Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011; Amendment 4 # Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY Proposal for a decision 2 Paragraph 1 1. ...Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union for the financial year 2011; Amendment 5 # Inés AYALA SENDER Proposal for a decision 2 Paragraph 1 1. ...Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union for the financial year 2011; Amendment 6 # Philip BRADBOURN Proposal for a decision 2 Paragraph 1 1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union for the financial year 2011; Amendment 7 # Monica MACOVEI Motion for a resolution Paragraph -1 (new) -1. Acknowledges that the Agency's budget was subject to three amending budgets, the purposes of which were threefold: - to introduce the budget item 'Eurosur' under Title III (Operational Expenditure), - to increase the Agency's budget by EUR 12 700 000 as part of the emergency response package to developments in Northern Africa, - to include a package of EUR 31 800 000 in commitment appropriations for the Emergency Response Package in the Mediterranean; Amendment 8 # Monica MACOVEI Motion for a resolution Paragraph -1 (new) -1. Observes that in terms of paid appropriations the Agency's execution rate stands at 96% under Title I (Staff Expenditure), 74% under Title II (Administrative Expenditure) and 58% under Title III; calls on the Agency to implement specific measures to improve its budgeting process and execution rate of payment in the case of administrative and operational expenditure; Amendment 9 # Monika HOHLMEIER Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Is deeply concerned that 33 % of the Agency's 2011 budget (EUR 38,7 million) was carried over to 2012; notes that carryovers related to Title III ‘Operational expenditures’ amounted to EUR 36 million,(41 %). ; observes that as in 2010, the level of carryovers is excessive and at odds withwas high and reminds therefore on the budgetary principle of annuality; recalls however, that sound financial management should take precedence over annuality; source: PE-497.852

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)