PURPOSE: presentation by the Commission of the consolidated annual accounts of the European Union for the financial year 2012, as part of the 2012 discharge procedure.

Analysis of the accounts of the European Banking Authority (EBA).

CONTENT: this Commission document sets out the consolidated annual accounts of the European Union for the financial year 2012 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 Banking Authority (EBA).

In 2012, the tasks and budget of this agency were as follows:

• description of the EBA’s tasks: the Authority, which is located in London, was established by Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council and has the aim of protecting the public interest and contributing to the stability and efficiency of the banking system in the short, medium and long term for the economy of the European Union, its citizens and its businesses;
• the EBA’s budget for the 2012 financial year: the EBA’s budget for 2012, as presented in the Commission document on the consolidated annual accounts of the European Union, gives the following figures:

§         Commitment appropriations :

- committed : EUR 21 million;

- paid : EUR 18 million;

- carried-over : 0.

§         Payment appropriations :

- committed : EUR 22 million;

- paid : EUR 13 million;

- carried-over : EUR 7 million.

Please refer also to the final accounts of the European Banking Authority