Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

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1 European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety /2190(DEC) OPINION of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety for the Committee on Budgetary Control on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Food Safety Authority for the financial year 2017 (2018/2190(DEC)) Rapporteur for opinion: Adina-Ioana Vălean AD\ docx PE v02-00 United in diversity

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3 SUGGESTIONS The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its motion for a resolution: 1. Notes that the final budget of the European Food Safety Authority ( the Authority ) for the financial year 2017 was EUR , representing a decrease of 0,3 % compared to 2016; notes that the entire budget of the Authority derives from the Union budget; 2. Notes with satisfaction that the budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2017 resulted in a budget implementation rate of 99,98 %; notes furthermore that in 2017 the payment appropriations execution rate reached 92,31 %, representing an increase of 2,6 % compared to 2016; 3. Welcomes the contribution of the Authority to the safety of the Union food and feed chain, and its considerable efforts in providing Union risk managers with comprehensive, independent and up-to-date scientific advice on questions linked to the food chain, communicating clearly to the public on its outputs and the information on which they are based, and cooperating with interested parties and institutional partners to promote coherence and trust in the Union food safety system; 4. Believes that the Authority should continue paying special attention to public opinion, and commit itself to openness and transparency; 5. Notes that seven temporary agents posts were suppressed in the 2017 establishment plan, and that 311 out of the 323 authorised posts were filled in as of 31 December 2017; highlights in addition that 447 of the 463 available posts, (including officials, temporary agents, contract agents and seconded national experts), were occupied on 31 December 2017 (96,5 %, compared to 95,7 % in 2016); 6. Highlights that the Authority finalised 779 questions through scientific opinions, technical reports and supporting publications; regrets the growing mismatch between increasing tasks and shrinking resources, which resulted in relevant delays in the delivery of some projects; 7. Reiterates its concern stemming from the low level of financial appropriations budgeted for the Authority repeatedly; 8. Recalls that in June 2017, the Authority s Management Board adopted a new policy on independence and welcomes several concrete improvements therein, including increased transparency on the identity of Member State experts working at the Authority; welcomes also that the Authority committed to publishing, starting from 2018, a yearly report on independence related activities, as an annex to the Authority s consolidated annual report; 9. Notes that the European Parliament has repeatedly called on the Authority through its annual discharge reports to implement a two-year cooling off period which would AD\ docx 3/6 PE v02-00

4 prevent experts with financial interests linked to companies whose substances are evaluated by the Authority from sitting in the Authority's scientific panels or working groups; 10. Welcomes that Member State experts will now have to submit a public declaration of interest to the Authority; insists that these declarations are checked by the Authority and made public; 11. Is convinced that a sufficient budget and resources should be allocated to the Authority to ensure that it can hire independent experts free from conflicts of interest; 12. Notes the adoption in 2017 of a reviewed policy on protecting the dignity of the person and preventing psychological harassment and sexual harassment; notes that two formal complaints for harassment were received, but that following assessment of the evidence provided it was concluded that there was no beginning of proof, which is required for the opening of an administrative inquiry; 13. Welcomes that the Court of Auditors has stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the Authority s annual accounts for 2017 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular; 14. Recommends, based on the facts available, that discharge be granted to the Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority in respect of the implementation of the Authority s budget for the financial year PE v /6 AD\ docx

5 INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION Date adopted Result of final vote +: : 0: Members present for the final vote Substitutes present for the final vote Substitutes under Rule 200(2) present for the final vote Margrete Auken, Pilar Ayuso, Catherine Bearder, Ivo Belet, Simona Bonafè, Biljana Borzan, Paul Brannen, Soledad Cabezón Ruiz, Nessa Childers, Birgit Collin-Langen, Miriam Dalli, Seb Dance, Angélique Delahaye, Mark Demesmaeker, Stefan Eck, Bas Eickhout, José Inácio Faria, Karl-Heinz Florenz, Francesc Gambús, Elisabetta Gardini, Arne Gericke, Jens Gieseke, Julie Girling, Sylvie Goddyn, Françoise Grossetête, Jytte Guteland, Anneli Jäätteenmäki, Jean-François Jalkh, Benedek Jávor, Kateřina Konečná, Urszula Krupa, Peter Liese, Valentinas Mazuronis, Susanne Melior, Miroslav Mikolášik, Rory Palmer, Gilles Pargneaux, Bolesław G. Piecha, Pavel Poc, John Procter, Frédérique Ries, Daciana Octavia Sârbu, Annie Schreijer-Pierik, Ivica Tolić, Nils Torvalds, Adina-Ioana Vălean, Jadwiga Wiśniewska, Damiano Zoffoli Cristian-Silviu Buşoi, Christophe Hansen, Martin Häusling, Anja Hazekamp, Jan Huitema, Tilly Metz, Bart Staes, Tiemo Wölken Olle Ludvigsson AD\ docx 5/6 PE v02-00

6 FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION 50 + ALDE ECR GUE/NGL PPE S&D VERTS/ALE Catherine Bearder, Jan Huitema, Anneli Jäätteenmäki, Valentinas Mazuronis, Frédérique Ries, Nils Torvalds Mark Demesmaeker Stefan Eck, Anja Hazekamp, Kateřina Konečná Pilar Ayuso, Ivo Belet, Cristian Silviu Buşoi, Birgit Collin Langen, Angélique Delahaye, José Inácio Faria, Karl Heinz Florenz, Francesc Gambús, Elisabetta Gardini, Jens Gieseke, Julie Girling, Françoise Grossetête, Christophe Hansen, Peter Liese, Miroslav Mikolášik, Annie Schreijer Pierik, Ivica Tolić, Adina Ioana Vălean Simona Bonafè, Biljana Borzan, Paul Brannen, Soledad Cabezón Ruiz, Nessa Childers, Miriam Dalli, Seb Dance, Jytte Guteland, Olle Ludvigsson, Susanne Melior, Rory Palmer, Gilles Pargneaux, Pavel Poc, Daciana Octavia Sârbu, Tiemo Wölken, Damiano Zoffoli Margrete Auken, Bas Eickhout, Martin Häusling, Benedek Jávor, Tilly Metz, Bart Staes 7 - ECR EFDD F Arne Gericke, Urszula Krupa, Bolesław G. Piecha, John Procter, Jadwiga Wiśniewska Sylvie Goddyn Jean-François Jalkh 0 0 Key to symbols: + : in favour - : against 0 : abstention PE v /6 AD\ docx