Brussels, 25/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament (EP) decided on Tuesday 25 October to grant the European Police College (CEPOL) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) budget management discharges for the 2009 financial year.
In May 2011, Parliament postponed its decision to grant discharges to the budget management of CEPOL, based in Bramshill, in the UK, and to the London-based medicines agency.
Since then, the police college has improved its procurement procedures and practices, and its current director is more open about the accounts. Parliament voted to grant the police college its discharge by 519 votes to 67 against, with 52 abstentions.
The medicines agency has likewise taken action to remedy shortcomings in its management of the 2009 budget. Although Parliament has now granted the Agency's executive director a discharge, some concerns remain. Parliament wants EMA staff members' impartiality and independence to be assessed thoroughly when they are appointed as project team leaders for evaluating medicinal products.
In a press release, the Greens/EFA Group says that it opposed the discharge granted to the EMA. The Agency was supposed to apply the recommendations of the EP budgetary control committee. “It has to be said that no more than the strict minimum has been done”, according to the Greens. (LC/transl.rt)