Changes from plenary report to adopted text

Change 1

Removed2. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

Added2. European Parliament decision of 11 April 2024 on the closure of the accounts of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2022 (2023/2145(DEC))

Removedon the closure of the accounts of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2022

Change 2

Removed3. MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

Added3. European Parliament resolution of 11 April 2024 with observations forming an integral part of the decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2022 (2023/2145(DEC))

Removedwith observations forming an integral part of the decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2022

Change 3

Changed3. Notes from thethat, Court’saccording reportto the observationCourt’s thatreport, the Agency collects fees and charges for the provision of certification services, but does not document the checks it performs to ensure that this revenue is correctly collected, therefore not complying with the Articles 74(5) and 75 of the Financial Regulation; notes the Agency’s reply whereby the Agency commits to take the necessary actions to guarantee that checks are properly documented;

Change 4

Changed5. Recognises the Agency’s key achievements and progress in 2022 in emerging areas linked to green solutions and digitalisation; notes in this context that the Agency stepped up its efforts for a clean aviation through the EASA Sustainable Aviation Programme - 2022 with various actions such as the publication of the third edition of the European Aviation Environmental Report and the successful contribution to the conclusions on environment of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) 41 Assembly; takes notenotes that the Agency conducted in 2022 a comprehensive review of the strategic priorities in addressing the risks to the system in connection with the European Plan for Aviation Safety system (EPAS); notes in this context that the review resulted in a stronger focus on the management of risk interdependencies, as well as on the competences of personnel, and included additional priorities for the safe integration of emerging technologies and new business concepts; notes that these new strategic priorities are included in the 2023-2025 EPAS edition adopted in 2022;

Change 5

Changed19. Observes with concern the lack of gender balance within the Agency’s senior and middle management members, with 17 out of 22 (77 %) being men, and within the Agency’s management board, with 59 out of 79 (75 %) being men; further notes the gender balance within the Agency’s overall staff, with 525 out of 757 (69 %) being men; takes notenotes that the Agency is systematically monitoring the gender distribution among applicants and actively reaches out for female candidates, by publishing the positions in the right forums, explicitly encouraging applications from female candidates, and drafting positions with precise information as it may affect work-life balance; calls on the Agency to continue its efforts towards gender balance at management and overall staff level through concrete actions that attract applications from women for posts offered by the Agency; asks the Commission and the Member States to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the Agency’s management board;

Change 6

Changed23. Recalls from the Court's annual report on Union agencies for 2021 the observation regarding the Agency’s non-compliance with Article 16 of the Union’s Staff Regulations; notes fromthat, according to the Court’s report thatreport, that observation remained open; notes however from the Agency’s report that the Agency has in the meantime formally established a Joint Committee, in addition to having revised its procedures to address weaknesses identified by the Court;

Change 7

Changed24. Notes fromthat, according to the Court's report thatreport, the Agency concluded a contract with one service provider for the continued development of an incident reporting system for the value of EUR 1,9 million by using an extreme urgency procedure; notes the Court’s observation that since the legal conditions for the use of that procedure were not satisfied, the procedure was irregular, as were all the associated payments (EUR 261 385) made in 2022; notes nevertheless the Agency’s reply that the awarded contractor was the only one able to continue the development of that system without creating disruption and an immediate safety risk with potential catastrophic consequences;

Change 8

Changed25. Notes fromthat, according to the Court's observations thatobservations, the Agency, after having launched a tendering procedure for events management services, modified the price of the tender without following the provisions of the Article 151 of the financial regulation; observes that following complaint from the bidder, the Agency carried out a second evaluation that led to excluding the bidder on the grounds that it “did not meet the requirements set in the tender specifications“, however without specifying which requirements had not been met; notes the Court’s conclusion that the bidder’s exclusion was not properly justified; calls on the Agency to take the necessary actions to guarantee that in future procurement procedures any correction in price or exclusion of the tenderers are justified according to the applicable legal basis;