On discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)

The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs gives its opinion on discharge for the 2022 budget of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). It asks the Committee on Budgetary Control to include its suggestions in the discharge resolution.¶ It welcomes the European Court of Auditors' finding that the Agency's 2022 accounts are legal and regular and that its financial position at 31 December 2022 is fairly represented.¶ It notes the Agency's 2022 budget of EUR 22 million, executed by 98.7%, and the pressure from high inflation on salary, rent, energy and other administrative costs.¶¶ It praises the Agency's work on occupational safety and health information and tools, its contribution to safer workplaces after the COVID-19 pandemic, and its role in the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021-2027.¶¶¶ It commends the Agency for maintaining business continuity after the delay in appointing a new Executive Director, and for cooperation with other EU agencies and completion of the action plan following its evaluation.¶¶ It calls on the Agency to address the Court's observations on budgetary management, welcomes completed actions on the 2021 observations, and recommends granting discharge to the Interim Executive Director for the 2022 budget.¶¶¶

Position. The rapporteur proposes that the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs ask the Committee on Budgetary Control to include its suggestions in the discharge resolution, and recommends granting discharge to the Interim Executive Director for the Agency's 2022 budget.¶¶

Key points

1. The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control to incorporate its suggestions into the discharge resolution.¶
2. It expresses satisfaction that the Court declared the Agency's 2022 transactions legal and regular and its financial position at 31 December 2022 fairly represented.¶
3. It notes the Agency's 2022 budget was EUR 22 million, the same as in 2021, and was executed by 98.7%.¶
4. It acknowledges that high inflation in 2022 raised staff salary costs and spending on rent, facility management, gas, electricity and other administrative support.¶
5. It appreciates the Agency's work to develop and provide reliable information, analysis and tools on occupational safety and health for Union policy on healthy and safe workplaces.¶
6. It appreciates the Agency's contribution to safer and healthier workplaces in Europe after the COVID-19 pandemic and congratulates it on the results achieved.¶
7. It notes with satisfaction the important role given to the Agency in the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021-2027 and how this has been taken forward.¶
8. It commends the Agency for ensuring business continuity through prompt reorganisation, reprioritisation and reallocation of resources after the delay in appointing a new Executive Director.¶
9. It appreciates cooperation with other EU agencies on expertise, methodology and joint delivery, and welcomes full implementation of the action plan following the evaluation of EU-OSHA, Eurofound, the European Training Foundation and Cedefop.¶
10. It notes the Court's observations on budgetary management and calls on the Agency to take the necessary measures to address them.¶
11. It welcomes the Agency's completion of actions taken on the Court's observations on the 2021 budget implementation.¶
12. It recommends, on the basis of the facts available, that discharge be granted to the Interim Executive Director for the implementation of the Agency's 2022 budget.¶

Who is affected

• The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA): its 2022 budget implementation is assessed and discharge is recommended.¶¶¶
• The Interim Executive Director of EU-OSHA: discharge for the 2022 budget is recommended for them.¶
• The Committee on Budgetary Control: asked to include these suggestions in its discharge resolution.¶

Figures and deadlines

• EUR 22 million — the Agency's budget for the financial year 2022, the same as in 2021.¶
• 98.7% — the rate at which the Agency's 2022 budget was executed.¶
• 31 December 2022 — the date as at which the Agency's financial position is fairly represented.¶
• 2021-2027 — the period of the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work in which the Agency has an important role.¶