On discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Chemicals Agency for the financial year 2022

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety calls on the Committee on Budgets, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its proposal for a decision:

1. Observes that the European Chemicals Agency ('the Agency') is the driving force in implementing the Union's chemicals legislation for the benefit of public health and the environment, as well as for innovation and competitiveness; notes that the Agency collects, evaluates and disseminates information on chemicals, helps companies comply with legislation and promotes the safe use of chemicals;

2. Notes that the Agency's final budget for 2022 was EUR 116 981 740, representing an increase of 5,3% compared to 2021; notes that budget monitoring efforts during 2022 resulted in a commitment appropriation execution rate of 98,6%, and a payment appropriations' execution rate of 85,1%;

3. Notes that in 2022, the Agency collected fee income totalling EUR 40,154 million (EUR 30,198 million in 2021) while the Union subsidy amounted to EUR 78,294 million (EUR 79,665 million in 2021) including contributions from third countries of EUR 2,244 million (EUR 2,418 million in 2021);

4. Notes that in 2022, for the first time since the final registration deadline under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 ('REACH Regulation') in 2018, the Agency's fee income has increased, while reliance on the Union to finance its operations has slightly decreased;

5.Stresses, despite this reversal, the need to address the lack of predictability of the Agency’s fee income and calls on the Commission to present its proposal to strengthen the governance of ECHA and increase the sustainability of its financing model without delay, in line with its commitment expressed in the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and in light of additional legal mandates the Agency is expected to take up; insists that predictable and sustainable financing is a pre-condition for effective discharge of the Agency's budget and recalls previous calls of the European Parliament to improve the Agency's budgetary certainty;

6.Underlines the necessity of ensuring adequate staffing reflecting the needs of the European Green Deal and the Union Chemical Strategy for Sustainability, Circular Economy Action Plan and zero pollution ambition in particular;

7.Acknowledges that in 2022 the Agency focussed on delivering its core legal tasks and on providing scientific-technical support to the Commission in the implementation of the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, in particular the revision of CLP and REACH, as well as taking on new task under the Drinking Water Directive;

8.Welcomes the fact that 151 of the 162 planned outputs have been completed as planned;

9. Welcomes ECHA’s activities for promoting alternatives to animal testing and the steps taken to increase the effectiveness and visibility of this work;

10. Notes that the Agency collaborates closely with other Union agencies, such as the European Food Safety Authority, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Medicines Agency, by means of memoranda of understanding to strengthen exchanges of information, better mutual understanding and, where appropriate, joint projects; underlines the importance of such an approach, in order to ensure that the work of each agency is consistent with that of the other agencies and to meet the requirements of sound financial management; welcomes the sharing of services and encourages active cooperation among the Union agencies where and when possible, including in dedicated joint work teams on specific environmental topics such as pollinators and soil;

11.Recommends, based on the facts available, that discharge be granted to the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2022.