On discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for the financial year 2022

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs gives its opinion on the discharge for the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) budget for 2022. It asks the Committee on Budgetary Control to include its suggestions in its motion for a resolution.¶ It welcomes the Court of Auditors' declaration that FRA's 2022 transactions were legal and regular, but notes the Court's observation on recurrent high carry-overs of €6.4 million (26%). It notes FRA's reply and stresses its good budget implementation with an outturn higher than 99% over the last ten years.¶ It notes FRA's work on anti-discrimination, artificial intelligence, children's rights, victims' rights, counter-terrorism, data protection, anti-racism, anti-semitism, ethnic minorities, LGBTIQ people and other vulnerable groups. It recognises FRA's quick reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its guidance on monitoring fundamental rights at EU external borders.¶¶ It welcomes FRA's cooperation with other EU agencies, including Frontex, CEPOL, eu-LISA, Europol and EIGE, and its training on fundamental rights. It notes FRA exceeded its key performance indicators, produced 28 publications, 3,062 research outputs, 342 inputs, 134 meetings and events, and received 4,319 media references in 2022.¶¶ It welcomes stakeholder satisfaction with the Fundamental Rights Platform and FRA's events, including the fourth Fundamental Rights Dialogue with young people. It acknowledges FRA's role in empowering national human rights infrastructure and its guidance on asylum and migration.¶¶

Position. The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control to incorporate its suggestions into its motion for a resolution on the discharge for FRA's 2022 budget. It welcomes the Court's declaration of legality and regularity, notes the carry-over observation, and praises FRA's performance and cooperation.¶¶¶

Key points

1. The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control to incorporate its suggestions into its motion for a resolution on the discharge for FRA's 2022 budget.¶
2. It welcomes the Court of Auditors' declaration that FRA's 2022 transactions were legal and regular, but notes the Court's observation on recurrent high carry-overs of €6.4 million (26%) of available 2022 commitment appropriations to 2023.¶
3. It notes FRA's reply that its specific framework makes it difficult to commit operational expenditure earlier and to fully avoid carry-overs, and stresses FRA's good budget implementation with an outturn higher than 99% in the last ten years.¶
4. It notes with satisfaction FRA's assistance in identifying trends in anti-discrimination, artificial intelligence, and its legislative and policy advice on children's rights, victims' rights, counter-terrorism, data protection, anti-racism, anti-semitism, ethnic minorities, LGBTIQ people and other vulnerable groups.¶
5. It recognises FRA's quick reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including being one of the first EU agencies at the border, monitoring the situation, preparing a report, two bulletins and an online survey.¶
6. It welcomes FRA's guidance on establishing national independent mechanisms to monitor fundamental rights compliance at EU external borders and its assistance to member states in setting up or strengthening such mechanisms, ensuring safeguards for their independence.¶
7. It recalls that international law requires non-discriminatory treatment for all refugees.¶
8. It welcomes FRA's initiatives to foster synergies across EU agencies, including co-chairing the Frontex Consultative Forum, attending Frontex Management Board meetings, delivering training to CEPOL, Frontex and eu-LISA, participating in Europol's security work, and cooperating with EIGE on the Violence against Women Survey II.¶
9. It notes with satisfaction that FRA largely exceeded its key performance indicator targets and maintained high stakeholder satisfaction, producing 28 publications, 3,062 research outputs, 342 written or verbal inputs, organising or co-organising 134 meetings and events, and receiving 4,319 media references in 2022.¶
10. It welcomes the high level of stakeholder satisfaction with FRA's activities to promote cooperation through the Fundamental Rights Platform in 2022, including the fourth Fundamental Rights Dialogue with young people and other workshops and webinars.¶
11. It acknowledges FRA's role in empowering national human rights infrastructure, its guidance on asylum and migration, and its work to foster a human rights-based narrative through communications, digital tools and bringing together human rights actors.¶

Who is affected

• The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), on whose 2022 budget discharge the opinion is given.¶¶
• The Committee on Budgetary Control, which is asked to incorporate the suggestions into its motion for a resolution.¶
• EU member states, which receive FRA assistance on national fundamental rights monitoring mechanisms and migration-related overviews.¶¶
• EU agencies Frontex, CEPOL, eu-LISA, Europol and EIGE, with which FRA cooperates and delivers training.¶
• Civil society and human rights institutions, with which FRA cooperates through the Fundamental Rights Platform.¶¶

Figures and deadlines

• €6.4 million (26%) of available 2022 commitment appropriations carried over to 2023.¶
• Outturn higher than 99% in the last ten years.¶
• 28 publications produced by FRA in 2022.¶
• 3,062 research outputs produced by FRA in 2022.¶
• 342 written or verbal inputs by FRA in 2022.¶
• 134 meetings and events organised or co-organised by FRA in 2022.¶
• 4,319 references to FRA in the media in 2022.¶