Council Decision (EU) 2016/1353Show full title

TITLE II U.K. AGENCY'S BUDGET

Article 3 U.K. Agency's budget

The Agency's budget shall include the general budget, the budgets associated with activities related to ad hoc projects or programmes as provided for in Chapter IV of Decision (CFSP) 2015/1835 and any budgets resulting from additional revenue.

CHAPTER 1 U.K. Budgetary principles

Article 4 U.K. Respect for budgetary principles

In accordance with Article 12 of Decision (CFSP) 2015/1835, the Agency's budget shall be established and implemented in accordance with the budgetary principles set out in this Decision.

Article 5 U.K. Principles of unity and of budgetary accuracy

1. No revenue shall be collected and no expenditure effected unless booked to a line in the Agency's budget.

2. No expenditure may be committed or authorised in excess of the appropriations authorised by the Agency's budget.

3. An appropriation may be entered in the Agency's budget only if it is for an item of expenditure considered necessary.

4. Interest generated by pre-financing payments made from the Agency's budget shall not be due to the Agency.

Article 6 U.K. Principle of annuality

1. The appropriations entered in the Agency's budget shall be authorised for a financial year which shall run from 1 January to 31 December.

2. Commitment appropriations shall cover the total cost of the legal commitments entered into during the financial year or by 31 March of the following year for those legal commitments most of the preparatory stages of which have been undertaken by 31 December.

3. Payment appropriations shall cover payments made to honour the legal commitments entered into in the financial year or preceding financial years.

4. Given the needs of the Agency and subject to the approval by the Steering Board in accordance with Article 15, the unused appropriations may be entered in the estimate of revenue and expenditure of the following financial year. Those appropriations must be used first.

5. Paragraphs 1 to 4 shall not prevent budgetary commitments for actions extending over more than one financial year being broken down over several years into annual instalments.

Article 7 U.K. Principle of equilibrium

1. Revenue and payment appropriations shall be in balance.

2. The Agency may not raise loans within the framework of the Agency's budget.

3. Any budgetary surplus arising from the Agency's general budget in a given financial year shall be considered as a credit available for the participating Member States and returned to them as a deduction from the third contribution of the following financial year.

Article 8 U.K. Principle of unit of account

The Agency's budget shall be drawn up and implemented in euro and the accounts shall be presented in euro. However, for cash-flow purposes, the accounting officer shall be authorised to carry out operations in other currencies.

Article 9 U.K. Principle of universality

Total revenue shall cover total payment appropriations. All revenue and expenditure shall be entered into the budget in full without any adjustment against each other.

Article 10 U.K. Principle of specification

1. Appropriations shall be earmarked for specific purposes at least by title and chapter.

2. The Authorising Officer may transfer appropriations from one chapter to another without limit and from one title to another up to a maximum of 10 % of the appropriations for the year shown on the line from which the transfer is made.

Beyond the limit referred to in the first subparagraph, the Authorising Officer shall propose to the Steering Board transfers of appropriations from one title to another. The Steering Board shall have three weeks to oppose such transfers. After that time limit they shall be deemed to be adopted.

The Authorising Officer shall inform the Steering Board of all transfers carried out under the first subparagraph. Proposals for transfers and transfers carried out shall be accompanied by appropriate and detailed supporting documents showing the implementation of appropriations and estimates of requirements up to the end of the financial year, both for the headings to be credited and for those from which the appropriations are drawn.

Article 11 U.K. Principle of sound financial management

1. Appropriations shall be used in accordance with the principle of sound financial management, namely in accordance with the principles of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.

2. The principle of economy requires that the resources used by the Agency in the pursuit of its activities are made available in due time, in appropriate quantity and quality and at the best price.

The principle of efficiency concerns the best relationship between resources employed and results achieved.

The principle of effectiveness concerns the attainment of the specific objectives set and the achievement of the intended results.

Article 12 U.K. Internal control of budget implementation

1. The Agency's budget shall be implemented in compliance with effective and efficient internal control.

2. For the purposes of the implementation of the Agency's budget, internal control is defined as a process applicable at all levels of management and designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving the following objectives:

(a) effectiveness, efficiency and economy of operations;

(b) reliability of reporting;

(c) safeguarding of assets and information;

(d) prevention, detection, correction and follow-up of fraud and irregularities;

(e) adequate management of the risks relating to the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions.

3. Effective and efficient internal control shall be based on best international practices and include, in particular, the elements laid down in Article 32(3) and (4) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council(1), taking into account the structure and size of the Agency, the nature of the tasks entrusted to it and the amounts and financial and operational risks involved.

Article 13 U.K. Principle of transparency

1. The Agency's budget shall be established and implemented and the accounts presented in accordance with the principle of transparency.

2. Subject to Article 35(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012, the Agency's budget, including the staff establishment plan and amending budgets, as adopted, shall be published on the internet site of the Agency within four weeks of their adoption.

(1)

Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (OJ L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1).