EMA accounts in order, says European Court of Auditors

The London-based European Medicines Agency (EMA) has satisfied the European Court of Auditors (ECA) that its accounts for 2012 are in order following a number of criticisms voiced by the court last year. Among other things, the EMA pledged to improve transparency in its tender procedures (although it did not accept the ECA’s criticism that the principle had been breached). It said it would review its accounting policy on recognising fee revenue and associated expenditure to ensure compliance with the principles laid down by the ECA, although it noted that the amounts involved were not material.

The ECA had also complained that the EMA’s accounting system had not been validated in the area of intangible fixed assets and 'given the considerable investment (€11.60m) in ICT [information and computer technology] this was a crucial part of the whole accounting system'.

The EMA replied that the ICT systems had now been validated from a technical perspective. The necessary adjustments to the 2012 accounts had been made and the 'positive validation of the accounting system has been completed'.

In response to a question about the payment of school fees for staff, the EMA said its payments to staff were in response to the impossibility of establishing a European school in London. Because of this, it had established an 'educational contribution benchmarked against and in line with financial support for pupils at the European schools'.

Damijan Fišer, spokesman for the ECA, said the EMA’s comments had been followed up as part of the 2013 audit.

'They have either been completed (i.e. satisfactory action taken) or are not applicable to later years,' he said. The one exception was in respect of school fees where 'the action is ongoing'.

A new system has been introduced, which will come into effect this year, Fišer said.