Article 121 Implementation and control of the budget

1.The Executive Director shall implement the budget of the Agency.

2.By 1 March following each financial year, the Agency's accounting officer shall communicate the provisional accounts to the Commission's accounting officer and to the Court of Auditors. The Agency's accounting officer shall also send a report on the budgetary and financial management for that financial year to the Commission's accounting officer by 1 March following each financial year. The Commission's accounting officer shall consolidate the provisional accounts of the institutions and decentralised bodies in accordance with Article 147 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

3.By 31 March following each financial year, the Executive Director shall forward the report on the budgetary and financial management for that financial year to the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors.

4.Pursuant to Article 148 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012, on receipt of the Court of Auditors' observations on the Agency's provisional accounts, the accounting officer shall draw up the Agency's final accounts under his or her own responsibility and the Executive Director shall submit them to the Management Board for an opinion.

5.The Management Board shall deliver an opinion on the Agency's final accounts.

6.The Agency's accounting officer shall, by 1 July following each financial year, forward the final accounts to the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors, together with the Management Board's opinion.

7.The final accounts shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union by 15 November following each financial year.

8.The Executive Director shall send the Court of Auditors a reply to its observations by 30 September following each financial year. He or she shall also send that reply to the Management Board and the Commission.

9.The Executive Director shall submit to the European Parliament, at the latter's request, any information necessary for the smooth application of the discharge procedure for the financial year in question, as provided for by Article 165(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012.

10.The European Parliament, on a recommendation from the Council acting by a qualified majority, shall, before 15 May of year n + 2, decide on the discharge to the Executive Director in respect of the implementation of the budget for year n.