EUROPEAN UNION
ATHENA
2007
Council decision 2007/384/CFSP of 14 May 2007
ATH E NA
( OJ 13/06/2007 L152/14 )
1
J8: organisation and tasks
J8 section: organisation
1)
Head of section = authorising officer
A) Budget officer
B) Procurement officer
C) Accounting officer
→ Normally, at least 4 officers
Accounting officer: incompatible with authorising officer
Other roles:
can be cumulated by same officers if fewer than 4 officers available
→ At least 2 officers
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2
J8: organisation and tasks
Head of section’s tasks
(Financial rules, Part I, Article 6)
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
Ensure that funds are kept safely at all times
Check the eligibility of expenditure
Ensure that rules (on procurement, etc.) and budget
are complied with, request derogations
Give his assent to contracts
Ensure that inventories are kept up-to-date
Issue SOPs to organise his section
Organise the internal control/audit system
Provide implementation reports
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3
J8: organisation and tasks
Head of section’s tasks
1)
Ensure that funds are kept safely at all times
A) Bank account:
- OHQ: in euros in a bank with its head office in a Member State
- in theatre: preferably the same
→ ask Commission delegation or Embassy for advice
B) Cash:
in a safe:
- one person knows the code or has the key.
2nd set in a sealed envelope by the HQ’s Commander
- code changed every 6 months or when new person
-
armed escort when SOFA allows
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4
J8: organisation and tasks
Head of section’s tasks
2) Check the eligibility of expenditure
- Common costs or Nation Borne Costs (NBCs)
- Temptation to have ATHENA assume all expenditure
- But no contracting possible by EU chain of command in areas
which are neither common costs nor NBCs
- J8 should ask administrator for interpretation when in doubt
- J8 may request that new items be regarded as common costs or
NBCs
→Special Committee will decide
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5
J8: organisation and tasks
Head of section’s tasks
3) Ensure that rules and budget are complied with,
request derogations
Temptation to buy fírst, present the bill ex post
→
Other sections (J1, J4, J6 etc.) should be made aware by J8
→
Main rules:
- contracts must be in writing and signed by J8
- procurement rules: competition
→
Budget:
- one allocation per HQ
-
budget commitment before start any expenditure
Derogations, transfers, etc. : if needed, ask the administrator
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6
J8: organisation and tasks
4) Give his assent to contracts
-
J8 may delegate the power to sign contracts
(for instance: to supporting department)
but this is NOT encouraged
-
imprest accounts may be established
-
J8 of HQ concerned must personally give his assent above
« higher threshold »
(137 keuros for supplies, 211 keuros for services,
5.278 millions for works)
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7
J8: organisation and tasks
5) Ensure that inventories are kept up-to-date
- Inventory of equipments:
- J8 must ensure that it is kept up-to-date
- J8 must check physically on handover + each year
- Inventory of fixtures of land and buildings:
- with local authorities, who should sign
- photos, maps
- on arrival and departure
→Avoid unfounded claims on departure
- Other records:
- journal of purchases (accounting software)
- appointments, delegations granted, contracts, bank
accounts, derogations from rules
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8
J8: organisation and tasks
6) Issue SOPs to organise his section
- OHQ’s J8 for the whole operation
- OHQ’s J8 must check that J8s in subordinate HQs fulfil their
tasks
- local J8 for each HQ
- 3 SOPs:
- organisation of the chain regarding the budget
- procurement
- organisation of the chain on call for funds, payments and
accounting
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9
J8: organisation and tasks
7) Organise the internal control/audit system
- J8s must organise control/audit system
- the Operation Commander must appoint an Internal Auditor
for the operation
- Every J8 must keep the administrator directly informed of
any event or policy that may impact on costs financed through
ATHENA (common costs +NBCs)
→ Administrator can provide J8 with support
- Auditors appointed by Special Committee or Administrator
have access to all premises and documents at any time
10
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J8: organisation and tasks
8) Provide implementation reports
Before a budget is adopted:
-
When a budget has been adopted:
-
Spending on the basis of the reference amount
But spending recorded with same breakdown as future budget
MONTHLY reports to Special Committee through administrator
Same structure as the budget
QUATERLY reports, within one month after end of each quarter
Budget n, n-1 etc. + justifications + cash flow table
Annual accounts:
-
by 31 March of the following year
Budget implementation + accrual basis + balance sheet + cash flow
+ changes in capital
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11
J8: organisation and tasks
Concepts for implementation and reporting
Budget commitment:
→reserve appropriations for an intended expenditure
→avoid that expenditure exceeds budget
Legal commitment: contract or purchase order
Payment: payment actually made to third person
→not
payment order, but actual disbursement
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12
J8: organisation and tasks
End of year
ATHENA has an annual budget + annual accounts until 31 Dec.
→at end of year:
– Budget commitments, legal commitments and payments made during year
– Legal commitments not yet paid at end of year
→the administrator will carry appropriations over to the following year
– Payments made in year n in advance on year n+1
– Bank statements from the bank to the College of auditors
– Appropriations not used to cover legal commitements in year n, which
would be useful in year n+1
→ submit to Special Committee for carryover to year n+1
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13
EUROPEAN UNION
ATHENA
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