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Supply Agency of the European Atomic Energy Community

Financial autonomy

ESA has only operating (administrative) budget, which finances development and maintenance of its IT systems, duty travel, meetings of the Advisory Committee, participation to conferences, purchase of information sources as well as publications and communication. 

The European Commission adopts ESA’s budget, transfers the contribution, and directly covers salaries and some of other administrative expenditures. 

The revenue of ESA derives from a contribution by the EU general budget. ESA’s present financial situation results from the 1960 Council decision to postpone indefinitely the introduction of a charge on transactions (contracts for the purchase of nuclear materials by EU utilities), which had been intended to cover ESA’s operating costs.

For its financial operations, ESA applies the relevant provisions of its Statutes and of the EU Financial Regulation as well as the accounting rules and methods established by the European Commission. 

Related links

Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union - see Art 48 for its applicability to ESA financial management. 
EUR-Lex - L:2018:193:TOC - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu),  

 

For more information on the EU budget
EU budget | European Union (europa.eu)