Finance and budget

The Community Plant Variety Office is an EU Agency, established under Council Regulation (EC) No 2100/94 of 27 July 1994 on Community plant variety rights (OJ L 227 of 01.09.94 p.1).

As an EU Agency the CPVO respects rigorous reporting requirements which includes presentation of the approved budget, which sets the limits to the spending of the Office each year. It also includes the publication of detailed Annual Accounts covering both financial and budgetary results. These are audited by the European Court of Auditors and adhere to strict accounting standards.

Accounts and finance

At the CPVO, we finance all our operations through fees without imposing any burden on the European Union or its taxpayers

According to the financial regulation of the CPVO, the Accounting Officer must draw up the provisional accounts, and present them to the Budget Authority (Administrative Council) and to the Court of Auditors.

The provisional accounts are also sent for information to the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission. At the end of the process, the accounts are published in the joint publication of annual accounts in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The CPVO’s annual accounts include:

• Financial statements (balance sheet, economic outturn account, cash-flow table, statement of changes in capital).
• Reports on the CPVO budget implementation.

The CPVO’s annual accounts must comply with the relevant rules, be accurate and comprehensive and present a true and fair view. They are drawn up in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Budget

The budget of the Agency shall be authorised for a financial year which shall run from 1 January to 31 December. Revenue and payment appropriations shall be in balance. Appropriations shall be used in accordance with the principle of sound financial management, namely in accordance with the principles of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. The Administrative Council (Budget Authority) can authorise the establishment of a reserve fund, the use of which is subject to its agreement. The budget of the Office shall be drawn up and implemented and the accounts presented in compliance with the principle of transparency.

A summary of the budget of the Office and any amending budget of the Office, as definitively adopted, shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union within three months of their adoption.