decides on all EIF operations (in certain limited instances, this power has been delegated to the Chief Executive).

52. Notes that Directors-General report annually on the performance of their duties in activity reports that constitute an internal management tool the primary purpose of which is to give the Secretary-General a clear overview of the workings of the administration, and in particular of any weaknesses; observes that, for the annual activity reports in respect of the financial year 2011, no authorising officer has included reservations in their declarations concerning the identification, by Directors-General, of significant problems in the way resources have been used or the failure of control procedures to ensure the legality and regular ...[+++]ity of transactions;

52. Notes that Directors-General report annually on the performance of their duties in activity reports that constitute an internal management tool the primary purpose of which is to give the Secretary-General a clear overview of the workings of the administration, and in particular of any weaknesses; observes that, for the annual activity reports in respect of the financial year 2011, no authorising officer has included reservations in their declarations concerning the identification, by directors-general, of significant problems in the way resources have been used or the failure of control procedures to ensure the legality and regular ...[+++]ity of transactions;

23. Points out that 2003 was the first financial year for which the Directors-General were required to draw up annual activity reports and that the Secretary-General forwarded them to the President and the Committee on Budgetary Control together with a signed declaration; notes that in that declaration the Secretary-General gave a reasonable assurance that Parliament's budget had been implemented in accordance with the principles of sound financial management and that the control framework put in place provided the necessary guarantees as to the legality and regularity of the underlying operations;

6. Notes with satisfaction that the annual activity report and declaration of the Director-General of AIDCO for 2002 also covered the EDF, even though the charter for authorising officers by delegation did not at that time extend to EDF transactions; however, also notes that the Court of Auditors considers that - from the viewpoint of methodology - the Director-General of AIDCO did not yet have all the requisite information concerning the reality, legality and regularity of the on-the-spot transactions as regards the following information:

7. In accordance with the financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities, the director shall set up management and internal control systems adapted to the tasks entrusted to the executive agency to ensure the operations it performs are lawful, comply with the rules and are effective.