Presentation of accounts and discharge

1.   Europol's accounting officer shall send the provisional accounts for the financial year (year N) to the Commission's accounting officer and to the Court of Auditors by 1 March of the following financial year (year N + 1).
2.   Europol shall send a report on the budgetary and financial management for year N to the European Parliament, the Council and the Court of Auditors by 31 March of year N + 1.
3.   The Commission's accounting officer shall send Europol's provisional accounts for year N, consolidated with the Commission's accounts, to the Court of Auditors by 31 March of year N + 1.
4.   On receipt of the Court of Auditors' observations on Europol's provisional accounts for year N pursuant to Article 148 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council
(
25
)
, Europol's accounting officer shall draw up Europol's final accounts for that year. The Executive Director shall submit them to the Management Board for an opinion.
5.   The Management Board shall deliver an opinion on Europol's final accounts for year N.
6.   Europol's accounting officer shall, by 1 July of year N + 1, send the final accounts for year N to the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission, the Court of Auditors and national parliaments, together with the Management Board's opinion referred to in paragraph 5.
7.   The final accounts for year N shall be published in the
Official Journal of the European Union
by 15 November of year N + 1.
8.   The Executive Director shall send to the Court of Auditors, by 30 September of year N + 1, a reply to the observations made in its annual report. He or she shall also send the reply to the Management Board.
9.   The Executive Director shall submit to the European Parliament, at the latter's request, any information required for the smooth application of the discharge procedure for year N, as laid down in Article 109(3) of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1271/2013.
10.   On a recommendation from the Council acting by a qualified majority, the European Parliament shall, before 15 May of year N + 2, grant a discharge to the Executive Director in respect of the implementation of the budget for year N.