on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2018, Section X European External Action Service The European Parliament, having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2018[1], having regard to the consolidated annual accounts of the European Union for the financial year 2018 (COM(2019)0316 C90059/2019)[2], having regard to the Court of Auditors annual report on the implementation of the budget concerning the financial year 2018, together with the institutions replies[3], having regard to the statement of assurance[4] as to the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions provided by the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2018, pursuant to Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, having regard to Article 314(10) and Articles 317, 318 and 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002[5], and in particular Articles 55, 99 and 164 to 167 thereof, having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012[6], and in particular Articles 59, 118 and 260 to 263 thereof, having regard to Rule 100 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure, having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A9-0043/2020), 1.Grants the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European External Action Service for the financial year 2018; 2.Sets out its observations in the resolution below; 3Instructs its President to forward this decision and the resolution forming an integral part of it to the European External Action Service, the European Council, the Council, the Commission, the Court of Auditors, the Court of Justice of the European Union, and the European Ombudsman and the European Data Protection Supervisor, and to arrange for their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (L series).