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From · Plenary report · 2026-03-26 A-10-2026-0053 on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024, Section X – European External Action Service

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~~1. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION~~

P10_TA(2026)0130

~~on discharge in respect of the implementation~~Discharge of2024: ~~the~~EU general budget ~~of the European Union for the financial year 2024, Section X –~~- European External Action Service

~~(2025/2150(DEC))~~

Committee on Budgetary Control

PE778.061

1. European Parliament decision of 29 April 2026 on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024, Section X – European External Action Service (2025/2150(DEC))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A10-0053/2026),

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 ~~2024;2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;~~2024;

2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision and the resolution forming an integral part of it to the European External Action Service, the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors, 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).

~~2. MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION~~

2. European Parliament resolution of 29 April 2026 with observations forming an integral part of the decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024, Section X – European External Action Service (2025/2150(DEC))

with observations forming an integral part of the decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024, Section X – European External Action Service

~~(2025/2150(DEC))~~

The European Parliament,

E. whereas the implementation of the budget is governed by the Financial Regulation and by the Internal Rules of implementation of the Budget of the EEAS (the ‘Internal Rules’);

FF. whereas under the Internal Rules, the Secretary-General of the EEAS acts as authorising officer by delegation for the EEAS and the director-general for resource management has the role of principal sub-delegated authorising officer;

G. whereas the role of Union delegations is to represent the Union and its citizens around the world by building networks and partnerships, and to promote the values of the Union;

24. Highlights the importance of maintaining the European Union Monitoring mission in Georgia to monitor the situation in the occupied territories and ensure early warning and reporting;

~~25. Calls on the EEAS to maintain, especially considering the current geopolitical situation, its engagement with Georgia in support of democratic reforms and the country’s European perspective;~~

25. Calls on the EEAS to limit political contacts with the Georgian Dream authorities to matters of strict necessity, while maintaining and strengthening engagement with Georgian civil society, independent media, and academic institutions; stresses the importance of continuing to promote European norms, democratic values and the European path among the Georgian population and political forces committed to democratic principles;

26. Highlights that in 2024 the Union, with strong support from the EEAS, continued its comprehensive political, military, financial, diplomatic, humanitarian and economic support to Ukraine in response to Russia’s war of aggression; underlines that a key milestone was the signing of the EU-Ukraine joint security commitments in June 2024, with Union accession identified as the ultimate security guarantee to strengthen Ukraine’s resilience, deterrence and long-term stability; notes that the EEAS worked closely with Member States, the G7, NATO and international partners to maintain unity, enforce restrictive measures against Russia, prevent the circumvention of sanctions, and support accountability initiatives, while conducting extensive global outreach in support of a just and lasting peace in line with the UN Charter and international law, including follow-up to the Peace Summit in Switzerland, support for Ukraine’s Peace Formula, participation in the International Crimea Platform, support for the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression, and the Union’s accession in June 2024 to the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children;

27. Recalls that is crucial to further strengthen our support for human rights, democracy and development in third countries through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe financial framework; highlights that maintaining specific funding for human rights and democracy, as well as a human rights-based approach and mainstreaming of human rights in our third-country support and partnerships, can serve to strengthen the Union’s standing globally and back up Union values; underlines that resources to the Union’s Digital Diplomacy should be further increased given the current context of rapid technological advancements and geopolitical competition, in particular to counter digital authoritarianism, foreign interference and the misuse of emerging technologies; invites the EEAS to systematically conduct risk assessments on civic-space restrictions in partner and third countries, in order to ensure that Union funding reaches relevant stakeholders; insists that ‘green diplomacy’ and the green transition should be backed by adequate financial and human resources in the EEAS and Union delegations, and be consistently integrated into political dialogues, partnerships and external spending, including in third countries, while ensuring coherence with competitiveness, energy security and economic resilience of partner countries;

27. Reaffirms that the Union's continued political, military, financial and humanitarian support to Ukraine remains a strategic priority and a moral obligation in the face of Russia's illegal war of aggression; underlines, however, that the unprecedented scale of Union assistance to Ukraine must be accompanied by equally unprecedented controls, traceability and anti-fraud safeguards in order to maintain the long-term political and public support of Union taxpayers; calls on the EEAS, in close cooperation with OLAF, the EPPO and the Court, to ensure full, real-time access to information on the use of all Union funds disbursed in support of Ukraine, and to report annually to the discharge authority on detected irregularities, recoveries and corrective measures;

28. Stresses the need for the EEAS to reinforce its administrative and analytical capacity in areas of growing strategic importance, including the Arctic; calls for strengthened staff training, improved inter-service coordination, and adequate resources to support risk assessment, situational awareness and engagement with relevant partners; underlines that such capacity-building must be fully aligned with sound financial management and existing budgetary constraints;

28. Recalls that is crucial to further strengthen our support for human rights, democracy and development in third countries through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe financial framework; highlights that maintaining specific funding for human rights and democracy, as well as a human rights-based approach and mainstreaming of human rights in our third-country support and partnerships, can serve to strengthen the Union’s standing globally and back up Union values; underlines that resources to the Union’s Digital Diplomacy should be further increased given the current context of rapid technological advancements and geopolitical competition, in particular to counter digital authoritarianism, foreign interference and the misuse of emerging technologies; invites the EEAS to systematically conduct risk assessments on civic-space restrictions in partner and third countries, in order to ensure that Union funding reaches relevant stakeholders; insists that the green transition should be backed by adequate financial and human resources in the EEAS and Union delegations, and be consistently integrated into political dialogues, partnerships and external spending, including in third countries, while ensuring coherence with competitiveness, energy security and economic resilience of partner countries;

29. Notes with satisfaction from the Follow-up report the EEAS’ central role and actions in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, including by calling for the unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian aid at scale, in line with international humanitarian principles; underlines that humanitarian assistance must be delivered in a safe, effective and depoliticised manner, and must not be diverted or misused by terrorist or armed groups; notes that since the onset of the crisis in Gaza, the Union has deployed all available humanitarian instruments to ease the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, providing EUR 450 million in humanitarian aid since October 2023, including an initial aid package of EUR 120 million for 2025 and in the specific case of Union support in Palestine, according to the Commission mechanisms in place ‘are solid and work effectively’ as reaffirmed during the financial review of Union assistance in Palestine that took place in November 2023; further notes that in April 2025, the Commission adopted a comprehensive multi-annual programme for Palestine worth up to EUR 1,6 billion for 2025-2027 to support economic recovery, resilience and governance in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, with up to EUR 620 million of that funding in direct financial support to the Palestinian Authority; notes that in May 2024, the Commission announced a financial assistance package of EUR 1 billion to help Lebanon face domestic and regional challenges; welcomes in this context the Vice-President/High Representative’s view expressed at the Hearing, whereby as a fundamental principle of the law, ‘whoever causes the damage should also pay for it’; notes that any comprehensive assessment of damages remains premature as long as access to Gaza is not possible; stresses, however, the importance of establishing robust monitoring and accountability mechanisms, including reliable, independent and verifiable information, to enable an assessment of damages and needs as soon as access is allowed; invites the EEAS to continue using all available instruments, including humanitarian, diplomatic and financial tools, and, where appropriate, restrictive measures, in order to uphold the rules-based international order and promote lasting peace and security in the region;

29. Stresses the need for the EEAS to reinforce its administrative and analytical capacity in areas of growing strategic importance, including the Arctic; calls for strengthened staff training, improved inter-service coordination, and adequate resources to support risk assessment, situational awareness and engagement with relevant partners; underlines that such capacity-building must be fully aligned with sound financial management and existing budgetary constraints;

30. Recalls its position on the Union Budget for 2026 and the importance of supporting political, economic and social reforms in the Southern Neighbourhood region, including addressing rising humanitarian needs, while ensuring that no Union funds are allocated to public institutions, individuals or associations linked to any kind of terrorist movements, and that are directly in opposition to the Union’s fundamental values, including Islamist, antisemitic, anti-Christian and anti-Islam movements; recalls that the EEAS is responsible for providing political guidance and strategic oversight on the Union’s external action, while the Commission retains full responsibility for the management, contracting and disbursement of Union budgetary resources provided to implementing partners and international organisations; recalls that there have been allegations that 19 of 13 000 UNRWA employees in Gaza were involved in the despicable terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel on 7 October 2023; acknowledges the United Nations' response to those allegations including the investigations launched by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), after which 9 members of staff had their employment formally terminated in the interest of the Agency and the recommendations issued through the Colonna Report; notes that the Commission has been working with UNRWA, to enhance the neutrality processes and control systems in the Agency, in line with findings of the investigations by the UN OIOS and to monitor the application of the action plan presented by UNRWA; notes the Commission’s assessment that UNRWA remains committed to implementing the agreed recommendations as well as the fulfilment of all conditions agreed with the Union for continued funding in 2024; encourages, in this regard, the Commission’s continued engagement and close monitoring to ensure that funding is met with solid guarantees on neutrality, transparency and accountability; notes that the Union does not fund the Palestinian textbooks, and that neither are they the responsibility of UNRWA, which nevertheless reviews all issued textbooks to address any problematic content; recalls the necessity for the Palestinian Authority to remove all educational materials and content that fail to adhere to UNESCO standards, particularly those encouraging antisemitism and inciting violence, to which Palestinian children should not be exposed; recalls that no Union funds are to be allocated, directly or indirectly, to the above mentioned educational materials; stresses that financial support from the Union for the Palestinian Authority in the area of education should be provided on the condition that textbook content is aligned with UNESCO standards in line with the findings of the Georg Eckert Institute's report funded by the Union, which revealed a complex picture on the textbooks;

30. Notes with satisfaction from the Follow-up report the EEAS’ central role and actions in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, including by calling for the unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian aid at scale, in line with international humanitarian principles; underlines that humanitarian assistance must be delivered in a safe, effective and depoliticised manner, and must not be diverted or misused by terrorist or armed groups; notes that since the onset of the crisis in Gaza, the Union has deployed all available humanitarian instruments to ease the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, providing EUR 450 million in humanitarian aid since October 2023, including an initial aid package of EUR 120 million for 2025 and in the specific case of Union support in Palestine, according to the Commission mechanisms in place ‘are solid and work effectively’ as reaffirmed during the financial review of Union assistance in Palestine that took place in November 2023; further notes that in April 2025, the Commission adopted a comprehensive multi-annual programme for Palestine worth up to EUR 1,6 billion for 2025-2027 to support economic recovery, resilience and governance in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, with up to EUR 620 million of that funding in direct financial support to the Palestinian Authority; notes that in May 2024, the Commission announced a financial assistance package of EUR 1 billion to help Lebanon face domestic and regional challenges; welcomes in this context the Vice-President/High Representative’s view expressed at the Hearing, whereby as a fundamental principle of the law, ‘whoever causes the damage should also pay for it’; notes that any comprehensive assessment of damages remains premature as long as access to Gaza is not possible; stresses, however, the importance of establishing robust monitoring and accountability mechanisms, including reliable, independent and verifiable information, to enable an assessment of damages and needs as soon as access is allowed; invites the EEAS to continue using all available instruments, including humanitarian, diplomatic and financial tools, and, where appropriate, restrictive measures, in order to uphold the rules-based international order and promote lasting peace and security in the region;

31. Expresses deep concerns over the report, on internal suspected Hamas documents, dated between 2018 and 2022, originally found by the Israel Defense Forces in the Gaza strip and later declassified and disseminated through NGO Monitor, which allegedly indicate attempts of Hamas’ infiltration and monitoring through so-called ‘guarantors’ of international NGOs including within Union-funded humanitarian projects in the Gaza Strip; recalls that, largely in response to the demands of Parliament, verification mechanisms have been further reinforced since 2023, including specific audits, risk analyses and additional external monitoring; stresses that any claim on any misuse of Union taxpayer funds should be carefully verified and urges the Commission to investigate all allegations of any type of undue infiltration and influence within Union-funded humanitarian projects and to suspend or recover Union funding where breaches are confirmed; underlines that any allegation of misuse of Union funds indirectly diverted to terrorist organisations undermines the integrity of Union assistance; warns that in armed conflicts, disinformation and information warfare pursued for strategic purposes are common practices;32. Recalls that millions of people worldwide face discrimination, persecution or violence because of their religion or belief; encourages the Commission and the EEAS, within their respective competences, to continue ensuring balanced policy attention, coordination and transparency in addressing all forms of religious hatred and intolerance, including anti-Christian, anti-Islamism and anti-Semitism hatred, and to keep Parliament regularly informed about relevant measures taken and resources mobilised in this regard;

31. Recalls its position on the Union Budget for 2026 and the importance of supporting political, economic and social reforms in the Southern Neighbourhood region, including addressing rising humanitarian needs, while ensuring that no Union funds are allocated to public institutions, individuals or associations linked to any kind of terrorist movements, and that are directly in opposition to the Union’s fundamental values, including Islamist, antisemitic, anti-Christian and anti-Islam movements; recalls that the EEAS is responsible for providing political guidance and strategic oversight on the Union’s external action, while the Commission retains full responsibility for the management, contracting and disbursement of Union budgetary resources provided to implementing partners and international organisations; recalls that there have been allegations that 19 of 13 000 UNRWA employees in Gaza were involved in the despicable terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel on 7 October 2023; acknowledges the United Nations' response to those allegations including the investigations launched by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), after which 9 members of staff had their employment formally terminated in the interest of the Agency and the recommendations issued through the Colonna Report; notes that the Commission has been working with UNRWA, to enhance the neutrality processes and control systems in the Agency, in line with findings of the investigations by the UN OIOS and to monitor the application of the action plan presented by UNRWA; notes the Commission’s assessment that UNRWA remains committed to implementing the agreed recommendations as well as the fulfilment of all conditions agreed with the Union for continued funding in 2024; encourages, in this regard, the Commission’s continued engagement and close monitoring to ensure that funding is met with solid guarantees on neutrality, transparency and accountability; notes that the Union does not fund the Palestinian textbooks, and that neither are they the responsibility of UNRWA, which nevertheless reviews all issued textbooks to address any problematic content; recalls the necessity for the Palestinian Authority to remove all educational materials and content that fail to adhere to UNESCO standards, particularly those encouraging antisemitism and inciting violence, to which Palestinian children should not be exposed; recalls that no Union funds are to be allocated, directly or indirectly, to the above mentioned educational materials; stresses that financial support from the Union for the Palestinian Authority in the area of education should be provided on the condition that textbook content is aligned with UNESCO standards in line with the findings of the Georg Eckert Institute's report funded by the Union, which revealed a complex picture on the textbooks;

33. Notes from the Follow-up report the EEAS’ ongoing efforts to support dialogue on the political, economic and social situation, the rule of law and anti-corruption fight and to strengthen democracy and human rights in various countries; welcomes the fact that the EEAS and Union delegations continue to engage with representatives of national administrations and institutions, civil society organisations, stakeholders specialised in democratic governance, human rights, media, social partners and international and regional organisations; notes that support for human rights and women defenders, including indigenous ones, is among the key priorities of the EEAS in line with the Union’s Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2027, and is advanced through a range of activities such as political dialogues, political reporting, public diplomacy, multilateral fora and annual reports on the implementation of human rights; calls on the EEAS and Union delegations to further strengthen their work in providing assistance, as well as logistical and technological support, and in engaging with human rights defenders, in line with the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders, with particular attention to women;

32. Expresses deep concerns over the report, on internal suspected Hamas documents, dated between 2018 and 2022, originally found by the Israel Defense Forces in the Gaza strip and later declassified and disseminated through NGO Monitor, which allegedly indicate attempts of Hamas’ infiltration and monitoring through so-called ‘guarantors’ of international NGOs including within Union-funded humanitarian projects in the Gaza Strip; recalls that, largely in response to the demands of Parliament, verification mechanisms have been further reinforced since 2023, including specific audits, risk analyses and additional external monitoring; stresses that any claim on any misuse of Union taxpayer funds should be carefully verified and urges the Commission to investigate all allegations of any type of undue infiltration and influence within Union-funded humanitarian projects and to suspend or recover Union funding where breaches are confirmed; underlines that any allegation of misuse of Union funds indirectly diverted to terrorist organisations undermines the integrity of Union assistance; warns that in armed conflicts, disinformation and information warfare pursued for strategic purposes are common practices;

34. Notes from the Questionnaire that the Corporate Governance Service (CGS), established in 2023, plays an important role in improving EEAS management by supporting the preparation of the EEAS annual management plans and annual activity reports, strengthening risk management processes, addressing systemic corporate issues in Union delegations, and implementing the ‘One Delegation’ concept, which aims to reduce management and reporting fragmentation and to document recurring issues and best practices at both Headquarters and Union delegation; calls on the EEAS to swiftly address the weaknesses in internal controls and document management highlighted by the Court, with a view to improving the integrity of information management and ensuring consistent reporting across Union delegations;

33. Recalls that millions of people worldwide face discrimination, persecution or violence because of their religion or belief; encourages the Commission and the EEAS, within their respective competences, to continue ensuring balanced policy attention, coordination and transparency in addressing all forms of religious hatred and intolerance, including anti-Christian, anti-Islamism and anti-Semitism hatred, and to keep Parliament regularly informed about relevant measures taken and resources mobilised in this regard;

35. Notes with satisfaction from the Follow-up report and the Questionnaire the efforts taken by the EEAS toward a feminist diplomacy, despite Member States having the main role in setting the Union external actions guidelines; in particular welcomes the action taken to accelerate the implementation of the Union’s commitments under the Gender Action Plan (GAP) III; notes that the Union’s Ambassador for Gender and Diversity engaged in efforts to integrate a gender perspective in human rights dialogues and key multilateral statements and resolutions; notes further that gender-responsive leadership continued being a key element in the institutionalisation of gender mainstreaming; welcomes in this context the appointment of gender focal points in November 2024; notes that GAP III will expire in 2027 and urges the EEAS, to this end, to develop a more ambitious GAP IV that will ensure a stronger connection between women’s rights and empowerment and the Union’s foreign and security policy, ready for implementation as of 2028;

34. Notes from the Follow-up report the EEAS’ ongoing efforts to support dialogue on the political, economic and social situation, the rule of law and anti-corruption fight and to strengthen democracy and human rights in various countries; welcomes the fact that the EEAS and Union delegations continue to engage with representatives of national administrations and institutions, civil society organisations, stakeholders specialised in democratic governance, human rights, media, social partners and international and regional organisations; notes that support for human rights and women defenders, including indigenous ones, is among the key priorities of the EEAS in line with the Union’s Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2027, and is advanced through a range of activities such as political dialogues, political reporting, public diplomacy, multilateral fora and annual reports on the implementation of human rights; calls on the EEAS and Union delegations to further strengthen their work in providing assistance, as well as logistical and technological support, and in engaging with human rights defenders, in line with the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders, with particular attention to women;

36. Underlines that the Union must increase funding to reinforce the dedicated budget line within the Union’s foreign policy actions specifically for gender equality and the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, in order to ensure consistent financing for initiatives that promote gender-responsive leadership, protect women’s rights, and combat sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in conflict and post-conflict settings; stresses that such funding is essential to support local civil society organisations, provide survivor-centred support, and integrate gender perspectives into Union diplomatic and security efforts;

35. Notes from the Questionnaire that the Corporate Governance Service (CGS), established in 2023, plays an important role in improving EEAS management by supporting the preparation of the EEAS annual management plans and annual activity reports, strengthening risk management processes, addressing systemic corporate issues in Union delegations, and implementing the ‘One Delegation’ concept, which aims to reduce management and reporting fragmentation and to document recurring issues and best practices at both Headquarters and Union delegation; calls on the EEAS to swiftly address the weaknesses in internal controls and document management highlighted by the Court, with a view to improving the integrity of information management and ensuring consistent reporting across Union delegations;

37. Sees election observation mission as a practical and effective foreign policy instrument that remains central to the Union’s democracy support policies and strategies; notes from the Follow-up report that the EEAS has no prospect of extending observation work towards candidate and neighbouring countries, because observation missions adequately cover these countries led by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights which used a methodology similar to the Union’s and often sources experts from the same pool of professionals; reiterates nevertheless its call on the Union to ensure adequate resources, including expertise on the integrity of online information and interference risks in election observation methodologies to the Union’s election observation missions;

36. Notes with satisfaction from the Follow-up report and the Questionnaire the efforts taken by the EEAS toward a feminist diplomacy, despite Member States having the main role in setting the Union external actions guidelines; in particular welcomes the action taken to accelerate the implementation of the Union’s commitments under the Gender Action Plan (GAP) III; notes that the Union’s Ambassador for Gender and Diversity engaged in efforts to integrate a gender perspective in human rights dialogues and key multilateral statements and resolutions; notes further that gender-responsive leadership continued being a key element in the institutionalisation of gender mainstreaming; welcomes in this context the appointment of gender focal points in November 2024; notes that GAP III will expire in 2027 and urges the EEAS, to this end, to develop a more ambitious GAP IV that will ensure a stronger connection between women’s rights and empowerment and the Union’s foreign and security policy, ready for implementation as of 2028;

38. Notes with satisfaction from the Follow-up report the Union’s effort to protect children in conflict-affected regions through its delegations in 2024; welcomes the update of the Union’s Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict in 2024 that provide a framework to strengthen protection and prevent grave violations against children in times of war;

37. Underlines that the Union must increase funding to reinforce the dedicated budget line within the Union’s foreign policy actions specifically for gender equality and the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, in order to ensure consistent financing for initiatives that promote gender-responsive leadership, protect women’s rights, and combat sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in conflict and post-conflict settings; stresses that such funding is essential to support local civil society organisations, provide survivor-centred support, and integrate gender perspectives into Union diplomatic and security efforts;

39. Recalls that in 2021 Parliament proposed a pilot project ‘Towards the creation of the European Diplomatic Academy’ with the objective to create a critical mass of European diplomats trained on Union’s foreign relations and security and a European diplomatic culture that aims at enhancing the Union’s role as an effective foreign policy actors; notes that in the first phase of that pilot project, which covered the academic year 2022-2023, 42 young diplomats participated, while in the second phase, which covered the academic year 2023-2024, there were 50 participants; notes that the second phase ran over two identical 4-month course editions, followed by 1-month training assignment at EEAS Headquarters in Brussels; notes that courses and training programmes were implemented by an academic consortium formed by the College of Europe in Belgium (Bruges) and Poland (Natolin); notes from the Questionnaire that, in line with the service contract EEAS/2022/OP/0168-2023, the College of Europe produced a final report containing the assessment of the second phase of the pilot project; calls on the EEAS to provide the discharge authority with that report; notes from the EEAS report on the annual accounts for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024, with regard to budget implementation for the pilot phases of the EU Diplomatic Academy, that the EEAS paid EUR 831 000 in 2022, EUR 120 000 in 2023 and EUR 862 000 in 2024; asks the EEAS to provide Parliament in the context of discharge procedure with copies of all documentation with regard to procurement procedures carried out, contracts signed and payments made in connection with phase 1 and phase 2 of the EU Diplomatic Academy pilot project;

38. Sees election observation mission as a practical and effective foreign policy instrument that remains central to the Union’s democracy support policies and strategies; notes from the Follow-up report that the EEAS has no prospect of extending observation work towards candidate and neighbouring countries, because observation missions adequately cover these countries led by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights which used a methodology similar to the Union’s and often sources experts from the same pool of professionals; reiterates nevertheless its call on the Union to ensure adequate resources, including expertise on the integrity of online information and interference risks in election observation methodologies to the Union’s election observation missions;

40. Notes further that on 21 May 2024, building on the experience and structure developed in the pilot phases, the Council adopted a decision to establish a fully-fledged EU Diplomatic Academy for four academic years starting with 2024-2025, whereas the course and training activities have been assigned to the College of Europe, while the EU Diplomatic Academy will operate under the responsibility of the Vice-President/High Representative who will receive guidance from a steering committee composed of a representative designated by each Member State, as well as representative of Parliament, the Council and the Commission; notes from that decision that an intended amount of EUR 1,72 million shall cover the period 1 July 2024-30 June 2025, whereas the management of the expenditure in connection with the EU Diplomatic Academy is supervised by the Commission through the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments;

39. Notes with satisfaction from the Follow-up report the Union’s effort to protect children in conflict-affected regions through its delegations in 2024; welcomes the update of the Union’s Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict in 2024 that provide a framework to strengthen protection and prevent grave violations against children in times of war;

41. Notes that, following the creation of the CGS in 2023, the EEAS updated its Internal Control Framework (ICF) in 2024 to reflect the role of the Chief Governance Officer and introduce a monitoring mechanism on internal controls; notes from the Questionnaire that the ICF of the EEAS is aligned with that of the Commission; notes that, in addition to the standard annual assessment of its internal control system, the EEAS carried out in 2024 a survey among 167 respondents/staff, all with Authorising Officers by Sub-Delegation (AOSD) responsibilities, whereas the results of that survey are discussed at senior management level in the EEAS’ Internal Control Committee; notes that that survey highlighted 183 areas that need attention, especially with regard to challenges that Union delegations are facing such as awareness on internal controls and risk management, recruiting and retaining qualified staff and IT services; welcomes the fact that the EEAS devised an action plan to rectify existing concerns and pro-actively address potential risks; invites the EEAS to keep the discharge authority updated on these matters;

40. Recalls that in 2021 Parliament proposed a pilot project ‘Towards the creation of the European Diplomatic Academy’ with the objective to create a critical mass of European diplomats trained on Union’s foreign relations and security and a European diplomatic culture that aims at enhancing the Union’s role as an effective foreign policy actors; notes that in the first phase of that pilot project, which covered the academic year 2022-2023, 42 young diplomats participated, while in the second phase, which covered the academic year 2023-2024, there were 50 participants; notes that the second phase ran over two identical 4-month course editions, followed by 1-month training assignment at EEAS Headquarters in Brussels; notes that courses and training programmes were implemented by an academic consortium formed by the College of Europe in Belgium (Bruges) and Poland (Natolin); notes from the Questionnaire that, in line with the service contract EEAS/2022/OP/0168-2023, the College of Europe produced a final report containing the assessment of the second phase of the pilot project; calls on the EEAS to provide the discharge authority with that report; notes from the EEAS report on the annual accounts for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024, with regard to budget implementation for the pilot phases of the EU Diplomatic Academy, that the EEAS paid EUR 831 000 in 2022, EUR 120 000 in 2023 and EUR 862 000 in 2024; asks the EEAS to provide Parliament in the context of discharge procedure with copies of all documentation with regard to procurement procedures carried out, contracts signed and payments made in connection with phase 1 and phase 2 of the EU Diplomatic Academy pilot project;

42. Encourages the EEAS to strengthen internal controls and document management systems, addressing weaknesses identified by the Court, in particular those concerning information management and reporting from Union delegations;

41. Notes further that on 21 May 2024, building on the experience and structure developed in the pilot phases, the Council adopted a decision to establish a fully-fledged EU Diplomatic Academy for four academic years starting with 2024-2025, whereas the course and training activities have been assigned to the College of Europe, while the EU Diplomatic Academy will operate under the responsibility of the Vice-President/High Representative who will receive guidance from a steering committee composed of a representative designated by each Member State, as well as representative of Parliament, the Council and the Commission; notes from that decision that an intended amount of EUR 1,72 million shall cover the period 1 July 2024-30 June 2025, whereas the management of the expenditure in connection with the EU Diplomatic Academy is supervised by the Commission through the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments;

43. Notes that the EEAS employs two ex ante verification modes with regard to financial transactions (commitments, payments and recovery orders); notes that one type ex ante verification is decentralised, i.e. carried out independently from the responsible AOSD, for payments linked to invoices whose amount is (as of 2024) below 15 000; notes that, for all other financial transactions, the ex ante verification is ensured internally by the operational divisions or by Union delegations; notes that for procurement procedures, there are also two ex ante verification modes: one mode for contracts whose value is equal or greater than Directive 2014/24/EU thresholds, ran independently from the AOSD of the department in charge of the procurement file and another mode ensured internally, by the department in charge, for (very) low and middle value contracts;

42. Notes that, following the creation of the CGS in 2023, the EEAS updated its Internal Control Framework (ICF) in 2024 to reflect the role of the Chief Governance Officer and introduce a monitoring mechanism on internal controls; notes from the Questionnaire that the ICF of the EEAS is aligned with that of the Commission; notes that, in addition to the standard annual assessment of its internal control system, the EEAS carried out in 2024 a survey among 167 respondents/staff, all with Authorising Officers by Sub-Delegation (AOSD) responsibilities, whereas the results of that survey are discussed at senior management level in the EEAS’ Internal Control Committee; notes that that survey highlighted 183 areas that need attention, especially with regard to challenges that Union delegations are facing such as awareness on internal controls and risk management, recruiting and retaining qualified staff and IT services; welcomes the fact that the EEAS devised an action plan to rectify existing concerns and pro-actively address potential risks; invites the EEAS to keep the discharge authority updated on these matters;

44. Notes that for financial errors, the detected error rate corresponds to errors detected by ex post controls (after the payment/recovery has been made) which feeds into a residual error that also reflects errors presumed to be affecting the non-controlled expenditure and revenue; notes that in 2024, the residual financial error rate for the EEAS expenditure was 0,03 % and for revenue 0,05 %; notes with regard to procurement errors, that the EEAS updated its ex post controls methodology in 2024, thus aligning it with the Commission’s approach with regard to the calculation of procurement errors, which discards the notion of a residual error, whereas the financial impact of procurement errors cannot be quantified the same way the financial errors are; notes that based on this new methodology, the value of procurement detected error was EUR 49 774 108 in 2024 (up from EUR 23 392 948 in 2023) or 4,32 % of the audited population in 2024 (up from 2,07 % in 2023);

43. Encourages the EEAS to strengthen internal controls and document management systems, addressing weaknesses identified by the Court, in particular those concerning information management and reporting from Union delegations;

45. Notes with appreciation that the EEAS made tangible progress in 2024 in implementing outstanding recommendations made by various bodies such as the EEAS’ Internal Audit Division (IAD), the Commission’s Internal Audit Service (IAS) and the Court; acknowledges the role of the EEAS Audit Progress Committee in ensuring the independence of IAD and monitoring the quality of the internal audit work and the progress made with regard to follow-up on internal and external audit recommendations;

44. Notes that the EEAS employs two ex ante verification modes with regard to financial transactions (commitments, payments and recovery orders); notes that one type ex ante verification is decentralised, i.e. carried out independently from the responsible AOSD, for payments linked to invoices whose amount is (as of 2024) below 15 000; notes that, for all other financial transactions, the ex ante verification is ensured internally by the operational divisions or by Union delegations; notes that for procurement procedures, there are also two ex ante verification modes: one mode for contracts whose value is equal or greater than Directive 2014/24/EU thresholds, ran independently from the AOSD of the department in charge of the procurement file and another mode ensured internally, by the department in charge, for (very) low and middle value contracts;

46. Notes with regard audits carried out by the IAD that the number of open recommendations was reduced from four critical and 49 very important recommendations to three critical and 32 very important ones and three action plans were reviewed, one of which was accepted as satisfactory; notes that the remaining critical recommendations are linked to the audit on ‘Management of the EU Delegation building in Washington’ which was delayed by legal matters and 13 of the 32 remaining very important recommendations are linked to the audit on ‘Information flows between EEAS, DG HR and the PMO’; observes further that the IAD launched an advisory review of procurement processes at Headquarters, initiated a strategic risk assessment, conducted benchmarking with other Union institutions, updated its Mission Charter, thereby completing the 2022–2024 multiannual audit plan, and took the necessary steps to prepare its new strategic audit plan starting in 2025;

45. Notes that for financial errors, the detected error rate corresponds to errors detected by ex post controls (after the payment/recovery has been made) which feeds into a residual error that also reflects errors presumed to be affecting the non-controlled expenditure and revenue; notes that in 2024, the residual financial error rate for the EEAS expenditure was 0,03 % and for revenue 0,05 %; notes with regard to procurement errors, that the EEAS updated its ex post controls methodology in 2024, thus aligning it with the Commission’s approach with regard to the calculation of procurement errors, which discards the notion of a residual error, whereas the financial impact of procurement errors cannot be quantified the same way the financial errors are; notes that based on this new methodology, the value of procurement detected error was EUR 49 774 108 in 2024 (up from EUR 23 392 948 in 2023) or 4,32 % of the audited population in 2024 (up from 2,07 % in 2023);

~~47. Observes that the IAS finalised two audits on human~~46. ~~resources~~Notes ~~allocation~~with ~~and~~appreciation onthat the EEAS ~~anti-fraud strategy, with~~made ~~action~~tangible ~~plans~~progress ~~under~~in ~~implementation,~~2024 ~~and~~in ~~launched~~implementing aoutstanding ~~new~~recommendations ~~audit~~made onby exvarious ~~post~~bodies ~~controls~~such atas the ~~end~~EEAS’ ofInternal ~~2024,~~Audit ~~the~~Division ~~operational~~(IAD), ~~work~~the ~~for~~Commission’s ~~which~~Internal ~~continued~~Audit ~~into~~Service ~~2025;~~(IAS) ~~invites~~and the ~~EEAS to~~Court; ~~inform~~acknowledges the ~~discharge authority~~role of the ~~progress~~EEAS ~~made~~Audit ~~with~~Progress ~~regard~~Committee toin ensuring the ~~implementation~~independence of ~~IAS recommendations~~IAD ~~that~~and ~~are~~monitoring ~~still~~the ~~open~~quality asof ~~follow-up~~the tointernal ~~the~~audit ~~‘Audit~~work onand the ~~procurement~~progress ~~process~~made ~~and~~with ~~contract~~regard ~~monitoring~~to infollow-up ~~the~~on ~~EEAS’~~internal ~~launched~~and inexternal ~~2022;~~audit recommendations;

48. Notes from the Annual activity report of the EEAS (the ‘EEAS 2024 report’) for 2024 that the operations of each Union delegation are periodically evaluated (every 4-5 years) through inspection missions and strategic corporate exercises; notes that 26 Union delegations were inspected in 2024 which led to the formulation of 1 000 recommendations and advice to the Union delegations inspected and Headquarters services, including six critical recommendations and approximately 100 very important ones; notes with concern from the Questionnaire that two Union delegations received critical recommendations concerning internal management; welcomes the fact that the EEAS has applied strict follow-up in both cases and, although one inspection remains open due to its complexity, the EEAS is actively supporting the delegation to resolve the outstanding issues and implement the required corrective measures;

47. Notes with regard audits carried out by the IAD that the number of open recommendations was reduced from four critical and 49 very important recommendations to three critical and 32 very important ones and three action plans were reviewed, one of which was accepted as satisfactory; notes that the remaining critical recommendations are linked to the audit on ‘Management of the EU Delegation building in Washington’ which was delayed by legal matters and 13 of the 32 remaining very important recommendations are linked to the audit on ‘Information flows between EEAS, DG HR and the PMO’; observes further that the IAD launched an advisory review of procurement processes at Headquarters, initiated a strategic risk assessment, conducted benchmarking with other Union institutions, updated its Mission Charter, thereby completing the 2022–2024 multiannual audit plan, and took the necessary steps to prepare its new strategic audit plan starting in 2025;

49. Notes that the EEAS is broadly on schedule to meet the Court’s deadline to implement the recommendations of the Court’s Special Report 02/2024 on ‘The coordination role of the European External Action Service’ by the end of 2025; acknowledges that all newly appointed Heads of Delegation received mission letters in 2024 and 2025, and that improved feedback mechanisms and the Annual Management Plan process have strengthened coordination between Headquarters and Union delegations; welcomes the ongoing implementation of the EEAS information management strategy, including the full roll-out of the HIVE collaborative platform, used by over 16 500 staff; notes the continued work with the Commission, Council and Member States on enhancing interoperability and progressing discussions on a standardised security classification; further notes the completion of the Union delegations’ workload assessment in September 2024, which informed the subsequent political agreement on the modernisation of the Union delegation network in May 2025; notes the EEAS status of ‘associated service’ in audits carried out by the Court, whereas four audits (Special Reports 17/2024, 18/2024, 06/2024 and 04/2025) were finalised in 2024 and two audits (Special Report 17/2025, 20/2025) were launched in 2024 and finalised in 2025; notes in this context with satisfaction the good cooperation of the EEAS with the Commission’s directorate generals concerned by those audits;

48. Observes that the IAS finalised two audits on human resources allocation and on the EEAS anti-fraud strategy, with action plans under implementation, and launched a new audit on ex post controls at the end of 2024, the operational work for which continued into 2025; invites the EEAS to inform the discharge authority of the progress made with regard to the implementation of IAS recommendations that are still open as follow-up to the ‘Audit on the procurement process and contract monitoring in the EEAS’ launched in 2022;

49. Notes from the Annual activity report of the EEAS (the ‘EEAS 2024 report’) for 2024 that the operations of each Union delegation are periodically evaluated (every 4-5 years) through inspection missions and strategic corporate exercises; notes that 26 Union delegations were inspected in 2024 which led to the formulation of 1 000 recommendations and advice to the Union delegations inspected and Headquarters services, including six critical recommendations and approximately 100 very important ones; notes with concern from the Questionnaire that two Union delegations received critical recommendations concerning internal management; welcomes the fact that the EEAS has applied strict follow-up in both cases and, although one inspection remains open due to its complexity, the EEAS is actively supporting the delegation to resolve the outstanding issues and implement the required corrective measures;

50. Notes that the EEAS is broadly on schedule to meet the Court’s deadline to implement the recommendations of the Court’s Special Report 02/2024 on ‘The coordination role of the European External Action Service’ by the end of 2025; acknowledges that all newly appointed Heads of Delegation received mission letters in 2024 and 2025, and that improved feedback mechanisms and the Annual Management Plan process have strengthened coordination between Headquarters and Union delegations; welcomes the ongoing implementation of the EEAS information management strategy, including the full roll-out of the HIVE collaborative platform, used by over 16 500 staff; notes the continued work with the Commission, Council and Member States on enhancing interoperability and progressing discussions on a standardised security classification; further notes the completion of the Union delegations’ workload assessment in September 2024, which informed the subsequent political agreement on the modernisation of the Union delegation network in May 2025; notes the EEAS status of ‘associated service’ in audits carried out by the Court, whereas four audits (Special Reports 17/2024, 18/2024, 06/2024 and 04/2025) were finalised in 2024 and two audits (Special Report 17/2025, 20/2025) were launched in 2024 and finalised in 2025; notes in this context with satisfaction the good cooperation of the EEAS with the Commission’s directorate generals concerned by those audits;

Human resources, equality and staff well-being

~~50.~~51. Notes that the EEAS was employing, excluding local staff, a total of 2 902 members of staff, including 1 268 officials, 442 temporary agents, 619 contract agents and 573 seconded national experts in 2024, compared to 2 812 members of staff, including 1 245 officials, 450 temporary agents, 603 contract agents and 514 SNEs in 2023; recalls the importance of providing permanent contracts in order to maintain skills, continuity and productive working environment;

~~51.~~52. Notes from the EEAS 2024 report that, of a total of 5 355 people working in the EEAS, 47 % were working in the EEAS headquarters and 53 % in Union delegations at the end of 2024, with 1 622 as local agents in Union delegations; notes that, during the Hearing, Members raised concerns regarding the alleged dismissal of local staff in certain Union delegations without due respect for local labour law; notes that, following that hearing, CONT Members submitted additional written questions; notes from the EEAS replies to those questions (the ‘Second questionnaire’), that on 14 May 2025 the Commissioners’ Project Group on External Action endorsed a project for the modernisation of the Union delegations network; notes that the implementation of this project entails, inter alia, the centralisation of finance, contracts and audit functions for the six Western Balkans Union delegations at DG Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood headquarters, as well as a reduction in the number of staff working on finance and contracts in those Union delegations, based on assessments carried out in consultation with legal advisers; notes that, in relation to the redundancy package, the EEAS claims that all rights under the local law and the Union’s internal rules have been respected, with financial packages for economic redundancy being the most favourable between the ones mandated by the local law and the Union ones, and this despite the concerns expressed by the local agents in the relevant Union delegations; further notes that the EEAS in collaboration with the Commission is partnering closely with local law firm who provide guidance on any local legal requirements, thus ensuring the implementation of the redundancy process in full compliance with the applicable local labour laws; call on the EEAS to fully consult the local staff representative when designing the dismissal plan for local staff; notes with concerns from the answers from the Questionnaire that if a Union delegation is relocated to a different country, such as in the event of an evacuation (e.g. Sudan sub-office moving to Egypt), local agents employed in the origin country are made redundant, leaving them behind without security; calls on the EEAS to find viable solutions for the security and safety of local staff who have been working loyally in Union delegations;

~~52.~~53. Expresses serious concern regarding reports of insufficient social dialogue and the inclusion of protected staff representatives among local agents affected by redundancies in certain Union delegations; recalls that respect for local labour law, social dialogue obligations and the protection of staff representatives are essential elements of sound administration and the Union’s credibility as an ~~employer~~employer;

~~53.~~54. Stresses that any restructuring, relocation or redundancy affecting local staff must be preceded by meaningful consultation with staff representatives and accompanied by concrete measures to safeguard the rights, security and dignity of local agents, in particular in crisis or evacuation contexts; calls on the EEAS to assess and report to the discharge authority on the cost-effectiveness of staff reductions compared to alternative organisational solutions, including the long-term financial, operational and reputational impacts of redundancies affecting local staff;

~~54.~~55. Calls on the EEAS to further improve the security of Union delegations, including cybersecurity, physical security and crisis evacuation capabilities, and to systematically report on progress and remaining vulnerabilities;

~~55.~~56. Notes that in 2024 46,60 % of all EEAS staff were women (compared to 46,80 % in 2023); notes with regard to women representation and the posts they occupied in the EEAS in 2024, that 40 % were administrators, 63,78 % were assistants, 73,25 % were assistant-secretaries, 56,70 % were contract agents and 26,87 % seconded national experts; notes with satisfaction from the EEAS 2024 report the institution’s efforts to achieve greater representation of women in management positions; notes in this context an upward trend with regard to senior management positions, with 37,30 % of women in 2024 (compared to 31 % in 2023), but a slight decrease with regard to middle management positions with 38,70 % of women in 2024 (compared to 40,40 % in 2023); welcomes an increase from 35,50 % in 2023 to 36,10 % in 2024 with regard to representation of women in Head of Delegation positions; welcomes the gradual increase in the number of women in management positions within the EEAS, while noting that women continue to be underrepresented at AD level and overrepresented at AST level, and that gender balance in middle and senior management positions, both at headquarters and in Union delegations, has yet to be fully achieved; stresses that while equal opportunities must be ensured for staff within the institutions’ bodies, excellence and professionalism within the EEAS must be preserved;

~~56.~~57. Notes from the Follow-up report the EEAS efforts to mobilise additional applications from underrepresented gender; welcomes in this context the organisation of four executive training activities on gender-responsive leadership (GRL) which reached 80 % of EEAS senior managers and a full 29 hours over four-month programme on GRL for 13 managers, including 4 from Union delegations in 2024; notes further that the EEAS established its new Gender Focal Point network and created a Task Force on Istanbul Convention which presented in 2024 a mid-term report with an action plan; notes the work of the Union’s Ambassador for Gender and Diversity to integrate a gender perspective in human rights dialogues and key multilateral statements and resolutions; invites on the EEAS to continue providing updates on the latest developments of the GAP for 2021-2025, and the actions taken to further promote the participation of women in all diplomatic and political dialogues;

~~57.~~58. Notes the efforts made by the EEAS towards reaching a diverse and representative workforce; regrets however the persistent lack of geographical balance and regional diversity in the EEAS, including in management posts and in key headquarters functions; notes that at the end of 2024 three Member States (one Member State in 2025) continued having no Union Ambassador, while Ambassadors from five Member States occupied 56 % of all Union’s Ambassadors posts, up from 54 % in 2023; stresses that an Union diplomatic service must reflect the Union’s diversity to strengthen legitimacy, local knowledge and effectiveness; calls on the EEAS, in cooperation with the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) and the Commission services responsible for selection policy, to step up targeted outreach in under-represented Member States (including ‘focus country’ information and recruitment events), to widen the pipeline through traineeships, junior professional schemes and structured secondments, and to improve fairness in internal selection through diverse selection panels, transparent criteria and mentoring/sponsorship for under-represented groups; recalls that recruitment must remain merit-based and in line with Union law;

~~58.~~59. Notes that, at the end of 2024, the occupation rate of the EEAS establishment plan was at 95,3 % (compared to 96,7 % in 2023); notes moreover that the staff turnover at the EEAS reached 12,07 % in 2024 (10,15 % in 2023); observes that this increase reflects the specific structure of the EEAS as a diplomatic service, characterised by regular rotations of staff from Member State diplomatic corps and other Union institutions, as well as the application of a stable staffing policy;

~~59.~~60. Notes that work is ongoing to update the 2014 decision on seconded national experts, with the revised text due to be published in 2025; observes that the EEAS continued its internship programmes by hosting 62 Blue Book interns at headquarters and 566 interns in 106 Union delegations in 2024; notes that 531 interns from the latter category were paid either by the EEAS or by other institutions, while for 35 students, who were not paid traineeship grants, the traineeship was compulsory as part of their academic programme; notes further that the EEAS also continued with the seventh round of the Junior Professionals in Delegations (JPD) programme for 2023-2025 with 67 JPDs placed in Union delegations;

~~60.~~61. Notes that in 2024 the EEAS continued to strengthen a safe, respectful and ethical working environment; welcomes the expanded accessibility of the mandatory e-learning on respect and dignity at work, recognising and addressing harassment with 1 900 members of staff having completed the training in 2024; welcomes the fact that 57 % of managers attended a similar mandatory training in 2024; commends the EEAS for offering training on resilience and trauma management for staff in crisis zones and for Regional Security Officers in 2024; further welcomes the adoption of a Decision extending protection against psychological and sexual harassment to local staff in Union delegations, who now have access to the EEAS formal procedures in case of harassment allegations;

~~61.~~62. Notes with satisfaction the actions taken by the EEAS in 2024 in the framework of its Diversity and Inclusion Agenda for 2023-2025, in particular targeted actions for gender, ethnicity, disability, age, and LGBTIQ+ groups; notes in this context the EEAS incorporated Diversity and Inclusion topics into training, provided information to LGBTIQ+ staff on legal and cultural situations in posting countries and reinforced its diversity recruitment efforts; commends further the EEAS for updating its Roadmap for Action on Disability, doing a survey on disability matters, producing accessibility factsheets for Union delegations conducting an accessibility assessment of its website and providing financial aid for non-medical costs to 26 staff members with children with disabilities; calls on the EEAS to continue to regularly train managerial and non-managerial staff on issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging;

~~62.~~63. Notes from the Questionnaire that in 2024 the EEAS received 16 requests for assistance for allegations of psychological harassment, including several concerning the same member of staff, which led to the opening of four administrative inquiries, and that one alleged case involving a Commission member of staff was referred to the competent Commission authority; notes that four formal procedures were also initiated for local agents in Union delegation, but no prima facie evidence was found to justify the opening of an administrative inquiry; notes that six cases were concluded during the year and that disciplinary or corrective measures were applied where appropriate, including disciplinary sanctions in two cases and a non-disciplinary warning in another case;

~~63.~~64. Notes from the Questionnaire that, according to the definition applied by the Commission Medical Service, long-term sick leave refers to absences exceeding 20 consecutive days; notes that in 2023, 323 staff members were on long-term sick leave with an average duration of 83 days, while in 2024 this increased to 338 staff members, with a reduced average duration of 77 days; notes further that, while the exact number of burnout cases is unknown, a significant proportion of sick leave was linked to mental health concerns such as depression and burnout in 2024; welcomes the Commission’s initiative to develop a Mental Health Strategy in order to provide a structured and sustainable framework to address workplace mental health challenges, including the prevention of burnout and reintegration to work; encourages the EEAS to also establish a formal workload assessment mechanism;

~~64.~~65. Notes with appreciation from the EEAS 2024 report that the Roadmap for Action on Disability was updated in 2024 and a new decision was adopted in 2025 to extend EEAS provisions, such as reasonable accommodation for colleagues with disabilities, to local staff in Union delegations;

Ethical framework and transparency

~~65.~~66. Notes with concern the European Public Prosecutor’s Office’s (EPPO) investigation launched in 2025 into a potential procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest and violation of professional secrecy case, involving strong suspicions of breaches of competition rules in connection with the award by the EEAS to the College of Europe, in the period 2021-2022, of a tender procedure for a nine-month training programme related to the implementation of a pilot project for the creation of the EU Diplomatic Academy; underlines that the creation of the EU Diplomatic Academy represents a strategic step towards strengthening the Union’s diplomatic capacity and developing a genuinely European diplomatic culture; notes that the investigation focuses on whether the College of Europe and/or their representatives were informed in advance about the selection criteria of the tender procedure and had sufficient reason to believe that they would be awarded the implementation of the project, prior to the official publication by the EEAS of the tender notice; further notes that following raids within the EEAS and the College of Europe, the Belgian police detained and then released ~~three~~several suspects in December 2025, i.e. a former Vice-President/High Representative, ~~currently~~at the time Rector of the College of Europe and Director of the EU Diplomatic Academy, as well as at the ~~current~~time director general of the Commission’s Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf, and a former Secretary-General of the EEAS; notes with concern that the Rector of the College of Europe and Director of the EU Diplomatic Academy resigned in the context of the ongoing investigation linked to procurement irregularities and the EU Diplomatic Academy; notes that such a situation, in which a public tender may have been rigged in favour of a higher education institution, risks undermining trust in Union institutions, as allegations of irregularities in public procurement can cast doubt on transparency, fairness, and equal treatment of candidates; understands nevertheless that facts related to the EPPO investigations are under strict confidentiality rules and cannot be disclosed in the context of the discharge procedure and emphasises that no conclusions should be drawn before the judicial process is concluded; welcomes that the EEAS committed to make the relevant documents available once the judicial investigations are closed; requests that any suspicion of fraud be duly investigated, with the full cooperation by the EEAS; demands the EEAS, without prejudice to ongoing investigations, to draw systemic lessons from this case, in order to provide serious guarantees that such cases will not be repeated in the future; asks that the discharge authority be kept informed accordingly on the subsequent developments; notes that under the grant agreement entrusting the EU Diplomatic Academy to the College of Europe, the College has an obligation to provide an expenditure verification report with its final report, prepared by an external auditor and to be submitted shortly for 2024, ensuring full transparency over the EUR 1,8 million spent across 2022–2024; also takes note that at the end of December 2025, the EEAS initiated the review process of Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/1472 establishing the EU Diplomatic Academy by launching an independent external evaluation of the EU Diplomatic Academy and of the performance of the College of Europe in implementing the education and training activities of the EU Diplomatic Academy; calls on the EEAS to share with the discharge authority both the expenditure verification report and the external evaluation, to ensure accountability and transparency; calls on the EEAS to provide Parliament with detailed information on the implementation of the Internal Audit Service's procurement-related recommendations; requests that the EEAS publish the findings and recommendations of the Task Force established in 2024 to strengthen procurement processes, in order to allow public scrutiny of their implementation and to enable other Union institutions to benefit from the lessons learned by the EEAS in improving procurement procedures; notes furthermore the decision of the Steering Committee of the EU Diplomatic Academy in its 18 December 2025 meeting to request the College of Europe to ensure a transparent and competitive recruitment process, based on the publication of a vacancy notice, for the appointment of a new Director of the EU Diplomatic Academy; welcomes that the Steering Committee further requested that the function of Director of the EU Diplomatic Academy be separated from that of Rector of the College of Europe; underlines the need for vigilant and effective parliamentary oversight to safeguard procurement integrity, ethical standards, and the protection of Union financial interests and reputation; reiterates that transparency and sound financial management in the use of Union public funds must remain a core principle for all Union institutions and bodies, including the EEAS, and that this principle is a cornerstone to maintaining citizens’ trust in the Union’s external action; believes that the EPPO investigation should not be used to undermine the role of the EU Diplomatic Academy, whose added value is to be fully recognised, in particular in views of the consistently positive feedback received from participants and Member States;

~~66.~~67. Notes the EEAS’ reporting whereby the first full year of implementing the 2023 anti-fraud strategy led to a more robust and coherent anti-fraud architecture, strengthening the institution’s overall integrity and transparency; notes that that strategy was operationalised through enhanced fraud awareness training and prevention measures that are better aligned with the specific responsibilities of different staff groups at headquarters and delegations, dissemination of internal guidelines and reinforcement of secure reporting channels; notes that EEAS staff has access to a learning path on anti-fraud developed by European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), as part of the implementation of the Commission anti-fraud strategy action on developing a joint ethics and anti-fraud training plan with the EEAS; welcomes the continued promotion of the 16 ‘principles of professional behaviour’ during mandatory ‘Ethics and integrity’ and ‘Anti-harassment policy’ courses;

~~67.~~68. Notes from the Questionnaire that the EEAS registered two whistleblowing cases in 2024; notes that both cases were examined by OLAF and closed without recommendations, either following investigation or at the selection stage; notes with satisfaction from the EEAS 2024 report that the EEAS started working on developing its own whistleblower policy; asks that Parliament is updated on the progress made in this matter; insists that the EEAS whistleblower framework include confidential reporting, protection against retaliation for all categories of staff including local agents, and annual anonymised reporting on cases and outcomes;

~~68.~~69. Notes from the Questionnaire that, in 2024, the EEAS registered three declarations of conflicts of interest; observes that, in two cases related to procurement procedures, a potential risk of conflict of interest was identified and mitigated by relieving the members of staff concerned of some procurement-related duties; notes further that, in the third case concerning reimbursement of expenses, no conflict of interest was found, as the member of staff had no discretionary role in the reimbursement calculation; notes that the EEAS received 16 notifications of post-service activities, including five involving moves to the private sector, and prohibited two revolving-door cases while imposing no cooling-off periods to former members of staff;

~~69.~~70. Notes that, in 2024, 11 suspected cases were referred to OLAF, of which 7 were dismissed at the selection stage and one was closed without recommendations; notes further that 3 cases - on potential misconduct or irregularities in the context of procurement procedures, contract implementation and human resources matters - remained under investigation; further notes that, of the 13 OLAF investigations opened in 2023 relating to the EEAS, ten cases remain ongoing, one of which is linked to a reservation made by the Union delegation to Sierra Leone with regard to a suspicion of fraud related to the administrative budget of that Union delegation; invites the EEAS to remain fully committed to cooperating closely with OLAF on ongoing cases and follow-up on all pending OLAF recommendations;

~~70.~~71. Notes that, in 2024, the EEAS handled 19 inquiries from the European Ombudsman, of which 10 concerned administrative matters (including delayed replies), 5 related to access to documents and four to human resources issues, in addition to several informal requests for information mainly linked to missions, operations and access to documents; notes with satisfaction that the European Ombudsman found no cases of maladministration in any of the inquiries opened and concluded in 2024;

~~71.~~72. Deplores the fact that the EEAS has failed to carry out proper reviews of the implementation of cooperation agreements with third countries, including the assessment of compliance with their conditions and human rights clauses; stresses that this failure is particularly evident in the case of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) with Cuba, which, ten years after its signature, has failed across all areas, from respect for human rights, including the imprisonment of over one thousand political prisoners by the end of 2025, to Havana's harmful impact on European security, including close political and military cooperation with the regimes in Moscow and Minsk, as manifested in particular by the fact that Cubans have become the largest group of mercenaries supporting Russian forces in their aggression against Ukraine and by their involvement in acts of sabotage on EU territory, as recently demonstrated in Lithuania; notes that, despite blatant violations of numerous provisions of the Agreement, neither the suspension nor the termination clauses have been activated, while Union financial resources have continued to flow to Cuba, where the communist regime controls the entire economy, misuses those funds, and derives political legitimacy from the ongoing cooperation under the PDCA; considers that such regimes must not continue to benefit from privileged cooperation with the European Union and that Union taxpayers’ money must not serve such regimes; therefore calls for the activation of Article 86 of the Agreement and for its termination; calls on the Court to urgently examine all Union support granted to Cuba since 2016;

~~72.~~73. Notes that, in her capacity as Vice-President of the Commission, the Vice-President/High Representative is bound by the rules of the Transparency Register; stresses that while the EEAS is not an institution within the meaning of Article 13 of the Treaty on European Union and does not have a direct role in Union law, it does, however, have an important role in Union law with regard to decisions concerning sanctions and the negotiation of international trade agreements, which have a considerable regulatory impact; calls on the EEAS to adopt internal transparency measures aligned with the Transparency Register’s standards, including proactive publication of high-level meetings of relevant top management where this does not compromise security-sensitive diplomacy for the EEAS; notes with satisfaction from the Follow-up report that the Vice-President/High Representative initiated a broader discussion on addressing the matter in external dimension with recommendations expected by the end of 2025; invites the EEAS to keep Parliament updated on the progress made in this matter;

73. Notes that during the Hearing, CONT Members expressed concerns with regard to the use of a Signal chat by the Vice-President/High Representative to communicate with Foreign Ministers of Members States; notes that such concerns were linked to the lack of transparency and risks of possible spying activities; notes from the EEAS replies to the Second questionnaire that the Signal chat in question is open to Member States’ Ministers for Foreign Affairs only, solely for informal exchanges, coordinating meetings or sharing updates and never as decision-making tool, whereas substantive discussions and the formulation of political positions occur within the relevant structures of the Council; recalls that even informal digital communication tools used at political level should be accompanied by clear guidance on cybersecurity, record-keeping and institutional memory, in order to safeguard transparency, accountability and the integrity of Union decision-making;

Digitalisation, cybersecurity and data protection

100. Notes from the Questionnaire and the EEAS 2024 report that in 2024 the EEAS reinforced its strategic commitment to Union data and digital sovereignty by ensuring strict GDPR-compliant social media practices, strengthening security and access controls, and reducing dependence on single external providers; highlights that the diversification of platforms-including the expansion to Bluesky and Threads-together with the use of Union-hosted management tools, systematic staff training, and regular risk and disinformation assessments, helps in increasing the resilience and safeguarding Union’s communication sovereignty;

101. Notes that the EEAS reached, through its EUvsDisinfo campaign, over 38 million users and documented more than 18 000 cases, demonstrating the scale and systemic nature of pro-Kremlin disinformation in ~~2024~~2024.

~~ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT~~

The rapporteur declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his report input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

~~16.1.2026~~

~~OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS~~

~~for the Committee on Budgetary Control~~

~~on 2024 discharge: General budget of the EU - European External Action Service~~

~~(2025/2150(DEC))~~

~~Rapporteur for opinion: Evin Incir~~

~~OPINION~~

~~The Committee on Foreign Affairs calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:~~

1. Stresses the central role of the EEAS in diplomatic engagement and in coordinating peace efforts and humanitarian aid in an increasingly unstable international environment; acknowledges that EEAS has made strong and sustained efforts to address the lack of sufficient funds granted and exercise budgetary discipline, e.g. by cutting non-compulsory expenditure to the minimum, freezing and postponing building maintenance, infrastructure and IT projects; notes with concern that the financial situation and the budgetary constraints of the EEAS pose a major obstacle to increasing the visibility and impact of EU's external action and is deeply concerned by its serious negative consequences for the EU’s external action; underlines the need for sustainable funding solutions to support the EEAS' operations to uphold the EU's global standing;

2. Emphasises the need to modernise the EU Delegation network, particularly by strengthening the European Union Intelligence and Situation Centre (EU INTCEN) and the EEAS Crisis Response Centre; highlights that enhancing analytical capacity and crisis preparedness requires adequate staffing, up-to-date IT security, and sufficient administrative resources;

3. Calls on the EEAS to prioritise filling critical vacancies in Delegations, especially in locations with complex security and geopolitical challenges, and to improve transparency in recruitment processes;

4. Encourages the EEAS to strengthen internal controls and document management systems, addressing weaknesses identified by the European Court of Auditors (ECA), in particular those concerning information management and reporting from EU Delegations;

5. Underlines the need to provide adequate resources to the Strategic Communication and Foresight Division of the European External Action Service (EEAS) to effectively counter disinformation campaigns deployed as strategic tools by authoritarian and illiberal regimes, in particular the Kremlin;

6. Welcomes ECA's finding that EEAS’s coordination, both internally and with the Commission and Council, was mostly effective; further welcomes that EEAS has undertaken measures to ensure the application of procurement rules and has applied corrective actions; notes the remaining weaknesses in information management, staffing and reporting; stresses the need to address these shortcomings, including the findings of the ECA Special report 02/2024: on the coordination role of the European External Action Service; urges the EEAS to reinforce oversight over procurement in Delegations, ensuring that corrective actions taken in recent years translate into sustained improvements and reduced irregularities;

7. Welcomes the EEAS’s strengthened capacity to counter disinformation spread by hostile states and hybrid threats, including the full operationalisation of the Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) Toolbox e.g. through Information Sharing and Analysis Centre and the EU Rapid Alert System; acknowledges the EEAS's role in gathering evidence against EU-sanctioned Russian state-backed platforms, bot farms, and individuals involved in spreading disinformation and manipulating information; supports continued and effective investment in strategic communication, independent media, and civil society partnerships, particularly in Ukraine, the Middle East, including Israel and Palestine, and neighbouring regions; calls on the EEAS to step up its strategic engagement and visibility across Africa, clearly demonstrating the tangible benefits of the EU’s partnership model grounded in mutual respect, transparency and sustainability; stresses that the EEAS must assert the EU’s role and interests more effectively through coherent diplomacy, visible investment and in close coordination with the Commission, European Parliament and Member States to project a united European voice;

8. Stresses the need for the EEAS to reinforce its administrative and analytical capacity in areas of growing strategic importance, including the Arctic; calls for strengthened staff training, improved inter-service coordination, and adequate resources to support risk assessment, situational awareness and engagement with relevant partners; underlines that such capacity-building must be fully aligned with sound financial management and existing budgetary constraints;

9. Calls on the EEAS to further improve the security of EU Delegations, including cybersecurity, physical security and crisis evacuation capabilities, and to systematically report on progress and remaining vulnerabilities.

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