What changed

1. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

P10_TA(2026)0131

on discharge in respect of the implementationDischarge of2024: theEU general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024, Section VI –- European Economic and Social Committee

(2025/2151(DEC))

Committee on Budgetary Control

PE778.063

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 VI – European Economic and Social Committee (2025/2151(DEC))

The European Parliament,

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision and the resolution forming an integral part of it to the European Economic and Social Committee, the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors, and to arrange for their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (L series).

✦ Replaces the motion heading with the full resolution title, adding the date and reference number, and removes the separate subtitle.

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 VI – European Economic and Social Committee (2025/2151(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 VI – European Economic and Social Committee

(2025/2151(DEC))

The European Parliament,

7. Notes that the carry-over of appropriations from 2023 to 2024 amounted to EUR 13 827 713 or 8,38 % of the Committee’s budget for 2024, which represents a decrease from the previous year’s level of EUR 15 466 316 (i.e. 9,74 % of the Committee’s budget for 2023); notes further that the rate of implementation of the appropriations carried over from 2023 to 2024 was 84,74 % in 2024, lower than 86,76 % in 2023;

✦ Changes the date of the Council decision from 21 September to 21 June 2024, and fixes a typo in the phrase about remote meetings.

8. Notes that on 21 SeptemberJune 2024, the Council adopted a new decision on the granting of daily allowances to and the reimbursement of travel expenses of Committee members and their alternates, whereby the daily allowance for beneficiaries attending in-person meetings is set at EUR 367 (up from EUR 290) and the daily allowance for beneficiaries attending meetings remotely by electronic means is set EUR 149 (up from EUR 145); notes from the Questionnaire that in 2024 the Committee reimbursed EUR 259 669 (EUR 294 930 in 2023) for remote participation, the equivalent of 1 744 meeting days (2 006 meeting days in 2023), while the total amount of flat-rate allowances paid for in-person participation in meetings was EUR 6 579 196 in 2024 (up from EUR 5 902 963 in 2023); calls on the Committee to strengthen transparency and proportionality of the system on the remote participation allowance in order to reinforce the public trust and stresses that financial compensation for remote attendance must be strictly justified; notes further that the Committee has a system in place to confirm the actual attendance of remote participation in meetings through electronic means; considers that remote attendance is an important instrument and a valuable tool for modern institutions - reducing meeting costs and enabling broader participation - such as allowance for participating remotely in meetingsI;meetings; welcomes the Committee’s approach to allocating allowances for remote participation in a fair and proportionate manner, reflecting members’ responsibilities and preparations requirement; recalls that members of the Committee do not receive a salary for their mandate;

9. Notes that the Committee’s own services carried out 10 negotiated procedures with value between EUR 15 000 and EUR 60 000 and one procedure with a single tender for a value in that same bracket, mostly for studies; notes that the Committee also launched six procurement procedures (for framework contracts) with the joint services shared with the European Committee of the Regions (the ‘CoR’) covering catering, logistics and maintenance, among other;

17. Welcomes from the Follow-up report the Committee’s commitment to formulate opinions on labour rights, social inclusion, and human rights violations, and to expand the scope of its evaluations with regard to Union legislation and programmes, provided adequate resources are available;

✦ Replaces 'Committee’s actions' with 'Committee' in the appreciation of actions taken in 2024.

18. Appreciates the actions taken by the Committee’s actionsCommittee in 2024 to improve the visibility and impact of its work in the political and legislative cycle; welcomes the official launch, following a pilot project, of a new format of opinions drawn up in response to mandatory referrals from Parliament, the Council or the Commission; notes that the new format enhances user-friendliness and usability by the legislator, while also improving the prioritisation of Committee’s work; notes further that, thanks to reinforced follow-up on selected opinions by means of a checklist and guidance, the Committee expects that they will remain relevant beyond their adoption and feed into multi-layer legislative processes; welcomes further the integration of the Committee’s opinions into the EU Law Tracker (EULT) as of April 2024, whereby they now appear as references in legislative files; notes with appreciation that the Committee also adopted an internal plan to better anticipate Union’s priorities, improve interinstitutional coordination, strengthen dissemination and follow-up, and measure impact more systematically;

19. Appreciates the Committee’s actions taken in 2024 to improve the accessibility, clarity and usability of its opinions for the Union institutions; underlines that such actions are intended to enhance the capacity of legislators to take informed decisions;

54. Notes from the Questionnaire a decrease in consumption of electricity (-19 %), gas (- 13 %) and water (- 12 %), as well as a decrease in waste volumes (–12 %) and an increase in paper consumption (+1 %) in 2024 compared to 2023; welcomes further a decrease in carbon emissions per FTE by 4,30 % (emissions from Committee members’ travel not included) during that same period; notes from the Questionnaire the Committee’s actions to promote more sustainable travel options among its staff and members and the ongoing revision of the mission guide for staff which will include environmental footprint as key component; welcomes further the Committee’s focus on waste management and recycling to foster a culture of waste reduction and resource efficiency;

✦ Adds a period after the paragraph number '55' in the text.

5555. Notes with satisfaction that all of the Committee’s calls for tenders above EUR 60 000 and those above EUR 25 000 managed jointly with the CoR include sustainability clauses in line with standards of the Energy Union, European Green Deal and circular economy principles; notes that the Committee’s new framework contract for catering service entered into force in August 2024 has requirements for ecological and locally produced products, food donations and seasonal fruits and vegetables;

56. Notes with satisfaction from the Questionnaire the Committee’s continued efforts to promote sustainable mobility among its staff; notes in particular that the Committee offers financial contributions for public transport travel passes, for staff using a bike to commute, and, as of 2024, contributions to Flex SNCB subscriptions to reflect considerations around hybrid working arrangements; notes the plan of the Committee to participate jointly with the CoR in a call for tender (to be relaunched in 2026) led by the Commission, to purchase and maintain electric bikes; welcomes the continued cooperation with the Brussels-Capital Region on mobility planning and the Committee’s participation in interinstitutional initiatives, which contribute to a culture of sustainable commuting;