What changed

1. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

P10_TA(2026)0126

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024, Section I – European Parliament

Discharge 2024: EU general budget - European Parliament

(2025/2146(DEC))

Committee on Budgetary Control

PE776.734

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 I – European Parliament (2025/2146(DEC))

The European Parliament,

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision and the resolution forming an integral part of it to 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).

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 I – European Parliament (2025/2146(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 I – European Parliament

(2025/2146(DEC))

The European Parliament,

25. Recalls the Opinion of Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control for the Bureau on the political group Identity and Democracy - Dissolution and final financial report 2024, as approved on 4 September 2025, calling to explore the possibility of opening without delay the required procedures with a view to recover the amount of ineligible expenditure as soon as possible, to assess the potential liabilities of the responsible (former) Members and hierarchy for intentional or gross-negligent authorisation of irregular expenditure; recommends to the Bureau to suspend, for the duration of the enquiry, the external auditor who certified the ID Group’s accounts from the list of approved external auditing companies made available to political groups, replacing the suspended auditor immediately and ensuring that a sufficient number of alternative options are available to the political groups; awaits the Parliament administration’s analysis of the 2024 accounts of the Patriots for Europe (PfE) group;

26. Calls on the committees to strive for better gender balance, including in the composition of leadership positions; calls on the President and the Bureau to ensure horizontal representation and gender balance throughout all plenary proceedings, across committees and delegations; calls on groups to take gender into consideration, and enforce gender quotas, for the appointment of coordinators, rapporteurs, shadow rapporteurs and the distribution of speaking time; requests that measures to tackle horizontal inequalities be put in place to ensure gender balance in different committees; encourages the inclusion of more men in the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, including those actively supporting gender equality as allies, to foster shared responsibility and take up the mantle of promoting equality in practice for women and girls and to put an end to the gendered concentration of portfolios;

26. Notes that political groups have substantial autonomy over their IT services, which are used to store information related to their activities; notes that, in a geopolitically turbulent world, such data should be stored on European servers by European providers to avoid external dependencies and risks; welcomes therefore the recent announcement to deliver a secure, sovereign cloud infrastructure to eliminate this dependency;

27. Notes that political groups have substantial autonomy over their IT services, which are used to store information related to their activities; notes that, in a geopolitically turbulent world, such data should be stored on European servers by European providers to avoid external dependencies and risks; welcomes therefore the recent announcement to deliver a secure, sovereign cloud infrastructure to eliminate this dependency;

27. Emphasises the importance of maintaining institutional integrity and preventing undue external interference; condemns any improper attempt to influence the legislative activities of Parliament;

28. Emphasises the importance of maintaining institutional integrity and preventing undue external interference; condemns any improper attempt to influence the legislative activities of Parliament;

28. Notes that the Commission has acknowledged allegations regarding the use of Union funds for advocacy activities targeting Parliament by several entities but has stated that such activities fall within the scope of the applicable regulation; recognises, however, that this might have nonetheless entailed reputational risks;

29. Notes that the Commission has acknowledged allegations regarding the use of Union funds for advocacy activities targeting Parliament by several entities but has stated that such activities fall within the scope of the applicable regulation; recognises, however, that this might have nonetheless entailed reputational risks;

29. Recalls that allegations of Russian influence in Parliament posed serious risks to democratic integrity, noting that some Members openly supported Russia, including in their side activities, underscoring the need for stronger safeguards; notes that Parliament’s response to foreign interference has become more vigilant, however, more robust measures should be taken to ensure effective protection against undue external influence; underlines, in this context, the essential responsibility of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) to carry out all necessary in-depth investigations;

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31. Notes that 2024, including in the run-up to the European elections, was marked by heightened risks of foreign interference and influence operations targeting democratic institutions and elected representatives; recalls that public allegations and investigations concerning attempts to influence political positions and voting behaviour underline the need for robust preventive and detection mechanisms within Parliament; calls on Parliament, therefore, to ensure internal safeguards, transparency requirements and cooperation with relevant Union bodies, in order to protect the integrity of Parliament and the Union budget;

31. Recalls that Article 4 of the Code of Conduct for Members of the European Parliament Regarding Integrity and Transparency requires precise declarations of financial interests by Members; calls for sufficient details to be provided in declarations on paid or unpaid outside activities, in order to avoid any concerns about the quality of checks on conflicts of interests, which are essential to ensure the effective prevention, identification and management of conflicts of interest;

32. Recalls that Article 4 of the Code of Conduct for Members of the European Parliament Regarding Integrity and Transparency requires precise declarations of financial interests by Members; calls for sufficient details to be provided in declarations on paid or unpaid outside activities, in order to avoid any concerns about the quality of checks on conflicts of interests, which are essential to ensure the effective prevention, identification and management of conflicts of interest;

32. Takes note of, in the interest of transparency, the obligatory publication of meetings and declarations of private interests, in particular declarations of material and financial support; notes, however, that the current framework experiences recurring issues relating to completeness and clarity, which may reduce its overall effectiveness; considers that improved guidance to Members, as well as proportionate and consistent follow-up by the administration where declarations appear to be inaccurate or inconsistent, deserves careful attention, particularly in light of concerns related to foreign interference;

33. Takes note of, in the interest of transparency, the obligatory publication of meetings and declarations of private interests, in particular declarations of material and financial support; notes, however, that the current framework experiences recurring issues relating to completeness and clarity, which may reduce its overall effectiveness; considers that improved guidance to Members, as well as proportionate and consistent follow-up by the administration where declarations appear to be inaccurate or inconsistent, deserves careful attention, particularly in light of concerns related to foreign interference;

33. Expresses serious concern regarding allegations that Member States have engaged in spying and targeted Parliament; notes that the Commission has established an internal group to investigate these claims; urges close cooperation between Parliament and the Commission, and urges the Commission to share the working group’s findings with Parliament, provided that such sharing does not compromise any ongoing or potential legal proceedings;

34. Expresses serious concern regarding allegations that Member States have engaged in spying and targeted Parliament; notes that the Commission has established an internal group to investigate these claims; urges close cooperation between Parliament and the Commission, and urges the Commission to share the working group’s findings with Parliament, provided that such sharing does not compromise any ongoing or potential legal proceedings;

34. Calls on Parliament to strengthen protective measures, including secure device management, rapid incident reporting channels for Members and staff, and regular threat-briefings in cooperation with CERT-EU and relevant Union bodies, while ensuring full respect for fundamental rights and data protection;

35. Calls on Parliament to strengthen protective measures, including secure device management, rapid incident reporting channels for Members and staff, and regular threat-briefings in cooperation with CERT-EU and relevant Union bodies, while ensuring full respect for fundamental rights and data protection;

35. Notes the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for ensuring accurate and transparent information within the Union and its institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, while appropriately designed and governed AI systems can help detect and mitigate misinformation and disinformation, promotes accountability and upholds high standards of transparency in order to maintain public trust and strengthen democratic governance; is worried by the dominance of AI tools from companies in third countries and by data protection and confidentiality considerations when making use of third-party AI tools; calls for full transparency regarding the use of AI systems in the Parliament’s decisions and procedures, including the publication of detailed information on algorithms, and impact assessments; calls on Parliament’s administration to make a suite of AI tools available to both Members and Parliament staff, adapted to the needs of each category, that answers to business needs of Members and guarantees confidentiality, integrity and availability of data processed by it by using on-premise infrastructure to prevent data leaks, and does not disclose information to third parties, in line with the current policies regarding the use of AI;

36. Notes the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for ensuring accurate and transparent information within the Union and its institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, while appropriately designed and governed AI systems can help detect and mitigate misinformation and disinformation, promotes accountability and upholds high standards of transparency in order to maintain public trust and strengthen democratic governance; is worried by the dominance of AI tools from companies in third countries and by data protection and confidentiality considerations when making use of third-party AI tools; calls for full transparency regarding the use of AI systems in the Parliament’s decisions and procedures, including the publication of detailed information on algorithms, and impact assessments; calls on Parliament’s administration to make a suite of AI tools available to both Members and Parliament staff, adapted to the needs of each category, that answers to business needs of Members and guarantees confidentiality, integrity and availability of data processed by it by using on-premise infrastructure to prevent data leaks, and does not disclose information to third parties, in line with the current policies regarding the use of AI;

36. Notes the increasing use of AI and large-language-model tools in human-resource management and recognises the potential it has for efficiency gains which should be further explored; stresses at the same time the need for clear governance, human oversight, transparency and robust data protection safeguards; calls on the administration to inform the discharge authority of the scope, risk assessment and ethical safeguards of such tools;

37. Notes the increasing use of AI and large-language-model tools in human-resource management and recognises the potential it has for efficiency gains which should be further explored; stresses at the same time the need for clear governance, human oversight, transparency and robust data protection safeguards; calls on the administration to inform the discharge authority of the scope, risk assessment and ethical safeguards of such tools;

37. Notes that according to the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, a secret ballot is generally used for elections and for votes concerning individual persons; further notes that voting shall also be taken by secret ballot if this is requested by Members or a political group or groups reaching at least the high threshold; takes note in this context that the Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs has been tasked with assessing the use of the latter option and awaits the conclusions and proposals of the committee; considers that roll-call votes constitute a key instrument for ensuring transparency and accountability towards Union citizens; calls on Parliament to present measures that avoid abuse of voting by the secret ballot procedure;

38. Notes that according to the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, a secret ballot is generally used for elections and for votes concerning individual persons; further notes that voting shall also be taken by secret ballot if this is requested by Members or a political group or groups reaching at least the high threshold; takes note in this context that the Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs has been tasked with assessing the use of the latter option and awaits the conclusions and proposals of the committee; considers that roll-call votes constitute a key instrument for ensuring transparency and accountability towards Union citizens; calls on Parliament to present measures that avoid abuse of voting by the secret ballot procedure;

38. Welcomes the progress made on gender mainstreaming and budgeting and the adoption of the 2025 Gender Action Plan; calls for this action plan to be made public and swiftly implemented via its gender action plan roadmap and thoroughly assessed with regular reports monitoring the progress made; welcomes the work of the Gender Mainstreaming Network in Parliament;

39. Welcomes the progress made on gender mainstreaming and budgeting and the adoption of the 2025 Gender Action Plan; calls for this action plan to be made public and swiftly implemented via its gender action plan roadmap and thoroughly assessed with regular reports monitoring the progress made; urges consistent gender budgeting in Parliament’s budget and the incorporation of a gender mainstreaming guide; welcomes the work of the Gender Mainstreaming Network in Parliament; further calls for strengthened gender mainstreaming across parliamentary committees;

Directorate-General for the Presidency

40.39. Recalls that the Directorate-General for the Presidency (DG PRES) provides expertise and facilitates the legislative and parliamentary work of the President, the Plenary and Parliament's governing bodies and Members at each stage of the parliamentary and legislative process; recalls that it is also responsible for inter-institutional relations, for protocol support to official visits and events sponsored by the President, for the management of classified Union information, and for the management of official and registered mail; notes that by 31 December 2024, there were 406 members of staff, of which 320 were officials, 29 were temporary agents, 55 were contract agents, 1 seconded national expert and 1 agency member of staff;

41.40. Notes that DG PRES’s final appropriations amounted to EUR 2 970 957 in 2024, representing 0,2 % of Parliament’s budget; highlights that, of that amount, a total of EUR 2 930 107 was committed; welcomes the high use of appropriations;

42.41. Notes that DG PRES’ activities were influenced by the end of the ninth and the start of the tenth legislative term, which caused challenges for the plenary planning and finalisation capacity at the end of the ninth term given the very high number of ordinary legislative procedure files agreed in the last months of the term, and the constitution of the new Parliament at the start of the tenth term with the election of the President and the Bureau;

43.42. Commends DG PRES for its activities concerning the implementation and follow-up of the new rules on integrity and transparency which included a first overall assessment of the technical implementation of the reform, and awareness-raising activities and provision of technical expertise and services on transparency, integrity and accountability issues; further welcomes the role of the Advisory Committee on the Conduct of Members in monitoring how Members comply with the Code of Conduct and its implementing measures;

44. Calls for the continuation of interinstitutional cooperation and dialogue on integrity and transparency, within the Union institutions;

43. Calls for the continuation of interinstitutional cooperation and dialogue on integrity and transparency, among the Union institutions; recalls that Parliament remains bound by the Agreement establishing an interinstitutional body for ethical standards for members of institutions and advisory bodies referred to in Article 13 of the Treaty on European Union; recalls that the Parliament is therefore required to comply with its provisions without any further delay;

45.44. Welcomes that DG PRES continued its effective cooperation with the Council and Commission on all elements concerning the interinstitutional secretariat of the transparency register, with a view to continuing to keep enhancing the operation of the Register;

46.45. Highlights the persistent delays in the Commission’s handling of Parliamentary questions for written answers in recent years; regrets that the process has become increasingly bureaucratic and slow, resulting in systematic lack of respect for the deadlines laid down in Rule 144 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure; notes with concern that in 2024 the Commission replied within the deadlines set in Parliament’s Rules of Procedure to only a limited proportion of written questions, including a particularly low rate for priority questions, and in many cases after the deadline; stresses that the longest reply time was 475 days; recalls that timely replies are an essential element of parliamentary scrutiny and democratic accountability; welcomes the efforts made by DG PRES in recent years to meet the deadlines set; calls upon DG PRES to work to ensure full compliance with the deadlines set by Parliament and to pursue, including at political level, more binding arrangements with the Commission on replying to written questions within the deadlines and to report to the discharge authority on the progress that is made, with the aim of restoring Parliamentary questions for written answers as an effective oversight instrument;

47.46. Notes that internal processing, including editing, translation and admissibility checks, contributes to the overall transmission time of written questions; calls on the administration to continue streamlining these procedures, while fully respecting linguistic quality and data protection requirements, in order to support Members’ scrutiny work more effectively;

48.47. Calls on DG PRES to actively engage with parliaments of other Member States and third countries to develop proposals for effective scrutiny mechanisms, as well as ways to improve the quality and attendance at plenary debates within Parliament; calls on DG PRES to draw lessons from the structure of congressional hearings;

49.48. Welcomes that Parliament recently initiated the legislative procedure to amend the Union electoral law in order to introduce a new temporary proxy voting option for Members during late pregnancy and early motherhood; welcomes that, with its vote on 13 November 2025 in plenary, Parliament committed to gender equality, inclusivity and work-life balance despite the fact that broader parental leave is not covered by the act;

50.49. Notes that up-to-date attendance data at Committee level is currently unavailable; calls on the Parliament’s services to publish these attendance figures at Committee level annually aggregated per Committee;

Directorate-General for Communication

51.50. Notes that Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM)’s mission is to ensure that citizens understand the importance of Parliament so that they can improve engagement in the European democratic process; highlights that its key tasks are to collaborate with the media, to inform, explain and enhance the visibility of Parliament’s work, to increase awareness of Parliament among citizens in all Member States, stakeholders and opinion leaders through the European Parliament Liaison Offices (EPLOs) located in the Member States, to foster interaction with citizens through enhanced visitor projects, events and information campaigns and its presence on social media, and to provide expertise to Members and political groups on topics such as media intelligence and public opinion monitoring;

52.51. Notes that DG COMM’s final appropriations amounted to EUR 137 463 777 in 2024, representing 5,8 % of Parliament’s budget; highlights that, of that amount, a total of EUR 137 467 355 was committed; welcomes the high use of appropriations;

53.52. Recognises that communication regarding the European elections was at the forefront of DG COMM’s activities in 2024, most notably with the successful ‘Go-to-vote’ communication campaign, partnerships with over 300 civil society organisations and more than 18 000 journalists briefed; notes that all of DG COMM’s strategic projects in 2024, with a 94 % completion rate, were aimed at the European elections, with the remaining 6 % relating to the implementation of the new website structure;

54.53. Notes that DG COMM facilitated coverage of the European elections, which reached a record volume of reporting (+18 % compared to the previous elections), which DG COMM reports as particularly noteworthy in the final moments of the election cycle with election night (on 9 June 2024) covered by 149 television channels across 51 countries, and a majority of reporting online;

55.54. Notes the role of the EPLOs in liaising between Parliament and the public and stakeholders in the Member States in general, and in communicating about the European Elections; notes that all EPLOs have been equipped with audiovisual services for the Members, political groups and third parties to use in the Member States;

56.55. Calls for adequate monitoring of expenditure of the EPLOs and Europa Experience Centres;

57.56. Emphasises the critical role of the EPLO in Washington for fostering transatlantic relations and enhancing the connection between the US and Union parliaments; highlights that, in light of the new US administration and emerging global challenges, the role of the EPLO in Washington is even more crucial; calls for an adequate budget and staffing to support the EPLO’s activities in Washington;

58.57. Notes 14 Europa Experience centres were open in 2024, attracting a total number of 957 209 visitors, with a wide range of visitor numbers, with Strasbourg (381 687) and Berlin (122 672) attracting the highest numbers of visitors, and Copenhagen (18 182) and Dublin (8 312) the lowest, however the Dublin centre only opened in October 2024; notes the remark that Europa Experience centres are used as a Union hub for democratic engagement by EPLOs in the respective Member States and that they offer opportunities to attract a wider audience for Parliament’s messages;

59.58. Underlines the importance of thoroughly evaluating the lessons learned with the Europa Experience centres so far, in particular regarding the search for adequate buildings and how target groups can be reached effectively, identifying best practices, and adapting the future development of the Europa Experience centres to local needs and demonstrated impact; stresses that this reassessment should guide future adjustments or reconsiderations in further expansion, ensuring that all future investments are more efficient in serving their intended purpose of bringing Parliament closer to citizens and improving their understanding of the Union’s democratic process;

60.59. Recalls that new rules on payment of subsidies for sponsored visitor groups were adopted by the Bureau on 11 September 2023, with an entry into force date of 1 January 2024; notes that in 2024, 300 000 sponsored and non-sponsored visitors were invited by Members in Brussels and Strasbourg; notes that subsidies for such visitors’ groups amounted to 17 % of DG COMM’s expenditure in 2024; notes the additional efforts implemented by political groups supporting their Members in interacting with citizens, including young people, in order to ensure an adequate information about Members’ work in Strasbourg and Brussels with the financing from funds under budget item 400;

61.60. Notes the constant struggle that the Union faces with regard to safeguarding Union values and the integrity of the democratic process; acknowledges the growing attempts by foreign actors to influence the work of Parliament and emphasises the need for vigilance in countering disinformation originating outside the Union; recalls in that regard the European Parliament Resolutions of 1 June 2023 on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation (2022/2075(INI)), and of 23 January 2025 on Russia’s disinformation and historical falsification to justify its war of aggression against Ukraine (2024/2988(RSP)); welcomes the actions taken by Parliament to prevent and react to disinformation; while recognising that no significant incident has yet occurred, stresses the importance of maintaining proactive measures to preserve the integrity of Parliament's public debate and votes; highlights the added value of initiatives like fact-checking meetings and summits, which play a crucial role in fostering transparency, equipping stakeholders with tools to counter misinformation, and strengthening collaboration among fact-checking organisations within and beyond the Union;

Directorate-General for Personnel

62.61. Recalls that the Directorate-General for Personnel (DG PERS) is responsible for the appropriate and efficient management of human resources within Parliament and ensures that Members are supported by a highly skilled workforce to enable them to duly fulfil their mandate; notes that by 31 December 2024, there were 499 members of staff, of which 290 were officials, 82 were temporary agents, 120 were contract agents, 2 seconded national experts and 5 agency members of staff;

63.62. Notes that DG PERS’s final appropriations amounted to EUR 1 225 341 375 in 2024 (EUR 1 163 329 780 in 2023), representing 51,4 % of Parliament’s budget; highlights that, of that amount, a total of EUR 1 160 835 147 was committed; welcomes the high use of appropriations;

64.63. Welcomes that, in 2024, DG PERS continued to organise competitions and selection procedures, handling an increasing pool of applicants, and it also organised four nationality-specific competitions; welcomes the efforts made by DG PERS to organise competitions, ensuring their timely completion and maintaining the necessary quality standards; welcomes that over 441 candidates were successfully shortlisted on reserve lists; regrets however that the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) has encountered systematic issues with the organisation of competitions and the lack of an available pool of candidates suited to Parliament’s needs; regrets that the average duration between publication of the notice of competition and the final interview for each competition, is more than a year; acknowledges the general difficulties encountered by DG PERS and other directorates-general in attracting and retaining talent, which has an impact on the performance of Parliament’s workforce; calls for more efficient, better targeted and shorter selection procedures that would result in increasing the attractiveness of Parliament as an employer and allow the directorates-general to speedily recruit the specialist profiles needed to support their work; stresses that selection procedures must be conducted in full respect of the principles of equal treatment and geographical balance, ensuring fair representation of all Member States;

65.64. Welcomes Parliament's nationality-specific competitions with a view to improving the geographical balance among Parliament's staff by creating a wider pool of candidates from under-represented Member States; notes, however, that an analysis of data on Parliament staff by nationality and function group reveals a persistent imbalance in career progression, whereby staff from certain Member States, although well represented in the administration, remain under-represented in senior function groups and in decision-making positions; regrets the geographical imbalance in Parliament's senior and middle management; recruitment shall always be based on merit and should always respect fundamental principles such as equality, non-discrimination and proportionality; emphasises that improvement is needed, and calls on the Secretary-General, in cooperation with DG PERS, to present concrete, measurable and time-bound measures to address these imbalances and to report regularly to Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control and the discharge authority on the progress achieved in correcting the geographical imbalance within Parliament’s staff; calls on the Secretary-General and DG PERS to include in the regular reporting to the Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control information beyond the overall staff count and include data on, in particular, career development and promotions by nationality and function group, the appointment of management and senior positions, participation in talent management and leadership programmes and the use of temporary appointments and duties as part of career development paths;

66.65. Notes DG PERS’ key achievement of the efficient recruitment of an unprecedented number of 1 339 Accredited Parliamentary Assistants (APAs) by the July constitutive session, with the total number of APAs holding effective contracts by the end of the year increasing to 2 024, and the off-boarding of about 800 APAs; considers APAs to be a great asset to the Institution and commends DG PERS in its efforts in supporting efficient and effective recruitment by the Members;

67.66. Acknowledges that the work of APAs is an integral part of the work of Members and therefore of Parliament; notes that following the adoption of the APA statute in 2009, their status over the years has been protected by the rules; notes the efforts made by Parliament to create a framework for providing support to APAs; calls for due adherence to the rules in place; notes, that since then, APAs participate in official missions to Parliament’s three places of work; welcomes that the rules concerning the reimbursement of APA’s missions between the three place of work have been aligned with those applicable to officials, ensuring equality of treatment for APAs; calls on the Bureau and on Parliament’s administration to formally consult the APA Committee on revisions and reforms that directly impact the rights of APAs; calls on Parliament's administration to explore the feasibility of introducing a notice period within APA's contracts in the event of the unexpected departure of a Member; reiterates its call on the Conference of Presidents and the Bureau to revise the implementing provisions governing the work of delegations and missions outside the Union; underlines that such a revision should consider the possibility for APAs, subject to certain conditions, to accompany Members on official Parliament delegations and missions; highlights that this change would not result in any change to the envelope and would be budget neutral;

68. Recalls that APAs cannot participate in Parliament’s internal competitions; invites the Bureau to explore the possibility of allowing APAs, under yet to be determined conditions, to participate in internal competitions in a similar way toParliament’s staff; stresses that stronger involvement of APAs in the internal structures of Parliament could lead to more inclusive, diverse and geographically balanced workforce; highlights the importance of knowledge retention and transfer within Parliament in relation to the internal working methods;

67. Stresses that health and safety at work, including psychosocial risks (stress, burnout, harassment), is a priority; calls on the Bureau to formally recognise psychosocial risks as occupational risks and to adopt a Parliament-wide prevention plan with measurable targets; calls for the introduction of risk assessments covering remote working, missions and tight deadlines, as well as confidential reporting channels, training for managers and regular social dialogue; insists on the enforcement of the right to disconnect;

68. Recalls that APAs cannot participate in Parliament’s internal competitions; invites the Bureau to explore the possibility of allowing APAs, under yet to be determined conditions, to participate in internal competitions in a similar way to Parliament’s staff; stresses that stronger involvement of APAs in the internal structures of Parliament could lead to more inclusive, diverse and geographically balanced workforce; highlights the importance of knowledge retention and transfer within Parliament in relation to the internal working methods;

69. Notes with great concern the reports of a data breach centred on Parliament’s recruitment application PEOPLE, affecting mainly non-permanent members of Parliament staff, including APAs; regrets that the data breach involved ID card details, birth certificates, diplomas, employment history, medical records, rights to entitlements, insurance and documents related to proof of work dating back 10 years in some cases; welcomes the reimbursement scheme that the Secretary-General introduced, in line with Parliament’s duty of care, to cover the costs of replacing ID cards and/or passports of affected PEOPLE application users, with EUR 51 874 paid to date; regrets that the cost of the travel to the country of origin for these administrative procedures was not covered; calls on the administration to ensure that support measures are effective and equitable, including clear one-stop guidance, identity-protection support and reimbursement that does not leave affected persons bearing unavoidable administrative costs linked to document replacement procedures; notes that the administration provided its analysis of the reasons for the breach to the discharge authority; calls on the administration to provide to the affected staff, including former members of staff, a clear analysis of the reasons for the breach and the measures taken to recover the system concerned; is fully aware that Parliament will remain a target for cyber-attacks in the future and that utmost vigilance is essential; welcomes the measures taken by the administration to further reinforce the cyber-security maturity and governance of its IT environment;

104. Notes that the GEA was EUR 4 950 per month in 2024 and accounts for approximately EUR 40 million per year; recalls that no indexation of the allowance was made in 2022 or 2024; notes that Parliament complies with current rules regarding the GEA; recalls the need to avoid an unnecessary administrative burden for Members;

105. Notes that the current Implementing Measures for the Statute for Members does not lay down transparency requirements for financial management of the GEA; notes that, at its meeting on 17 October 2022, the Bureau adopted this decision without establishing any oversight framework;decision;

106. Recalls that the European Ombudsman, in her recommendation of 29 April 2019 in case 1651/2018/THH, found that Parliament’s refusal to grant public access to documents related to the revision of the list of expenses covered by the GEA constituted maladministration, recommending access be granted to the Parliament Bureau’s ad hoc Working Group proposal; regrets that Parliament rejected this recommendation and urges reconsideration;

Directorate-General for Information Technologies and Cybersecurity

107.106. Recalls that DG ITEC provides Parliament with information and communications technology (ICT) services and equipment, videoconferencing and multimedia services as well as publishing and printing services; notes that by 31 December 2024, there were 579 members of staff in DG ITEC, of which 369 were officials, 70 were temporary agents and 140 were contract staff;

108.107. Calls on Parliament to adopt a comprehensive digital transformation strategy, incorporating technical solutions for document management and communication to ensure transparency, improve efficiency, safeguard security and move towards a paperless administration; calls for the development of user-friendly digital platforms to enhance e-participation, allowing Union citizens to provide feedback on proposed legislation and access Parliament's activities in real-time;

109.108. Notes that DG ITEC’s final appropriations amounted to EUR 179 396 522 in 2024 representing 7,5 % of Parliament’s budget; highlights that, of that amount, a total of EUR 179 349 479 was committed; welcomes the high use of appropriations;

110.109. Takes note of DG ITEC’s continued efforts to provide cybersecurity given the ever growing threat and risk landscape affecting Parliament; notes the entry into force of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2023/2841 of the European Parliament and of the Council which formalised the mission of CERT-EU as the Cybersecurity Service for Union entities; notes that Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2023/2841 also establishes an Interinstitutional Cybersecurity Board (IICB), responsible for monitoring and supporting the implementation of that Regulation in all Union entities; notes that Parliament has been the Chair of this board since 2024;

111.110. Takes note that following the Bureau’s decision in February 2021 regarding the necessity to house Parliament’s data centre in the highest available industry standard (Tier IV), DG ITEC awarded the contract in 2022, allowing for the set-up and roll-out of the data centre in 2023; highlights that this significant investment ensures a futureproof infrastructure for years to come, and is key in maintaining a robust hybrid work environment for Parliament;

112.111. Underlines that cybersecurity must be seen as an integral, ongoing priority across all stages of operations rather than merely as a target; highlights that cybersecurity requires a comprehensive strategy that encompasses all aspects of digital governance within Parliament; calls for a review of Parliament’s IT governance structures, advocating for a more robust and adaptable approach to cybersecurity that considers the full lifecycle of information systems, in view of the increasing number of applications, currently more than 20, that are directly accessible via the internet; highlights that this situation requires enhanced oversight to minimise vulnerabilities and protect institutional data from external threats;

113.112. Calls for continued investments in cybersecurity infrastructure, as well as ongoing education and resources for members of staff, to reinforce a culture of security consciousness that strengthens Parliament's resilience against potential digital threats;

114.113. Notes the emphasis on creating awareness among all Members and staff concerning cybersecurity; welcomes the training offer provided by DG ITEC and DG PERS; notes the high number of participants in the training courses on cybersecurity, reaching 33 participants for training courses and at least 1 800 participants in awareness raising activities;

115.114. Notes that the current Human Resources Management system (HRM Portal) remains insufficiently integrated with other Parliament systems; takes note that simple procedures such as leave requests still require APAs to download, print, scan and manually transmit documents, while leave balances must be checked on a separate platform; stresses that these fragmented processes create an unnecessary administrative burden and workflow inefficiencies; calls on the administration to modernise and streamline these procedures and to ensure full interoperability between HRM tools and other Parliament systems;

116.115. Highlights that support to Members has been expanded to include non-working hours and office closing days; notes that to meet the evolution of Members' needs and working practices, based on user surveys and on direct requests of the Governing Bodies, a new set of dedicated IT support services have been deployed for Members' private MacOS and iOS devices; highlights that technical assistance for social media is being promoted, together with a full range of services related to the technical aspects of audiovisual creation;

117.116. Welcomes the establishment of a new governance framework for AI, with an AI Governance Board overseeing Parliament’s AI strategy and roadmap and ensuring regulatory compliance and ethical oversight, an Inter-DG Steering Group on AI responsible for drafting AI strategies, develop key capabilities and ensure long-term safety and sustainability, and an AI Centre of Competence within DG ITEC, that guides, promotes and monitors AI initiatives across Parliament; notes that this governance framework will ensure transparency and compliance with Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council, which entered into force on 1 August 2024 with its provisions becoming applicable from 2025 onwards; notes that Parliament’s members of staff can make use of third-party publicly available generative AI tools if they respect the guidelines on the use of publicly available AI tools for Parliament’s members of staff, approved by the Secretary-General on 16 April 2024, under the strict understanding that they support professional duties only; calls on the administration to step up its efforts to train staff in the efficient and secure use of new technologies such as AI;

Horizontal issues with implications on Parliament’s budget for the 2024 financial year

Transparency and ethics

118.117. Notes that, in 2024, six reports of whistleblower cases were received under the Internal Rules Implementing Article 22c of the Staff Regulations, five through official channels and one from another Union institution; notes that one case was referred to the EPPO, two led to administrative inquiries, and one was sent to the Consultative Committee on the Code of Conduct of Members, with the external report also triggering an inquiry; expresses concern that in 2024 the Court of Justice ruled in Case T-793/22 that Parliament had not taken all the measures necessary to ensure that a whistleblower had balanced and effective protection against any form of retaliation; notes that the Court also found that Parliament did not adequately protect the whistleblower’s confidentiality; urges Parliament to bring its internal rules fully in line with Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council;

119.118. Welcomes that ethics training remained a priority and that with as little as 13 ‘Let’s Talk Ethics’ sessions, 178 staff received training, tailored courses reached 109 participants, and the mandatory induction for APAs achieved a 72 % completion rate; welcomes that the new course for managers on ethical leadership and harassment prevention provided training to 320 managers across 33 sessions;

120.119. Insists that the measures of transparency, accountability, and ethical governance be reinforced; considers that Parliament has to ensure a culture of integrity embedding ethical standards into daily operations for not damaging the trust of citizens and reinforcing its legitimacy in oversight; calls for the continuation and strengthening of cooperation and dialogue on integrity, transparency, and standards on conduct within the Union institutions;

121.120. Acknowledges the positive evaluation of the technical implementation of the Code of Conduct for Members of the European Parliament Regarding Integrity and Transparency, as reported to the Bureau; calls for additional efforts to enhance transparency across all sectors and services of Parliament, with particular emphasis on legislative production; in this regard invites Parliament administration not to limit introduction of transparency requirements to management level;

121. Recalls that the rules prohibit Members from engaging in paid lobbying activities directly linked to the Union decision-making process; underlines that holding remunerated positions in entities within the scope of the Transparency Register, while simultaneously exercising parliamentary functions in the same policy area or engaging in related contacts with the Commission or Council, is incompatible with these rules; calls for such situations to be properly examined and, where breaches are established, for proportionate sanctions to be applied;

122. Welcomes the increased use of the Transparency Register as an information and reference tool for interest representation activities at Union level; welcomes the development of IT solutions to improve the Transparency Register, but notes that its Secretariat is still underfunded and understaffed; notes that the quality of entries in the Transparency Register has improved and recalls the necessity to keep strengthening data quality checks of new applicants; welcomes the establishment of robust standards at Parliament with regard to transparency and access to institutions for entities listed in the Transparency Register; calls for inter-linking the Transparency Register and the Financial Transparency System in order to allow cross-checks of entities listed in the Transparency Register and verify the adequacy of the data submitted; reiterates, in this context, the need for comprehensive financial pre-screening of all entities before they are listed in the Transparency Register, and calls in this respect for the Transparency Register to be provided with adequate resources for its functioning and for the effective enforcement of its internal rules; further calls on Parliament’s administration to ensure interinstitutional media transparency and to disclose all media outlets receiving Union funds;

129. Acknowledges the significant improvements made to the plenary website, including enhanced accessibility of roll-call vote verification tools, which have contributed to greater transparency and accuracy of parliamentary voting records; nevertheless calls for further improvements to the usability and presentation of voting-related information;

Voluntary Pension Scheme(VPS)Scheme (VPS)

130. Notes the underfunding of the Voluntary Pension Scheme, through a deficit of EUR 105 million at the end of 2024 and limited assets of EUR 23,17 million projected to be exhausted by late 2026; notes that obligations stem from legal payment commitments to over 900 members until at least 2074;

150. Notes that, in 2024, the appropriations entered under budget item 403 were used as follows:

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.

27.1.2026

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND GENDER EQUALITY

for the Committee on Budgetary Control

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024, Section I - European Parliament

(2025/2146(DEC))

Rapporteur for opinion: Raquel García HermidaVan Der Walle

OPINION

The Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:

A. whereas gender equality and the elimination of inequalities are core values of the EU as enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union; whereas the Union is committed to promoting gender equality in all its activities under Article 8 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, thereby establishing the principle of gender mainstreaming and gender budgeting;

B. whereas under Rule 249, the Bureau shall adopt a gender action plan to integrate a gender perspective into all Parliament’s activities;

C. whereas gender equality and women’s equal and meaningful participation in all policymaking are a precondition of a functioning democracy; whereas women currently hold 39 % of seats in Parliament, compared to 27 % in national parliaments worldwide; whereas women remain under-represented in decision-making; whereas the 2024 elections reversed previous gains, with 278 women elected, slightly less than in 2019, and the first decrease since 1979; whereas the gender balance among national delegations to Parliament varies significantly, indicating persistent inequalities across Member States;

D. whereas female politicians face higher levels of hate, harassment and intimidation than their male counterparts, especially when they are young and advocate for women’s rights and gender equality; whereas this often includes gender-based abuse and targeted gender disinformation – which is disinformation that deliberately targets women, especially those who are visible in public life – and threats to their safety; whereas these attacks create significant barriers to women’s equal participation in political life; whereas this hinders women’s participation in politics and thereby weakens our democracies by making them less representative;

E. whereas women are still under-represented in some committees and over-represented in others; whereas in Parliament women currently chair seven of the 24 standing committees and subcommittees, including some that are traditionally male-dominated; whereas of the 48 Parliament delegations, only 11 are chaired by women; whereas since 1979 there have been 31 Presidents of Parliament, only three of whom have been women; whereas the under-representation of women in leadership positions at the highest institutional level of the EU remains a matter of concern; whereas, seven of Parliament’s 14 Vice-Presidents are women, representing 50 % of these senior leadership positions;

F. whereas Parliament has not yet established paternity and parental leave for Members, despite taking the promising step of allowing proxy voting rights for female Members before and after childbirth;

G. whereas gender equality standards within Parliament should also apply to its staff; whereas inequalities in career progression, salary scales and job security for staff, accredited parliamentary assistants and trainees exist; whereas Parliament, as an autonomous institution and employer, is responsible for ensuring that its internal administration, staff policy, anti-harassment framework and working conditions effectively prevent and address discrimination and gender-based violence and promote gender equality;

H. whereas Parliament should also lead by example when it comes to gender equality; whereas, by way of example, Parliament’s participation in the global ‘Orange the World’ campaign, including the symbolic illumination of the parliament building and the display of orange flags, serves as one example of its commitment to ending gender-based violence, and to recognising the importance of raising public awareness and using Parliament as a platform against gender-based violence;

1. Welcomes the progress made on gender mainstreaming and budgeting and the adoption of the 2025 Gender Action Plan; calls for this action plan to be made public and swiftly implemented via its gender action plan roadmap and thoroughly assessed with regular reports monitoring the progress made; regrets that most of the measures included are formulated as principles without clear targets and obligations; urges consistent gender budgeting in Parliament’s budget and to incorporate a gender mainstreaming guide; welcomes the work of the Gender Mainstreaming Network in Parliament; further calls for strengthened gender mainstreaming across parliamentary committees; emphasises the importance of gender mainstreaming in the process of negotiating the new multiannual financial framework;

2. Reiterates its call for Parliament to request an audit to undertake a mapping of the current situation in terms of gender equality and make recommendations for both the political and the administrative sides of Parliament’s activities; highlights that this audit should cover all the areas and indicators developed in the European Institute for Gender Equality’s ‘Gender-sensitive parliaments toolkit’ and identify the rules that facilitate or block gender equality in each aspect analysed with the aim of informing the upcoming gender equality roadmap;

3. Calls on the President to evaluate the drop in the number of female Members in 2024 and fund campaigns encouraging women to enter EU politics; urges national parties to adopt gender-balanced measures, such as the alternate ordering of men and women on the list (zipping) and/or gender quotas, until parity is reached; calls on the Commission to strengthen the rules for ensuring gender-balance in political leadership roles; regrets the lack of quantitative and qualitative data on gender mainstreaming within the EU institutions beyond data on the number of women in different positions; calls, therefore, for the compiling of comprehensive gender-disaggregated statistics; commits to creating qualitative indicators on gender equality to improve gender-disaggregated data collection and continue improving gender equality;

4. Calls for stricter rules to combat and prevent gender hate speech and gender disinformation; notes with regret the high rates of harassment against accredited parliamentary assistants, including sexual harassment; reiterates that a zero-tolerance policy against harassment is needed to protect the well-being of staff and is a duty of any employer; calls for targeted emotional and legal support for accredited parliamentary assistants, staff, trainees and Members confronted with harassment, intimidation and hate; calls for a strengthened framework for filing complaints and timely handling of harassment disputes; calls for an independent mechanism and external audit against harassment; demands that Parliament’s Bureau continues reforming Parliament’s rules on harassment by bringing in external and independent experts and an external audit to the Advisory Committee on Harassment and its Prevention in the Workplace and to enlarge the pool of psychologists and support mechanisms that victims can access;

5. Stresses that women Members who are racialised, young, feminist, LGBTIQ+ or from minority backgrounds face disproportionate levels of digital and political violence and require targeted protective measures;

6. Calls on the committees to strive for better gender balance, including in the composition of leadership positions; calls on the President and the Bureau to ensure horizontal representation and gender balance throughout all plenary proceedings, across committees and delegations; calls on groups to take gender into consideration, and enforce gender quotas, for the appointment of coordinators, rapporteurs, shadow rapporteurs and the distribution of speaking time; requests that measures to tackle horizontal inequalities be put in place to ensure gender balance in different committees; encourages the inclusion of more men in the FEMM Committee, including those actively supporting gender equality as allies, to foster shared responsibility and take up the mantle of promoting equality in practice for women and girls and to put an end to the gendered concentration of portfolios;

7. Requests that steps be taken to ensure a ‘women-friendly’ working environment by changing androcentric working practices and combating harassment;

8. Welcomes the position on proxy voting for female Members before and after giving birth; calls for proxy voting to be extended to all new parents and for equal and non-transferable maternity, paternity and parental leave to be established for Members;

9. Welcomes Parliament’s commitment to equality and applauds its support for key policy issues such as proxy voting rights for female Members before and after giving birth; calls for efforts to ensure a better work-life balance for staff to be prioritised and further strengthened, and for measures to implement the right to disconnect to be put in place;

10. Notes with regret the high rates of harassment – including sexual harassment – against accredited parliamentary assistants; calls for a strengthened framework for filing complaints and timely handling of harassment disputes;

11. Calls on the Bureau and the Secretary-General to present gender-disaggregated data on staffing, senior and middle management posts, contract types, telework and flexible working arrangements, as well as anti-harassment measures and complaint outcomes within Parliament’s administration, with a view to identifying and correcting inequalities; calls for the establishment of clear, time-bound targets for achieving gender balance at all management levels within Parliament’s administration, including directors-general and heads of unit;

12. Acknowledges that Parliament serves as a platform for exhibitions and public events addressing gender equality such as mental health issues, fostering dialogue, awareness, and inclusive representation across the institution and with the wider public; notes in that regard the organisation of a coronation ceremony honouring women battling cancer; calls on the President to exercise caution over the funding of initiatives that run counter to the values of the European Union; welcomes the use of the Parliament as a platform for raising awareness of gender-based violence and domestic violence, stresses the importance of the EU’s and Parliament’s missions contributing to the promotion of gender equality, including those that provide support, protection, and essential services to women and girls who are victims of sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations; welcomes the Parliament’s initiatives on Gender Equality Week and International Women’s Day;

13. Stresses the importance of the availability of women’s menstrual products to support Members and staff; calls for improved accessibility within Parliament for disabled Members, staff and visitors – with particular attention to women and girls – including to all public areas.

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur for opinion declares under her exclusive responsibility that she did not include in her opinion 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.

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