What changed

PR_DEC_Other

P9_TA(2024)0234

1. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

Discharge 2022: EU general budget - European Ombudsman

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022, Section VIII – European Ombudsman

Committee on Budgetary Control

(2023/2137(DEC))

PE753.486

1. European Parliament decision of 11 April 2024 on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022, Section VIII – European Ombudsman (2023/2137(DEC))

– having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022,

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision and the resolution forming an integral part of it to the European Ombudsman, the European Council, the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Data Protection Supervisor and the European External Action Service, 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 11 April 2024 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 2022, Section VIII – European Ombudsman (2023/2137(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 2022, Section VIII – European Ombudsman

(2023/2137(DEC))

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022, Section VIII – European Ombudsman,

D. whereas the Decision of the European Ombudsman adopting implementing provisions are currently under revision following the adoption of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2021/1163;

1. Notes that the budget of the European Ombudsman (the ‘Ombudsman’) falls under MFF heading 7 ’European‘European public administration’, which amounted to a total of EUR 11,6 billion, i.e. 5,9 % of Union budget spending, in 2022; notes that the budget of the Ombudsman represented 0,1 % of MFF heading 7 appropriations;

2. Notes that the Court of Auditors (the ‘Court’), in its Annual Report for the financial year 2022 examined a sample of 60 transactions under Administration, the same number as for 2021; further notes that the Court writes that administrative expenditure comprises expenditure on human resources including pensions, which in 2022 accounted for about 70 % of the total administrative expenditure, and on buildings, equipment, energy, communications and information technology and that its work over many years indicates that, overall, this spending is low risk;

7. Notes that the budget implementation rate was 96,97 % in 2022, which is higher compared to the previous year, when the implementation rate was 88,8 % due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic;

8. Notes that in the course of the 2022, the Ombudsman made 6 budget transfers pursuant to Article 29 of the Financial Regulation, representing a total of EUR 344 460 or 2.82,8 % of the appropriations for that financial year; notes further that the budget nomenclature for item ‘2000’ was split in four subcategories in order to increase transparency of information required for the Ombudsman’s buildings in both places of work; acknowledges that the appropriations transferred from the rent budget item were unused because the Ombudsman paid all costs incurred for the fitting out works of the new Ombudsman’s building through the 2021 budget instead of spreading them over six years;

9. Appreciates that, despite increasing the time for payments from 11,35 to 13 days from 2021 to 2022, the average time for payments continues to be relatively short; believes that the implementation of an electronic invoicing system as of 2023 can only improve the efficiency of the payment process;

12. Notes that the Ombudsman, in the course of 2022, continued to implement specific actions in line with the objectives and priorities of the Ombudsman’s five-year strategy ‘Towards 2024’, as set out in its Annual Management Plan (AMP); highlights, in particular, that the Ombudsman successfully delivered the draft provisions implementing the new Statute governing the Ombudsman’s duties to the Commission, Council and Parliament for consultation in accordance with the 2022 AMP;

13. Underlines that in 2022, noticing the flagrant absence of public information, the Ombudsman anticipatorily asked the European Commission how it will ensure transparency in the negotiations of national recovery plans, how it will guarantee public scrutiny of milestones reached by Member States, and how it will supervise the audits ;audits;

14. Notes that the Ombudsman received 2,223 complaints in 2022, compared to 2,192 in 2021, 35 % of which were within the Ombudsman’s mandate; notes further that the Ombudsman opened 348 inquiries, including 60 inquiries of public importance, and closed 330 inquiries in 2022 compared to opening 338 inquiries in 2021 and closing 305;

39. Welcomes the fact that an electronic invoicing system is currently being implemented in collaboration with the European Commission (DG DIGIT); asks the Ombudsman to detail a timeline for the full implementation of the electronic invoicing system;

40. Congratulates the Ombudsman for using exclusively open-source software on its website and for prioritising the use of open-source tools for internal purposes where possible;

Buildings

40.41. Notes that, following the move of the Ombudsman Brussels’ Office to new facilities provided by Parliament in 2021, the building was organised as a collaborative workspace with very few individual offices and flexible collaborative meeting facilities; takes positive note that the Ombudsman does not practice hot-desking and that all members of staff have their own desk with ample storage; is concerned that no staff survey was organised by the Ombudsman prior to the moving to collaborative space in Brussels office; notes that a general staff survey conducted in 2023 showed that the majority of staff replied positively to the new physical arrangements; also appreciates that the staff were kept informed regarding some decisions concerning the fitting out of the work space, such as the colour schemes, before the move;

41.42. Notes that the Ombudsman returned 20,5 % of the surface rented by Parliament in Strasbourg at the request of the latter and that its rent was subsequently reduced;

42.43. Recalls that the Ombudsman does not own its own buildings but rents a building in Brussels and office space in Strasbourg; notes with satisfaction that the Havel building in Strasbourg is fully accessible to persons with reduced mobility or other disabilities and strongly regrets that accessibility to the building rented in Brussels needs improvement; calls on Parliament to improve accessibility to the building rented to the Ombudsman in Brussels;

Environment and sustainability

43.44. Welcomes that, over the years, the Ombudsman has reduced its environmental footprint, notably through the digitalisation of its processes and publications such as the annual report, the removal of individual printers and measures to make events more sustainable; notes that, in terms of the environmental footprint of its buildings, the Ombudsman relies on the measures taken by the Parliament in its capacity as owner of the buildings; acknowledges that the Ombudsman to forward its request to Parliament, expressed in the 2021 discharge, to install solar panels on the roof of its buildings;

44.45. Notes that the Ombudsman continued to encourage sustainable mobility in 2022, notably by providing financial support for public transportation’s yearly subscriptions, by limiting available car parking spaces and by improving facilities and parking for cyclists;

Interinstitutional cooperation

45.46. Welcomes the financial and administrative savings achieved through inter-institutional cooperation, in particular the wide-range of service-level agreements concluded with the Parliament and the Commission and the participation in interinstitutional procurement procedures; notes that, in 2022, the Ombudsman developed new synergies with other institutions and signed agreements on the provision of services for the use of the remote qualified signing certificates by the Commission and the provision of services by Parliament’s Staff Front Office and Info Desk;

46.47. Recognises the importance of maintaining a high level of exchanges and coordination with the European Network of Ombudsmen (ENO); welcomes the organisation of the ENO annual conference and thematic webinar as important discussion fora on topical issues having an impact on the work of Ombudsmen across Europe in 2022;

47.48. Welcomes the cooperation that the Ombudsman maintains with the EPPO, the ECA and OLAF aiming to avoid duplication of investigations and discussing topics of mutual interest, such as the improvement of the Union’s oversight framework; welcomes equally the cooperation channels put in place with the EDPS to ensure swift cross-consultation in the everyday work of both institutions and the Memorandum of Understanding delineating the respective competences of each institution aiming to avoid duplication of procedures;

48.49. Welcomes that the Ombudsman has a close cooperation with relevant European Parliament Committees on important inquiries either by presenting the work directly in Committee meetings or through information being sent to the Committee Chairs; highlights that the strategic initiatives and inquiries conducted by the Ombudsman are key to improving the transparency and accountability of the Union administration;

Communication

49.50. Notes that the overall budget for communication and promotional activities increased from EUR 92 100 to EUR 132 400, i.e. 43,8 %, between 2021 and 2022; congratulates the Ombudsman for developing a comprehensive communication strategy which has contributed to increasing outreach to specialised audiences and to the general public; notes that European media issued 60 % more press articles on the Ombudsman compared to 2021;

50.51. Welcomes the efforts of the Ombudsman to raise citizens’ awareness about the role of the Ombudsman and the possibility of recourse to it in the event of maladministration by a Union institution; recognises the efforts undertaken to provide transparent information and publish data in an informative and user friendly format on the Ombudsman website, although such data is not available in open format; welcomes the adoption of a new logo and visual identity to increase the visibility of the Ombudsman’s work and make it recognisable as a Union body;

51.52. Appreciates the Ombudsman'sOmbudsman’s use of an automated tool for translating cases on the website and asks the Ombudsman to ensure a seamless and timely translation of their cases in all languages;

52.53. Notes that the Ombudsman has social media accounts on Instagram, LinkedIn, X (ex-twitter), where the growth in followers and the engagement rates were higher in 2022 than in previous years; welcomes the participation of the Ombudsman in a pilot project led by the EDPS aiming to bring Union institutions on EU-Voice and EU-Video, which are two free, open-source social media networks, based on Mastodon software, allowing Union institutions to interact with the public by sharing texts, images, videos and podcasts.

ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that he has received input from the following entities or persons in the preparation of the report, until the adoption thereof in committee:

Entity and/or person

Director of the Directorate for Administration

Administrator, Secretariat General

Policy Adviser – Parliamentary Relations, Cabinet of the European Ombudsman

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Date adopted

22.2.2024

Result of final vote

+:

–:

0:

20

0

1

Members present for the final vote

Gilles Boyer, Olivier Chastel, Caterina Chinnici, Carlos Coelho, Luke Ming Flanagan, Daniel Freund, Isabel García Muñoz, Monika Hohlmeier, Joachim Kuhs, Petri Sarvamaa, Eleni Stavrou, Angelika Winzig, Lara Wolters

Substitutes present for the final vote

Corina Crețu, Andrey Novakov, Mikuláš Peksa, Sabrina Pignedoli, Michal Wiezik

Substitutes under Rule 209(7) present for the final vote

Marie Dauchy, Ljudmila Novak, Mick Wallace

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

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