What changed

1. Calls for full respect of Parliament's prerogatives in the annual budgetary procedure and insists on the full application of article 14 (1) TEU;

2. Regrets the Council’s continuing refusal to engage in sincere cooperation in the framework of the discharge procedure for more than a decade, which prevents Parliament from carrying out its duties properly and taking informed decisions; regrets that this is also reflected in other important files, such as the revision of the Treaties, the European Parliament’s right of inquiry;inquiry and the reform of the European electoral law;

3. Considers that the lack of cooperation from the European Council and from the Council with the discharge authority sends a negative signal to citizens of the Union;

5. Reiterates that the budget of the European Council and of the Council should be divided into two separate budgets, as recommended by Parliament in its recent discharge resolutions, in order to improve transparency, expenditure efficiency and accountability of each institution;

6. Stresses that the next revision of the Treaties should render the discharge procedure clearer and more transparent, in particular by empowering the European Parliament explicitly in Article 319 TFEU to grant discharge to all institutionsinstitutions, bodies, offices and bodiesagencies individually, as reflected in its resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals for the amendment of the Treaties.Treaties; underlines that pending such a revision, the current situation should be improved through better interinstitutional cooperation within the current framework and urges the Council to actively engage with the Parliament in addressing the current situation.

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

The Chair in his capacity as rapporteur for the opinion declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not receive input from any entity or person to be mentioned in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted

29.1.2025

Result of final vote

+:

–:

0:

22

4

3

Members present for the final vote

Gerolf Annemans, Brando Benifei, Gabriele Bischoff, Salvatore De Meo, Vasile Dîncu, Klára Dobrev, Nikolas Farantouris, Daniel Freund, Jean-Paul Garraud, Charles Goerens, Sandro Gozi, Patryk Jaki, Ľubica Karvašová, Emmanouil Kefalogiannis, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Nicola Procaccini, Thijs Reuten, Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz, Sven Simon, Anthony Smith, Reinier Van Lanschot, Alexandre Varaut, Adrián Vázquez Lázara, Sabine Verheyen, Loránt Vincze, Charlie Weimers

Substitutes present for the final vote

Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz, Fabrice Leggeri, Liudas Mažylis

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

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