Sittings · Document

Draft report (2024/2026(DEC)) 2025-02-10

2023 discharge: General budget of the EU - Committee of the Regions

Committee on Budgetary Control

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Amendment 1

Virginie Joron, Julien Sanchez

Motion for a resolution

Recital B

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

B. whereas the Committee of the Regions (the ‘Committee’) is a political assembly of 329 members elected in the regions, cities, villages and municipalities of the 27 Member States of the Union, operating as a consultative body for the Union institutions, with the mission of contributing to the Union policy shaping and decision making process from the point of view of the local and regional authorities, and at the same time contributing to make the Union more effective and closer to the citizens;

Or. fr

Amendment 2

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda, Giuseppe Lupo

Motion for a resolution

Recital H

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

H. whereas Regulation (EU) 2021/10602 , governing Union cohesion policy and funding between 2021 and 2027, that entered into force in July 2021, encompasses references to the partnership and multilevel governance principle, supported by the Committee and Parliament and entailing the involvement of regions and their local and regional authorities; strongly supports the strengthening of EU investments linked to regional and local resilience in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF);

_________________

2 Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, p. 159, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1060/2024-06-30).

Or. en

Amendment 3

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Recital I

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

I. whereas the over 400 national and regional programmes in place for the delivery of Union cohesion policy in the 2021-2027 programming period will make available around EUR 380 billion, under different funds, to tackle the economic, social and environmental challenges that Union regions and cities are facing;

Or. en

Amendment 4

Caterina Chinnici

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

4. Notes from the Court’s report its opinion regarding a transaction made by the Committee in 2023, whereby the 10-year duration of a building maintenance contract was not sufficiently justified;

4. Notes with regret from the Court’s report its opinion regarding a transaction made by the Committee in 2023, whereby the 10-year duration of a building maintenance contract was not sufficiently justified;

Or. en

Amendment 5

Virginie Joron, Tamás Deutsch, Julien Sanchez

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 7

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

7. Notes an increase by approximately 20 % of payments made for the members of the Committee, from EUR 6 573 307 in 2022 to EUR 7 955 968 in 2013, with payments made for travel expenses (8 119 payments), travel allowances (4 449 payments), meeting allowances for in-person participation (7 845 payments) and remote participation (152 payments);

7. regrets the increase by approximately 20 % of payments made for the members of the Committee, from EUR 6 573 307 in 2022 to EUR 7 955 968 in 2013, with payments made for travel expenses (8 119 payments), travel allowances (4 449 payments), meeting allowances for in-person participation (7 845 payments) and remote participation (152 payments);

Or. fr

Amendment 6

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 8

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

8. Notes that the mission’s budget (current year appropriations) remained stable, with EUR 420 833 in 2023 (compared to EUR 419 657 in 2022) and execution rate of approximately 80 % in 2023 (similar to 2022); notes that, despite an increase in the average cost of accommodation and travel costs, the Committee’s missions budget remained stable due to a reduction of 13 % in the number of missions carried out in 2023 compared to 2022; welcomes that the allowance for the Committee’s Presidency (President and 1st Vice-President) for travel and meeting expenses, financed from the general budget for Members’ expenses, decreased from EUR 71 810 to EUR 62 268, representing a 13% reduction between 2022 and 2023; encourages the Committee to further rationalize and reduce expenditure in this area, ensuring optimal allocation of resources in line with the principles of sound financial management;

Or. en

Amendment 7

Tomáš Zdechovský

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

9. Observes an increase in the current year appropriations for interpreting services of approximately 19 %, from EUR 3,494 million in 2022 to EUR 4,167 million in 2022; asks the Committee to explain the reasons for that increase, given the fact that at the same time the Committee has reported savings in connection with the use of remote interpretation in 2023;

9. Observes with concerns an increase in the current year appropriations for interpreting services of approximately 19 %, from EUR 3,494 million in 2022 to EUR 4,167 million in 2022; asks the Committee to explain the reasons for that increase, given the fact that at the same time the Committee has reported savings in connection with the use of remote interpretation in 2023;

Or. en

Amendment 8

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

10. Notes that until 23 July 2023, the flat-rate remote meeting allowance paid by the Committee to its members, their alternates, as well as to rapporteurs’ experts and speakers invited to attend remote or hybrid meetings was EUR 200; notes further that on that date, new rules on the matter entered into force setting the flat-rate remote meeting allowance at 50 % of the regular meeting allowance, with the latter being EUR359 and the former EUR 179,50; considers that despite remote attendance being an important instrument for modern institutions given that, inter alia, it reduces the costs of meetings and allows broader participation, the allocation of an allowance for remote attendance of meetings, even if reduced and intended only for some types of events, is difficult to understand for the public, even more so when taking into consideration the difference paid to the members of the Committee and members of the EESC for remote attendance; notes in this context a significant decrease in the total amount paid for remote meeting allowances from EUR 1 742 000 in 2021 and EUR 489 600 in 2022 to EUR 32 632 in 2023, while the overall expenditure linked to budget line 1004 (‘Travel and subsistence allowances, attendance at meetings and associated expenditure’) has increased considerably from approximately EUR 6,6 million in 2022 to approximately 8 million in 2023, mainly due to a strong return to in-person meetings in 2023 and the increase in the travel related prices in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic;

Or. en

Amendment 9

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

10 a. Expresses concern over the significant increase in travel and meeting allowances paid to CoR members, rising from EUR 6.6 million in 2022 to EUR 8 million in 2023; calls on the Committee to adopt a clear cost-efficiency strategy for travel expenditures, including greater use of remote participation and hybrid meetings to reduce unnecessary costs and emissions while maintaining political engagement;

Or. en

Amendment 10

Tamás Deutsch, Ondřej Knotek

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

11 a. Recalls the Treaty on the European Union, that the EU and its institutions, shall respect the equality of Member States before the Treaties as well as their national identities, inherent in their fundamental structures, political and constitutional, inclusive of regional and local self-government;

Or. en

Amendment 11

Tamás Deutsch, Ondřej Knotek

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

11 b. Calls on the institution to always respect the equality of Member States and to treat all Member States equally, respect their sovereignty and their national identities, inherent in their fundamental structures, political and constitutional, inclusive of regional and local self-government;

Or. en

Amendment 12

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

12. Notes that for 2023, as part of its annual operational plan, the reporting of the performance of the Committee was based on 25 objectives, the achievement of which was assessed through 80 quantitative indicators, whereas the targets of the majority of those indicators (approximately. 75 %) was achieved with a level of 90 % or more;

12. Acknowledges that the Committee plays a fundamental role in contributing to the Union’s policy development and decision-making processes by representing the interests of local and regional authorities within the Union; notes that for 2023, as part of its annual operational plan, the reporting of the performance of the Committee was based on 25 objectives, the achievement of which was assessed through 80 quantitative indicators, whereas the targets of the majority of those indicators (approximately. 75 %) was achieved with a level of 90 % or more;

Or. en

Amendment 13

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

12 a. Reminds that the Committee contributes to the Union policy and decision making process from the perspective of the regional and local authorities within the Union and provides a framework to enhance cooperation between the local, regional, national and European levels and to bring Europe closer to its citizens; regrets that budget limitations have impaired the Committee’s ability to fully deliver on its objective of bringing citizens closer to the Union, limiting the Committee’s added value;

Or. en

Amendment 14

Tamás Deutsch, Ondřej Knotek

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

12 a. Recalls the Treaty on the European Union, that the EU’s and its institutions, aim is to promote peace, its values and the well-being of its peoples, to preserve peace, prevent conflicts and strengthen international security;

Or. en

Amendment 15

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

12 b. Considering the important role of the Committee in increasing the democratic legitimacy of Union legislation by providing an active coordination of regional and local authorities, supports the Committees in its effort to provide more territorial impact assessments (TIA), also in line with COFE final report and recommendations;

Or. en

Amendment 16

Tamás Deutsch, Ondřej Knotek

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

12 b. Calls on the institution to take full devotion and maximise its efforts with all its available measures and assets to promote peace and to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible, and to preserve peace and strengthen European security;

Or. en

Amendment 17

Tomáš Zdechovský

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

13. Commends the Committee for its political achievements in its key priority areas in 2023; notes that the Committee pursues its mission through opinions, which refer to legislative proposals made by the Commission (referrals), own-initiative opinions, which call on the Union institutions to take action, and through resolutions, which highlight the Committee’s positions on specific topics; notes that, in 2023, the Committee adopted 53 opinions and 6 resolutions, a decrease from 55 opinions and 8 resolutions adopted in 2022;

Or. en

Amendment 18

Tomáš Zdechovský

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

13 a. Encourages the Committee to continue to work on the performance improvement as well as effectiveness improvement; welcomes the Committee's efforts to introduce reformative and innovative solutions, streamline the administration and avoid overlapping roles with other bodies;

Or. en

Amendment 19

Virginie Joron, Tamás Deutsch, Julien Sanchez

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

13a. Calls for the reports of the Committee of the Regions to be made available to Members of the European Parliament and the public by Parliament’s Secretariat during the debates and votes on Parliament’s e-committee application;

Or. fr

Amendment 20

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

16. Acknowledges the impact of the Committee’s work, in particular its opinions, some which were reflected in resolutions, positions, proposals, reports, reviews, conclusions or trilogues of the Commission, Parliament or the Council in 2023; invites the Committee to continue on the path of providing useful and relevant input, such as data from the ground and analysis, to Union institutions and other beneficiaries of Union policies; welcomes the Committee’s strengthened involvement along the whole political and legislative cycle of the Union through cooperation agreements and action plans with the Commission, Parliament and the European Investment Bank; notes that, in 2023, Committee members also met the Council and Permanent Representations and participated in the events organised by the Council’s Presidency, in order to ensure that the Committee’s positions are reflected in the Union’s legislation; congratulates the Committee for strengthening its involvement in legislative trilogues, notably by being granted access, for the first time, to trilogue documents in 2023;

16. Acknowledges the impact of the Committee’s work, in particular its opinions, some which were reflected in resolutions, positions, proposals, reports, reviews, conclusions or trilogues of the Commission, Parliament or the Council in 2023; invites the Committee to continue on the path of providing useful and relevant input, such as data from the ground and analysis, to Union institutions and other beneficiaries of Union policies; welcomes the Committee’s strengthened involvement along the whole political and legislative cycle of the Union through cooperation agreements and action plans with the Commission, Parliament and the European Investment Bank; considers that members of the Committee and of the EESC should be invited to relevant parliamentary meetings on matters within their remit; notes that, in 2023, Committee members also met the Council and Permanent Representations and participated in the events organised by the Council’s Presidency, in order to ensure that the Committee’s positions are reflected in the Union’s legislation; congratulates the Committee for strengthening its involvement in legislative trilogues, notably by being granted access, for the first time, to trilogue documents in 2023;

Or. en

Amendment 21

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

16 a. Calls on the Committee to ensure stronger involvement of regional and local governments in EU decision-making by creating structured consultation mechanisms with regional and local authorities, including parliaments, municipalities, and local civil society organizations before issuing opinions; urges the Committee to advocate for a mandatory consultation process on legislative matters that significantly impact regional development and cohesion policy;

Or. en

Amendment 22

Caterina Chinnici

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

16 a. Notes that a compliance and effectiveness excercise was launched in 2023, aiming at assessing to what extent the Committee complied with selected Internal Control Standards (ICS) and to what extent their implementation was effective; notes that the excercise showed that the implementation and effectiveness of the requirements of the selected ICSs had stepped up compared to 2022; encourages the Committee to continue its efforts to further step up the level of compliance and the degree of effectiveness of the internal control measures in place;

Or. en

Amendment 23

Caterina Chinnici

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 17

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

17. Notes with regard to its new internal control framework, that the Committee implemented a new methodology on ex post controls, which, in 2023, focused on the basic salary and the time worked, with 55 files having been verified; notes further that in 2023 the Committee renewed its compliance and effectiveness exercise to assess the extent of the Committee’s compliance with certain internal control standards and the effectiveness of their implementation; commends the Committee for reporting an improvement in this matter compared to the results of the 2022 exercise; notes with satisfaction, as regards the new sensitive posts policy, that in 2023 the Committee ran a screening exercise to identify the level of risk of each post and, thus, the sensitivity level thereof, as well as the necessary measures to mitigate those risks;

17. Notes with regard to its new internal control framework, that the Committee implemented a new methodology on ex post controls as of 2023, aiming to simplify and align the approach to the practice of the other EU Institutions, with the ex post controls now being centralised instead of the prior decentralised practice; notes that, in 2023, ex post controls focused on the basic salary and the time worked, with 55 files having been verified, and that the statistical estimate of the error affecting the reference population was 0% ; notes further that in 2023 the Committee renewed its compliance and effectiveness exercise to assess the extent of the Committee’s compliance with certain internal control standards and the effectiveness of their implementation; commends the Committee for reporting an improvement in this matter compared to the results of the 2022 exercise; notes with satisfaction, as regards the new sensitive posts policy, that in 2023 the Committee ran a screening exercise to identify the level of risk of each post and, thus, the sensitivity level thereof, as well as the necessary measures to mitigate those risks;

Or. en

Amendment 24

Tomáš Zdechovský

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 19

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

19. Notes that, at the end of 2023, the Committee had a total of 559 members of staff (seconded national experts, interim, intra muros and trainees not included), compared to 533 in 2022; notes that 74 contract agents, compared to 56 contract agents in 2022 and 96 temporary agents, compared to 89 temporary agents in 2022, were employed by the Committee at the end of 2023, out of which 21 contract agents had an open-ended contract, 53 contract agents had a time-limited contract, 53 temporary agents were on permanent posts with time-limited contract, 50 temporary agents had an open-ended contract and 3 temporary agents held a temporary position (in two cases with an indefinite contract and, in the case of the Secretary-General, for a fixed duration of five years); notes, in addition, that the Committee employed 5 interim agents and 12 external members of staff working on-site, excluding external service providers in the fields of logistics and IT; notes that in 2023 the occupation rate of the posts in the establishment plan was 98 % (an increase from 96 % in 2022) and the turnover rate was 6,6 % (a decrease from 10,80 % in 2022), respectively;

19. Notes that, at the end of 2023, the Committee had a total of 559 members of staff (seconded national experts, interim, intra muros and trainees not included), compared to 533 in 2022; notes that 74 contract agents, compared to 56 contract agents in 2022 and 96 temporary agents, compared to 89 temporary agents in 2022, were employed by the Committee at the end of 2023, out of which 21 contract agents had an open-ended contract, 53 contract agents had a time-limited contract, 53 temporary agents were on permanent posts with time-limited contract, 50 temporary agents had an open-ended contract and 3 temporary agents held a temporary position (in two cases with an indefinite contract and, in the case of the Secretary-General, for a fixed duration of five years); notes, in addition, that the Committee employed 5 interim agents and 12 external members of staff working on-site, excluding external service providers in the fields of logistics and IT; hopes that the increase in staff has its reasonable justification; notes that in 2023 the occupation rate of the posts in the establishment plan was 98 % (an increase from 96 % in 2022) and the turnover rate was 6,6 % (a decrease from 10,80 % in 2022), respectively;

Or. en

Amendment 25

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 19 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

19 a. Recalls the Treaty on the European Union, that the EU and its institutions, shall promote solidarity and equality between women and men;

Or. en

Amendment 26

Virginie Joron, Julien Sanchez

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

20. Observes an increase of reliance of the Committee on contract agents and temporary agents (representing up to 26 % of the Committee’s staff); notes from the Questionnaire that said reliance is due in particular to the absence of EPSO reserve lists for generalist administrator profiles since 2018; is worried that the Committee’s long-term stability and business continuity are threatened by the absence of attractiveness of the time-limited contracts offered; supports the Committee in its endeavours to respond to those challenges by, for example, organising internal competitions; asks the Committee to report to the discharge authority on such competitions organised in 2024;

20. Observes an increase of reliance of the Committee on contract agents and temporary agents (representing up to 26 % of the Committee’s staff); notes from the Questionnaire that said reliance is due in particular to the absence of EPSO reserve lists for generalist administrator profiles since 2018; is worried that the Committee’s long-term stability and business continuity are threatened by the absence of attractiveness of the time-limited contracts offered; asks the Committee to report to the discharge authority on competitions for contract and temporary agents and permanent staff organised in 2024;

Or. fr

Amendment 27

Michal Wiezik, Olivier Chastel, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu, Gilles Boyer

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

20. Observes an increase of reliance of the Committee on contract agents and temporary agents (representing up to 26 % of the Committee’s staff); notes from the Questionnaire that said reliance is due in particular to the absence of EPSO reserve lists for generalist administrator profiles since 2018; is worried that the Committee’s long-term stability and business continuity are threatened by the absence of attractiveness of the time-limited contracts offered; underlines the importance of permanent staff in maintaining skills, continuity and productive working environment; supports the Committee in its endeavours to respond to those challenges by, for example, organising internal competitions; asks the Committee to report to the discharge authority on such competitions organised in 2024;

Or. en

Amendment 28

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

20. Observes an increase of reliance of the Committee on contract agents and temporary agents (representing up to 26 % of the Committee’s staff); notes from the Questionnaire that said reliance is due in particular to the absence of EPSO reserve lists for generalist administrator profiles since 2018; is worried that the Committee’s long-term stability and business continuity are threatened by the absence of attractiveness of the time-limited contracts offered; notes that the Committee organised an internal competition for generalists across five grades (AST/SC1, AST1, AST3, AD5, and AD7) in 2024; supports the Committee in its endeavours to respond to those challenges; asks the Committee to report to the discharge authority on such competitions organised in 2024;

Or. en

Amendment 29

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

20 a. Notes that, at the end of 2023, the Committee employed 56,9 % women and 43,1 % men; recommends measures to enhance inclusivity in vacancy notices and to encourage greater female participation in senior and middle management roles, including balanced representation on selection boards, targeted training opportunities for female staff aspiring to managerial positions, and the promotion of more flexible working arrangements;

Or. en

Amendment 30

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

20 a. Regrets that gender parity has not yet been achieved in CoR leadership positions; calls on the Committee to adopt binding gender balance targets for senior management and require Member States to nominate both a male and a female candidate for CoR appointments to improve representation at all levels;

Or. en

Amendment 31

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

20 b. Welcomes that, on 7 July 2022, the Committee adopted a new five-year diversity and inclusion strategy and action plan for 2022-2026; acknowledges the significant progress achieved under this framework, including a marked increase in the proportion of women in senior management positions from 37.5% in 2022 to 44.4% in 2023; encourages the Committee to continue its efforts and supports the ultimate objective of achieving gender balance;

Or. en

Amendment 32

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 21

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

21. Notes that, as a result of a pilot project on a hybrid working regime and a staff satisfaction survey launched in 2022, the Committee adopted on 1 January 2024 a decision which provides for a hybrid working regime and a personalised weekly working schedule for each staff, as well as the possibility to work from home for up to 60 % of staff’s working time (except for staff categories incompatible with telework) and work from outside the city of employment for up to 15 days per year;

Or. en

Amendment 33

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 23

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

23. Notes that 18 cases of burnout (compared to 16 cases in 2022) were reported in the Committee in 2023; notes further that the Committee managed to reintegrate 16 members of staff in 2023 after long-term absence as a result of burnout, thanks to a personalised follow-up of long-term sickness leave; welcomes the preventive actions taken by the Committee to reduce psychosocial risks and burnout; appreciates in this regard the proactive approach of the medical service and the awareness-raising conferences, trainings and courses organised by the Committee;

23. Expresses deep concern that 18 cases of burnout were reported in the Committee in 2023, representing an increase from 16 cases in 2022; underlines the significant social and professional impact of burnout on staff well-being and performance; notes further that the Committee managed to reintegrate 16 members of staff in 2023 after long-term absence as a result of burnout, thanks to a personalised follow-up of long-term sickness leave; welcomes the preventive actions taken by the Committee to reduce psychosocial risks and burnout; appreciates in this regard the proactive approach of the medical service and the awareness-raising conferences, trainings and courses organised by the Committee; stresses, however, the need for further strengthening of efforts to address the root causes of burnout and to foster a healthier work environment;

Or. en

Amendment 34

Michal Wiezik, Olivier Chastel, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu, Gilles Boyer

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 23

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

23. Notes with concern that 18 cases of burnout (compared to 16 cases in 2022) were reported in the Committee in 2023; notes further that the Committee managed to reintegrate 16 members of staff in 2023 after long-term absence as a result of burnout, thanks to a personalised follow-up of long-term sickness leave; welcomes the preventive actions taken by the Committee to reduce psychosocial risks and burnout; appreciates in this regard the proactive approach of the medical service and the awareness-raising conferences, trainings and courses organised by the Committee;

Or. en

Amendment 35

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 24

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

24. Notes that in 2023 the Committee continued to raise awareness of the measures put in place to prevent and combat harassment in the workplace, in accordance with its Decision of 26 April 2021 on protecting dignity at work, managing conflict and combatting harassment, notably through dedicated guidance, internal communication and the organisation of several information sessions for staff and managers; welcomes in particular the organisation of five training sessions on ‘Preventing psychological and sexual harassment’ and ‘Respect and Dignity for a high-performing team’ in 2023;

Or. en

Amendment 36

Michal Wiezik, Olivier Chastel, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu, Gilles Boyer

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 24

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

Or. en

Amendment 37

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 26

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

26. Notes that, in 2022, the Committee was employing staff representing all EU nationalities (and one staff member of Ukrainian nationality), with some of them being overrepresented (e.g., Belgium); welcomes the additional efforts of the Committee aiming at balancing the geographical distribution among staff by targeting a wider audience through the publication on its website and social media of calls for expression of interest for contract and temporary staff; asks the Committee to keep the discharge authority informed of the outcome of this type of action;

26. Notes that, in 2023, the Committee was employing staff representing all EU nationalities (and one staff member of Ukrainian nationality), with some of them being overrepresented (e.g., Belgium); welcomes the additional efforts of the Committee aiming at balancing the geographical distribution among staff by targeting a wider audience through the publication on its website and social media of calls for expression of interest for contract and temporary staff; regrets the persistent lack of geographical balance within the Committee’s staff, with certain nationalities remaining overrepresented in comparison to others; encourages the Committee to intensify its efforts to achieve a more balanced geographical distribution, particularly at the management level; asks the Committee to keep the discharge authority informed of the outcome of this type of action;

Or. en

Amendment 38

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 26 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

26 a. Welcomes the participation of the Committee’s Traineeships Office, for the second consecutive time, in the session titled "Opportunities for young Roma" in April 2023; commends the initiative to present the Committee’s traineeships scheme to young and motivated Roma and non-Roma participants, reflecting a strong commitment to promoting inclusivity, diversity, and equal opportunities; encourages the continuation and expansion of such initiatives to further engage underrepresented communities and foster a more inclusive European workforce;

Or. en

Amendment 39

Caterina Chinnici

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 26 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

26 a. Welcomes the progress made with regard to gender balance in management, with an increase of the percentage of women both in middle management positions (from 29.7% in 2022 to 32.5% in 2023) and in senior management positions (from 37.5% in 2022 to 44.4% in 2023);

Or. en

Amendment 40

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 26 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

26 a. Regrets that the percentage of women in senior and middle management remains low in 2023 despite the appointment of a new female director in 2023 and some efforts to attract more women to management positions; welcomes nevertheless that the Committee consider the gender balance of its staff and in particular in the senior management as an important factor and invite the Committee to improve the situation;

Or. en

Amendment 41

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 26 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

26 a. Calls on the Committee to implement an annual diversity audit and publish disaggregated data on gender, nationality, and employment category; urges the Committee to take further measures to increase the representation of underrepresented Member States within its staff;

Or. en

Amendment 42

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 26 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

26 a. Calls on the institution to draw lessons learned and conclusions on its own internal rules and procedures taking into account the revision of the Parliament’s Rules of procedure and Code of conduct in September 2023, however recommends the institution to come up with further and stronger ways to step up against fraud and to fully protect the EU’s financial interests;

Or. en

Amendment 43

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 27 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

27 a. Calls on the institution to assess how the European Parliament’s regulatory framework to avoid corruption and fraud has failed, allowing active involvement of European Parliamentarians in a mafia like network engaging in corruption, money laundering for several years without detection;

Or. en

Amendment 44

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 28

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

28. Notes that OLAF processed two cases in 2023: one case on alleged outside gainful activities of a Committee member and another case on allegations of recidivism on unauthorised external activities by a staff member; notes that in the former case no OLAF investigation was opened on the grounds of lack of proportionality between the resources needed to conduct an investigation and the expected results, while the Committee considered that there were no conflicts of interest on the grounds that Committee members do not receive any remuneration from the Union, nor are they required to declare their professional activities, for which they may be paid for local or regional mandates that those members may have; notes with regard to the latter case that OLAF opened an investigation which was concluded with two recommendations, which the Committee implemented by opening a disciplinary procedure against the staff member concerned and by recovering gains in connection with that person’s unauthorised outside activities; recalls that the case closed in 2022 on allegations of financial wrongdoings, harassment and mismanagement in a Committee-EESC joint service, gave rise to a conflict-management exercise involving the persons concerned and to a five-point action plan; notes with satisfaction from the Committee’s follow-up report to Parliament’s discharge decision covering the Committee’s budget implementation year 2022 that that action plan was fully implemented by the end of 2023;

28. Notes that the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) processed two cases in 2023: one case on alleged outside gainful activities of a Committee member and another case on allegations of recidivism on unauthorised external activities by a staff member; notes that in the former case no OLAF investigation was opened on the grounds of lack of proportionality between the resources needed to conduct an investigation and the expected results, while the Committee considered that there were no conflicts of interest on the grounds that Committee members do not receive any remuneration from the Union, nor are they required to declare their professional activities, for which they may be paid for local or regional mandates that those members may have; notes with regard to the latter case that OLAF opened an investigation which was concluded with two recommendations, which the Committee implemented by opening a disciplinary procedure against the staff member concerned and by recovering gains in connection with that person’s unauthorised outside activities; recalls that the case closed in 2022 on allegations of financial wrongdoings, harassment and mismanagement in a Committee-EESC joint service, gave rise to a conflict-management exercise involving the persons concerned and to a five-point action plan; notes with satisfaction from the Committee’s follow-up report to Parliament’s discharge decision covering the Committee’s budget implementation year 2022 that that action plan was fully implemented by the end of 2023;

Or. en

Amendment 45

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 29 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

29 a. Urges the Committee to enhance the detection and prevention of conflicts of interest by introducing a mandatory cooling-off period for outgoing members before they can engage in lobbying or advisory roles involving EU institutions; calls for the proactive publication of all recusal decisions taken by CoR members due to conflicts of interest;

Or. en

Amendment 46

Michal Wiezik, Olivier Chastel, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu, Gilles Boyer

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 31

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

31. Notes that no cases of whistleblowing were reported to the Committee in 2023, except for information received from OLAF about a whistleblowing case against a staff member of the Committee, which was eventually dismissed by OLAF; notes that the Committee did not adopt any new measures concerning whistleblowing in 2023 and continued to rely on the measures in place since 2015 and to promote them through ethics training;

Or. en

Amendment 47

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 31

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

Or. en

Amendment 48

Michal Wiezik, Olivier Chastel, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu, Gilles Boyer

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 32

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

32. Notes that the Committee has had in place a range of anti-fraud measures and actions applicable to its members and its staff which are implemented by different services; notes with satisfaction from the Questionnaire the Committee’s commitment to further strengthen the existing anti-fraud measures by adopting an anti-fraud strategy in 2025; asks the Committee to keep the discharge authority informed on this matter;

32. Notes that the Committee has had in place a range of anti-fraud measures and actions applicable to its members and its staff which are implemented by different services; notes with satisfaction from the Questionnaire the Committee’s commitment to further strengthen the existing anti-fraud measures by adopting an anti-fraud strategy in 2025; encourages the Committee to facilitate regular and compulsory anti-fraud trainings as part of the strategy; asks the Committee to keep the discharge authority informed on this matter;

Or. en

Amendment 49

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 32

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

32. Notes that the Committee has had in place a range of anti-fraud measures and actions applicable to its members and its staff which are implemented by different services but still no anti-fraud strategy was in place in 2023 despite Parliament’s request; notes with satisfaction from the Questionnaire the Committee’s commitment to further strengthen the existing anti-fraud measures by adopting an anti-fraud strategy in 2025; asks the Committee to keep the discharge authority informed on this matter;

Or. en

Amendment 50

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 32

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

32. Notes that the Committee has had in place a range of anti-fraud measures and actions applicable to its members and its staff which are implemented by different services; notes with satisfaction following Parliament’s recommendation and as indicated in the Questionnaire the Committee’s commitment to further strengthen the existing anti-fraud measures by adopting an anti-fraud strategy in 2025; asks the Committee to keep the discharge authority informed on this matter;

Or. en

Amendment 51

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 34 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

34 a. Welcomes the Committee’s new ‘Digital Strategy 2024-2026’; calls on the Committee to accelerate digital transformation efforts by ensuring the full implementation of electronic workflows, e-signatures, and digital case management tools by 2026, reducing paper-based processes in line with sustainability commitments, shifting towards a more paperless administration;

Or. en

Amendment 52

Michal Wiezik, Olivier Chastel, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu, Gilles Boyer

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 35

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

35. Notes with satisfaction that 90 % of the projects for simplification through digitalisation under the ‘Going for impact’ initiative were fully implemented by the end of 2023; notes in addition that further efficiencies were tapped due to an IT project to define the best tool for the electronic management of form-based workflows with, as a result, many of the Committee’s processes having begun to be simplified and digitalised through Microsoft 365 tools; notes with satisfaction that the Committee uses procurement modules such as e-Tendering, e-Notices, e-Submission, MyWorkplace, as well as the qualified electronic signature, for the signature of contracts, introduced in 2023; welcomes the adoption by the Committee of internal guidelines on use of artificial intelligence laying the ground for possible future solutions;

Or. en

Amendment 53

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 37

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

37. Notes that the Committee did not encounter any cyber-attacks in 2023, other than certain denial of service attacks against the Committee’s externally hosted website; notes from the Questionnaire of the Committee’s tools and strategies for real-time threat monitoring and identifying vulnerabilities in the Committee’s systems; commends the Committee for adhering to standards in matters related to cybersecurity-related risk assessments, as well as for having put in place a system based on incident response plans, recovery measures and lessons learned; notes with satisfaction that the Committee and the EESC adopted the NIST Cybersecurity Framework with focus, in 2023, on the principles: ‘protect’ and ‘detect’;

Or. en

Amendment 54

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 42 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

42 a. Asks the institution to give recommendations to the European Parliament and its Budgetary Control Committee on new ways to fight against misconduct and misuse of EU funds based on their own institutional experience and lessons learned from cases in the past, share best practices, as it has been proven that the European Union’s financial interests were not well protected in the European Parliament; as unveiled by the criminal case and the investigations, believes that the Parliament could benefit from a fresh perspective in the matter and input from the institution;

Or. en

Amendment 55

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 43

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

43. Welcomes the budgetary and administrative savings achieved through interinstitutional cooperation, and in particular the close cooperation established at administrative level with the EESC, with which the Committee shares premises and joint services in the areas of translation, infrastructure, logistics and IT, with 470 members of staff and approximately EUR 60 million (excluding salary related expenditures) pooled together by both institutions in 2023; notes with satisfaction that the Committee further extended its cooperation with the EESC by exploiting additional synergies through joint medical services and joint central data protection register and processing operations based on the Joint Controllership Arrangement signed by the Committee and the EESC in 2023; reiterates its call on the Committee to pursue and expand that cooperation in other areas with a view to avoiding duplication and further rationalising the operating costs of services available in the premises shared by the Committee and the EESC; invites the Committee and the EESC to explore the possibility of setting up a single administration for their joint services, keeping separate directorates or units for the services dealing with matters related to their specific and independent mandates;

Or. en

Amendment 56

Caterina Chinnici

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 43

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

Or. en

Amendment 57

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 44 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

44 a. Calls on the Committee to deepen its cooperation with the European Parliament and Commission by establishing a structured annual dialogue between CoR representatives and EU legislators on key legislative files affecting regional development, climate policy, and social cohesion; urges the Committee to explore joint initiatives with the European Parliament’s REGI and ENVI Committees to promote sustainable regional investments;

Or. en

Amendment 58

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 45 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

45 a. Welcomes the reviewing in 2023 of the Cooperation Agreement of the Committee with the Parliament in view of its final signature in 2024; supports the cooperation of the Committee with several parliamentary committees, intergroups and directorates-general of the Parliament and convene to considers vital that Members of the Committee and EESC be regularly and systematically invited to relevant parliamentary exchanges, including committee meetings, on issues they are dealing with;

Or. en

Amendment 59

Virginie Joron, Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 46

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

46. Notes that the Committee’s communication activities focus on relationship with press, organisation of events and digital content and social media with a total budget (current year appropriations) of approximately EUR 2,8 million in 2023; regrets a very low payment execution rate in those areas (ranging from 24,70 % to 48,20 %); notes nevertheless a high execution rate with regard to C8 appropriations (carried over from 2022 to 2023) of between 98 % and 100 %; asks the Committee to take measures for improving its budgetary planning with regard to communication related budgetary items;

46. Notes that the Committee’s communication activities focus on relationship with press, organisation of events and digital content and social media with a very high total budget (current year appropriations) of approximately EUR 2,8 million in 2023; regrets a very low payment execution rate in those areas (ranging from 24,70 % to 48,20 %); notes nevertheless a high execution rate with regard to C8 appropriations (carried over from 2022 to 2023) of between 98 % and 100 %; asks the Committee to take measures for improving its budgetary planning with regard to communication related budgetary items;

Or. fr

Amendment 60

Tomáš Zdechovský

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 46

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

46. Notes that the Committee’s communication activities focus on relationship with press, organisation of events and digital content and social media with a total budget (current year appropriations) of approximately EUR 2,8 million in 2023; regrets a very low payment execution rate in those areas (ranging from 24,70 % to 48,20 %); notes nevertheless a high execution rate with regard to C8 appropriations (carried over from 2022 to 2023) of between 98 % and 100 %; calls on the Committee to take measures for improving its budgetary planning with regard to communication related budgetary items;

Or. en

Amendment 61

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 46 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

46 a. Calls on the institution to refrain from promoting, spreading and supporting gender and woke ideology and respect the Treaty and its provisions as well as to respect the Member States’ national identities, inherent in their fundamental structures, history, religion and traditions;

Or. en

Amendment 62

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 47

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

47. Notes with satisfaction the Committee’s achievements in promoting Union policies and programs at local and regional level, improving the outreach of its consultative works and enhancing its visibility and impact; notes in this context the Committee’s communication actions in 2023 in areas such as: - cohesion (e.g., the ‘Promoting cohesion as a fundamental value of the Union’ campaign in the framework of the EURegionsWeek with more than 8 000 participants); - climate change (e.g., the ‘Building resilient and innovative local communities’ campaign); -democracy (e.g., the ‘A new chapter for EU democracy’ campaign with 1 400 registrations for participation at the 14th EuropCom conference); - rural development (the ‘2023 LEADER European Congress’ conference) in 2023; commends the Committee for the increase in the number of persons registered in the Network of Regional and Local EU Councillors (from 2 307 in 2022 to 3 000 in 2023) and the number of participants in the Young Elected Politicians programme (from 775 in 2022 to 836 in 2023);

47. Notes with satisfaction the Committee’s achievements in promoting Union policies and programs at local and regional level, improving the outreach of its consultative works and enhancing its visibility and impact; notes that the Committee's communication strategy seeks to strengthen its institutional and political profile as the voice of the Union's regions, cities, villages, and municipalities, while showcasing the essential contributions of its members in connecting Union policies with citizens and fostering engagement at the local and regional level; notes in this context the Committee’s communication actions in 2023 in areas such as: - cohesion (e.g., the ‘Promoting cohesion as a fundamental value of the Union’ campaign in the framework of the EURegionsWeek with more than 8 000 participants); - climate change (e.g., the ‘Building resilient and innovative local communities’ campaign); -democracy (e.g., the ‘A new chapter for EU democracy’ campaign with 1 400 registrations for participation at the 14th EuropCom conference); - rural development (the ‘2023 LEADER European Congress’ conference) in 2023; commends the Committee for the increase in the number of persons registered in the Network of Regional and Local EU Councillors (from 2 307 in 2022 to 3 000 in 2023) and the number of participants in the Young Elected Politicians programme (from 775 in 2022 to 836 in 2023);

Or. en

Amendment 63

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 47 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

47 a. Welcomes the Committee’s efforts to increase outreach to regional governments and local communities, including the expansion of the Network of Regional and Local EU Councillors and the Young Elected Politicians program; calls on the Committee to allocate additional resources to support regional capacity-building programs that empower local governments to better implement EU policies;

Or. en

Amendment 64

Virginie Joron, Julien Sanchez

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 48

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

48. Notes the Committee’s success with regard to media outreach as shown by the overall metrics for 2023, such as: 13 210 media mentions, 129 % increase on web visitors and 11 % increase on followers; notes that in terms of digital engagement, the Committee fell short of achieving its target for 2023; notes that, at the end of 2023, the Committee had 200 000 followers on its social media channels, i.e., 15 % more than in 2022 of which 57 603 followers (+5 %) on X (ex-Twitter), 61 170 (+5 %) on Facebook, 68 613 (+31 %) on LinkedIn and 15 392 (+47 %) on Instagram;

48. Notes the Committee’s relative failure with regard to media outreach as shown by the overall metrics for 2023, such as: 13 210 media mentions, 129 % increase on web visitors and 11 % increase on followers; notes that in terms of digital engagement, the Committee fell short of achieving its target for 2023; notes that, at the end of 2023, the Committee had 200 000 followers on its social media channels, i.e., 15 % more than in 2022 of which 57 603 followers (+5 %) on X (ex-Twitter), 61 170 (+5 %) on Facebook, 68 613 (+31 %) on LinkedIn and 15 392 (+47 %) on Instagram;

Or. fr

Amendment 65

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 49 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

49 a. In order to enhance the financial sustainability and independence of the Committee of the Regions, proposes that the advisory body transitions towards a self-sustaining funding model based on subscription fees. These fees will be levied on a range of stakeholders, including local and regional authorities, (i.e. regions, counties, provinces, municipalities and cities), and other entities actively participating in the work of the committee. The fee structure will be tiered, with rates reflecting the size and level of engagement of the subscribing entities. The revenues generated will be used exclusively for operational costs, and annual financial reports will ensure transparency in the use of funds. The phased implementation of this model is expected to gradually reduce reliance on the EU general budget, with full self-sufficiency targeted by 2028;

Or. en