Sittings · Document

Draft report (2024/2021(DEC)) 2025-02-11

2023 discharge: General budget of the EU - European Council and Council

Committee on Budgetary Control

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Amendment 1

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Recital I a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

I a. whereas Article 15(3) TFEU requires the EU institutions to ensure in their Rules of Procedure that their proceedings are transparent, while in several of its inquiries and decisions Ombudsman has criticised the Council for its lack of transparency suggesting that the Council has failed fully to grasp the critical link between democracy and the transparency of decision-making;

Or. en

Amendment 2

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 2

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

2. Notes that the Court of Auditors (the ‘Court’), in its Annual Report for the financial year 2023 examined a sample of 70 transactions under Administration, 10 more than were examined in 2022; further notes that the Court writes that administrative expenditure comprises expenditure on human resources, including expenditure on pensions, which in 2023 accounted for about 70 % of the total administrative expenditure, and expenditure on buildings, equipment, energy, communications and information technology, and that its work over many years indicates that, overall, this spending is low risk;

2. Welcomes that the Court of Auditors (the ‘Court’), in its Annual Report for the financial year 2023 examined a sample of 70 transactions under Administration, 10 more than were examined in 2022; further notes that the Court writes that administrative expenditure comprises expenditure on human resources, including expenditure on pensions, which in 2023 accounted for about 70 % of the total administrative expenditure, and expenditure on buildings, equipment, energy, communications and information technology, and that its work over many years indicates that, overall, this spending is low risk;

Or. en

Amendment 3

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 8

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

8. Notes that Parliament’s prerogative to grant discharge pursuant to Article 319 TFEU as well as the applicable provisions of the Financial Regulation and Parliament’s Rules of Procedure in line with current interpretation and practice, namely the power to grant discharge in order to maintain transparency and to ensure democratic accountability towards Union taxpayers;

8. Reiterates Parliament’s prerogative to grant discharge pursuant to Article 319 TFEU as well as the applicable provisions of the Financial Regulation and Parliament’s Rules of Procedure in line with current interpretation and practice, namely the power to grant discharge in order to maintain transparency and to ensure democratic accountability towards Union taxpayers;

Or. en

Amendment 4

Andrey Kovatchev

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

10. Stresses the well-established and respected practice followed by Parliament over the course of more than twenty years of granting discharge to all Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies; recalls that the Commission has declared its inability to oversee the implementation of the budgets of the other Union institutions; stresses the reiterated view of the Commission that the practice of giving discharge to each Union institution for their administrative expenditure should continue to be pursued directly by Parliament;

10. Stresses the well-established and respected practice followed by Parliament over the course of more than twenty years of granting discharge to all Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, including the European Council and Council; recalls that the Commission has declared its inability to oversee the implementation of the budgets of the other Union institutions; stresses the reiterated view of the Commission that the practice of giving discharge to each Union institution for their administrative expenditure and implementation of the EU budget should continue to be pursued directly by Parliament to preserve the compliance of the principle of sound financial management;

Or. en

Amendment 5

Csaba Molnár, Eero Heinäluoma

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

11. Stresses that the current situation implies that Parliament can only check the reports of the Court and of the Ombudsman as well as the publicly available information on the Council’s website due to the Council’s persistent lack of cooperation with Parliament; underlines that this lack of cooperation undermines Parliament's ability to effectively fulfil its oversight role and to make an informed decision on granting discharge;

Or. en

Amendment 6

Csaba Molnár, Eero Heinäluoma

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

12. Deplores that the Council, for more than a decade, has shown that it does not have any political willingness to collaborate with Parliament in the context of the annual discharge procedure; underlines that this attitude has had a lasting negative effect on both institutions and has discredited the management and democratic scrutiny of the Union budget and on the trust of citizens in the Union as a transparent entity;

Or. en

Amendment 7

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

12. Deplores that the Council, for more than a decade, has shown that it does not have any political willingness to collaborate with Parliament in the context of the annual discharge procedure; underlines that this attitude has had a lasting negative effect on both institutions and has discredited the management and democratic scrutiny of the Union budget and has damaged the trust of citizens in the Union as a transparent entity;

Or. en

Amendment 8

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

12 a. Stresses that the protracted unwillingness and continued failure of the Council to respond and engage in legislative proceedings initiated by the Parliament constitutes a breach of its obligations under Article 265 TFEU; regrets, in particular, the deadlock and delays in negotiations with the Council on the right of inquiry and the European electoral law as well as the non-action of the European Council on the Article 48 TEU procedure on treaty changes; deplores the fact that the Council did not engage sufficiently with Parliament with the aim of holding formal discussions; calls on the Council to comply with the principle of mutual sincere cooperation enshrined in Article 13(2) TEU and to engage with Parliament in order to overcome the current institutional blockage; in the case of the right of inquiry, stresses the need to refer the case to the AFCO and JURI Committee for legal actions against the Council, as a clear case of the failure to act on the basis of Article 265 TFEU.

Or. en

Amendment 9

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

12 b. Reiterates that the Council’s continued refusal to engage in the discharge procedure is an unacceptable breach of democratic accountability. Calls for legal and procedural amendments to withhold budgetary appropriations to any Union institution that fails to comply with transparency obligations;

Or. en

Amendment 10

Virginie Joron, Tamás Deutsch, Julien Sanchez

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

13. Recalls that the case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union supports the right of taxpayers and the public to be kept informed about the use of public revenue; demands, therefore, full respect for Parliament’s prerogative and role as guarantor of the democratic accountability principle; calls on the Council to duly follow up on the recommendations adopted by Parliament in the context of the discharge procedure;

13. Recalls that the case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, which it does not always apply to itself, supports the right of taxpayers and the public to be kept informed about the use of public revenue; demands, therefore, full respect for Parliament’s prerogative and role as guarantor of the democratic accountability principle; calls on the Council to duly follow up on the recommendations adopted by Parliament in the context of the discharge procedure;

Or. fr

Amendment 11

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

14. Calls on the Council to resume negotiations with Parliament at the highest level, involving the Secretaries-General and the Presidents of both institutions, in order to break the deadlock and find a solution while respecting the respective roles of Parliament and the Council in the discharge procedure and ensuring transparency and proper democratic control of budget implementation;

Or. en

Amendment 12

Tomáš Zdechovský

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

14. Calls on the Council to, without undue delay, resume negotiations with Parliament at the highest level, involving the Secretaries-General and the Presidents of both institutions, in order to break the deadlock and find a solution while respecting the respective roles of Parliament and the Council in the discharge procedure and ensuring transparency, credibility and proper democratic control of budget implementation;

Or. en

Amendment 13

Csaba Molnár, Eero Heinäluoma

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

14. Calls on the Council to resume negotiations with Parliament at the highest level as soon as possible, involving the Secretaries-General and the Presidents of both institutions, in order to break the deadlock and find a solution while respecting the respective roles of Parliament and the Council in the discharge procedure and ensuring transparency and proper democratic control of budget implementation;

Or. en

Amendment 14

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

14 a. Calls on the Council to resume negotiations at the highest level to resolve the long-standing discharge impasse; requests the Commission and the Council Legal Service to provide a legal opinion on potential Treaty-based solutions to enforce Council accountability in the discharge procedure;

Or. en

Amendment 15

Tamás Deutsch, Julien Sanchez, Virginie Joron

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 15

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

15. Stresses that, while the current situation has to be improved through better inter-institutional cooperation within the framework of the Treaties, a revision of the Treaties could make the discharge procedure clearer and more transparent by giving Parliament the explicit competence to grant discharge to all Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies individually;

15. Emphasises that the increased transparency and oversight demanded by Parliament must not come at the expense of the decision-making autonomy of national governments. Budgetary oversight should not become a political tool against certain Member States, nor should it be used to impose sanctions or restrictions on them based on ideological or political considerations;

Or. en

Amendment 16

Andrey Kovatchev

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 15

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

Or. en

Amendment 17

Csaba Molnár, Eero Heinäluoma

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 15

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

Or. en

Amendment 18

Tamás Deutsch, Ondřej Knotek

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 17 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

17 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 19

Tamás Deutsch, Julien Sanchez, Virginie Joron, Ondřej Knotek

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 17 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

17 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 20

Tamás Deutsch, Ondřej Knotek

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 17 c (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

17 c. 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 21

Tamás Deutsch, Julien Sanchez, Virginie Joron, Ondřej Knotek

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 17 d (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

17 d. 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 22

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

18. Notes that the Council exerts its prerogative in the nomination and appointment procedures for many Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies;

18. Regrets that the Council exerts its prerogative in the nomination and appointment procedures for many Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies without taking into account the views of the interested parties or the recommendations of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF);

Or. en

Amendment 23

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 19

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

19. Notes the Council’s tradition of not questioning the appointments of individual Member States for most positions;

19. Reminds the Council’s tradition of not questioning the appointments of individual Member States for most positions means that the professional qualifications of candidates are not thoroughly checked; insists, therefore, on the need for a review of the Council’s prerogative with a view to guaranteeing and strengthening the participation of the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies concerned and increasing the legitimacy of those appointed; suggests that one possibility to ensure that candidates have the necessary qualifications would be to establish independent panels of experts carrying out such checks;

Or. en

Amendment 24

Andrey Kovatchev

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

20. Recalls that, pursuant to Article 286(2) TFEU, the Council appoints the members of the Court after consultation with Parliament;

20. Recalls that, pursuant to Article 286(2) TFEU, the Council appoints the members of the Court of Auditors, in accordance with proposals made by each Member States, after consultation with Parliament; recalls that, on the basis of this prerequisite, the European Parliament delivers an opinion on the candidates; recalls that although the Parliament’s opinion is not binding for the Council, candidates who received an unfavourable opinion withdrew their candidatures by accepting the Parliament's decision; thereby recognising the role of European Parliament as the democratic supervisory authority linked to the safeguarding of the EU budget; calls on the Council to recognise the role of the Parliament by cooperating in the discharge procedure;

Or. en

Amendment 25

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

20. Recalls that, pursuant to Article 286(2) TFEU, the Council appoints the members of the Court after consultation with Parliament;

20. Recalls that, pursuant to Article 286(2) TFEU, the Council appoints the members of the Court after consultation with Parliament; regrets that the Council has repeatedly failed to take into consideration the recommendations of Parliament in its consultative role regarding the appointment of the members of the Court;

Or. en

Amendment 26

Csaba Molnár, Eero Heinäluoma

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

20. Recalls that, pursuant to Article 286(2) TFEU, the Council appoints the members of the Court after consultation with Parliament;

20. Recalls that, pursuant to Article 286(2) TFEU, the Council appoints the members of the Court after consultation with Parliament; expresses regret that the Council has repeatedly disregarded Parliament’s recommendations in its consultative role concerning the appointment of members of the Court;

Or. en

Amendment 27

Csaba Molnár, Eero Heinäluoma, Marit Maij

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

20 a. Regrets that 12 Member States have never nominated a woman to the Court; calls on the Court to evaluate its overall composition and provide this analysis to the Council and the Member States, ensuring that gender balance is appropriately considered in future nomination processes; reiterates its call for Member States to propose candidates of different genders, aiming for a more balanced and representative composition of the Court;

Or. en

Amendment 28

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

20 a. Considering the serious gender imbalance in the Court is linked to current nomination procedure, reiterates its call on the Council to reconsider the nomination procedure through concrete actions, such as making it compulsory for Member States to nominate at least two candidates of different genders for each vacancy;

Or. en

Amendment 29

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

20 b. Regrets that the Council has so far ignored Parliament’s resolution of 17 December 2020 on the need for a dedicated Council configuration on gender equality1a and insists that a dedicated institutional forum would ensure stronger integration of gender equality in Union policies and strategies as well as essential coordination and progress in the main files related to gender equality;

_________________

1a OJ C 445, 29.10.2021, p. 150.

Or. en

Amendment 30

Csaba Molnár, Eero Heinäluoma, Marit Maij

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 21 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

21 a. Regrets that the Council has failed to act on Parliament’s resolution of 17 December 2020 calling for the establishment of a dedicated Council configuration on gender equality;1a emphasizes that such an institutional forum would play a crucial role in ensuring the stronger integration of gender equality into Union policies and strategies, as well as in facilitating essential coordination and progress on key files related to gender equality;

_________________

1a OJ C 445, 29.10.2021, p. 150.

Or. en

Amendment 31

Csaba Molnár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 21 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

21 b. Reiterates that the use of the unanimity voting procedure in the Council on certain policy areas is paralysing the Union’s decision-making process and therefore making it prone to blackmailing by Member States, especially those who fail to respect the rule of law; calls on the Council to apply the qualified majority voting procedures whenever possible and consider the review of the Treaties regulating the voting procedures; believes that the generalised shift to a qualified majority voting procedure in the Council is a crucial step towards more efficient policy-making;

Or. en

Amendment 32

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 21 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

21 a. Raises concerns over the use of unanimity requirement in the Council and European Council, which impedes crucial decision-making in critical areas of foreign policy, enlargement procedures, budgetary matters and transparency; notes that unanimity requirement has caused significant impediment to effectively respond to Russia’s action, in particular on the imposition of sanctions which are subject to renewal every three months; expresses concern that efforts to support for Ukraine have been weakened due to the need for unanimity; calls on the Council to shift to qualified majority voting in critical areas in order for the Union to be able to act effectively in the face of global challenges;

Or. en

Amendment 33

Eero Heinäluoma

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 21 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

21 a. Regrets that the Council has failed to act on Parliament's repeated calls for the creation of a Council of Defence Ministers;1a considers that updating the Council's institutional setting with such a configuration would reflect the growing defence agenda and the need to strengthen the EU's role as a security and defence policy actor, complementing the establishment of a Security and Defence Committee in Parliament and a Commissioner for Defence and Space in the Commission;

_________________

1a OJ C 214, 16.6.2023; OJ C 342, 6.9.2022

Or. en

Amendment 34

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 21 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

21 a. Expresses its deep concern regarding the increasing role of the European Council in legislative files, despite the fact that it has neither a legislative nor an executive function and that it does not apply the same transparency standards as the Council, meaning that it is not being held accountable;

Or. en

Amendment 35

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 21 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

21 b. Reiterates that the use of the unanimity voting procedure in the Council in certain policy areas is paralysing the Union’s decision-making process and therefore making it prone to blackmailing by Member States, especially those who fail to respect the rule of law;

Or. en

Amendment 36

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 22

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

22. Calls on the rotating Council Presidencies to stop using corporate sponsorship to contribute to covering their expenses as this runs the risk of creating conflicts of interest, in line with the conclusions of the workshop held by Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control on 27 June 2023; notes that, in her decision of 9 September 2024 on the strategic initiative on sponsorship of the presidency of the Council of the European Union, the European Ombudsman encouraged the Council to take stock of how the non-binding rules adopted by the Council for the use of sponsorship by its presidency (the Guidance) have been implemented and to explore other possible measures that could help mitigate the risks associated with the use of sponsorship; reiterates its call on the Council to provide a budget for the Council Presidencies to ensure adequate and uniform standards of efficiency and effectiveness in the work in the Council in general;

Or. en

Amendment 37

Csaba Molnár, Eero Heinäluoma, Marit Maij

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 22 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

22 a. Expresses deep concern over the Hungarian government's misuse of its role in the EU Presidency to pursue bilateral engagements that contradict the Union's core values, such as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite Union sanctions and the International Criminal Court arrest warrant against the latter for war crimes; notes with alarm similar engagements with other authoritarian leaders, undermining the EU’s credibility; calls on the Council to firmly condemn such actions and to take all necessary measures to ensure that Member States holding the Presidency act in alignment with EU principles, safeguarding the Union's integrity and values;

Or. en

Amendment 38

Tomáš Zdechovský

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 23

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

23. Regrets that the budget of the European Council and the Council has not been divided into two clearly separated budgets as recommended by Parliament in previous discharge resolutions in order to improve transparency and accountability, not least concerning the European Council, given that it is currently impossible to get reliable information regarding its costs;

Or. en

Amendment 39

Tamás Deutsch, Ondřej Knotek

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 25

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

25. Notes that the overall implementation rate of the Council’s budget in 2023 was 97,0 %; notes that almost EUR 20 million in appropriations were cancelled at the end of 2023, half of which originated from the staff expenditure budget line; notes that the Council’s budget execution rate was 97.0% in 2023, while the operating costs of EU institutions continue to rise. Points out that the increasing expenditure of EU institutions is not aligned with the economic situation of European citizens and the sustainability of national budgets. Therefore, urges EU institutions to reduce bureaucratic expenditures and ensure that public funds primarily serve the interests of European citizens;

Or. en

Amendment 40

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 Council to publish an annual breakdown of travel and representation expenses of senior officials, including the President of the European Council, the High Representative, and the General Secretariat, in a user-friendly format accessible to the public;

Or. en

Amendment 41

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 27 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

27 a. Expresses concern over insufficient control mechanisms regarding the Council’s use of consultancy services and external contractors; calls for full disclosure of all contracts exceeding EUR 50,000, detailing the scope, deliverables, and awarded entities, to prevent potential misuse of public funds;

Or. en

Amendment 42

Andrey Kovatchev

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 29

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

29. Notes that mission expenses, comprising both mission expenses from the Secretariat and mission expenses of staff related to the European Council, increased by 25 % between 2022 and 2023, and that travel expenses of delegations incurred by Presidencies and national delegations increased by 36,6 % during the same period; calls on the Council to assess this significant increase in mission expenditure; in the absence of access to detailed information, encourages the Council to use these resources in the spirit of sound financial management;

Or. en

Amendment 43

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 29 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

29 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 44

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 30 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

30 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 45

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 35 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

35 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 46

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 36

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

36. Notes that, out of 3 116 members of staff at the end of 2023, 79 % were permanent staff, 12,8% were temporary staff, 7,2% were contractual agents and 1% were seconded national experts; notes that the repartition of permanent and temporary staff between job categories remained stable with 1 474,25 administrators (AD), 1 159 assistants (AST) and 230 secretaries (AST-SC) in 2023, compared to 1 519, 1 284 and 190 in 2022; notes that the occupation rate of the establishment plan was 97,4 % at the end of 2023; regrets, however, the lack of detailed gender-disaggregated data, particularly concerning leadership positions; calls for a gender action plan, including mandatory annual reporting on gender balance and measures to close gender pay gaps;

Or. en

Amendment 47

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 36 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

36 a. Notes that, given the Council’s lack of cooperation with Parliament, observations in this section primarily rely on aggregated information published on the Council’s website which provides limited detail;

Or. en

Amendment 48

Virginie Joron, Tamás Deutsch, Julien Sanchez

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 37

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

37. Notes the other initiatives taken by the Secretariat to become a more diverse and inclusive workplace; welcomes that the Council received the 2023 Ombudsman’s award for Good Administration in the category ‘Excellence in diversity and inclusion’ for its Positive Action Programme for Trainees with Disabilities which meant that 6 trainees with disabilities were hosted in the Secretariat in 2023;

37. Congratulates the Council for its Positive Action Programme for Trainees with Disabilities which meant that 6 trainees with disabilities were hosted in the Secretariat in 2023;

Or. fr

Amendment 49

Csaba Molnár, Eero Heinäluoma, Marit Maij

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 38

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

38. Regrets the lack of publicly available information concerning the geographical distribution of staff in the Secretariat;

38. Regrets the lack of publicly available information concerning the geographical distribution of staff in the Secretariat; calls on the Council to provide information to Parliament on gender balance, geographical distribution and disabilities of its members of staff and on the related internal policies;

Or. en

Amendment 50

Andrey Kovatchev

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 38

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

38. Regrets the lack of publicly available information concerning the geographical distribution of staff in the Secretariat;

38. Regrets the lack of publicly available information concerning the geographical distribution of staff in the Secretariat; encourages the Council to promote geographical balance of its staff by offering a wider pool of candidates from underrepresented Member States;

Or. en

Amendment 51

Tomáš Zdechovský

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 38

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

38. Regrets the lack of publicly available information concerning the geographical distribution of staff in the Secretariat;

38. Regrets the lack of publicly available information concerning the geographical distribution of staff in the Secretariat; calls on the Council to make the information accesible;

Or. en

Amendment 52

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 38

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

38. Regrets the lack of publicly available information concerning the geographical distribution of staff in the Secretariat;

38. Regrets the lack of publicly available information concerning the gender and geographical distribution of staff in the Secretariat;

Or. en

Amendment 53

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 38 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

38 a. Calls on the Council to publish annual diversity reports, disaggregated by gender, nationality, and employment category, to monitor and improve equitable representation across its workforce;

Or. en

Amendment 54

Csaba Molnár, Eero Heinäluoma, Marit Maij

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 39

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

39. Welcomes the Secretariat’s efforts in 2023 to attract and retain a qualified and younger workforce through various initiatives such as the recruitment of eight junior policy administrators under the new Junior Policy Team programme, the revision of the internal mobility rules and the participation of 41 of the Secretariat’s members of staff in an Interinstitutional Job Shadowing Exercise; emphasizes that traineeships should be remunerated in compliance with the European Parliament's resolution of 14 June 2023 on Quality Traineeships in the Union (2020/2005(INL)), which calls for all internships in Europe to be paid; regrets the lack of information on the implementation of the Council’s Employer Branding Action Plan prepared in 2023;

Or. en

Amendment 55

Tomáš Zdechovský

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 42

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

42. Regrets that two key components of the ethical framework of the Council, the ‘Guide to Ethics and Conduct’ for Secretariat staff and the ‘Code of Conduct for the President of the European Council’, are available on the Council’s website without further guidance or date of publication; criticises that, despite several requests by Parliament, the code of conduct for the President of the European Council has not been brought in line with those of Parliament and the Commission, in particular in terms of post term-of-office activities;

Or. en

Amendment 56

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 42 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

42 a. Reiterates that ethical conduct contributes to sound financial management and increases public trust and that, as stressed by the Court in its Special Report No 13/2019, there is scope for improvement in the ethical frameworks of the Union institutions; recalls in particular the recommendation issued by the Court with regard to improving the Council’s ethical framework; expresses concern about the lack of a common Union ethical framework governing the work of the representatives of Member States in the Council as identified by the Court;

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. Urges the Council to establish stricter post-term employment rules for senior officials, including an extended cooling-off period and mandatory public disclosure of private-sector affiliations; calls on the Council to make the participation of Member States’ Permanent Representations in the EU Transparency Register mandatory;

Or. en

Amendment 58

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 44 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

44 b. Calls on the Council to establish an independent ethics committee to monitor compliance with ethical standards, including conflicts of interest, revolving doors, and transparency of decision-making, with public reporting obligations;

Or. en

Amendment 59

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 45

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

45. Regrets the fact that the participation of the Member States’ Permanent Representatives in the mandatory transparency register, set up by the interinstitutional agreement of 20 May 2021 between Parliament, the Council and the Commission, is completely voluntary as the application of the conditionality principle is left to the discretion of each Member State’s Permanent Representation; notes that only eight Member States and the Union institutions abide by the best practice of applying a mandatory broad-scope definition of lobbyist in their regulatory framework and insists that all Permanent Representations should take an active part in the mandatory transparency register before, during and after their Member State’s presidency of the Council; believes that the existing ethics rules on conflicts of interest, revolving doors and transparency on lobbying should be strengthened and harmonised and that Member State representatives who benefit directly from Union subsidies through the businesses they own should not be allowed to participate in policy or budgetary discussions and votes related to those subsidies;

Or. en

Amendment 60

Csaba Molnár, Eero Heinäluoma, Marit Maij

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 45

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

45. Regrets the fact that the participation of the Member States’ Permanent Representatives in the mandatory transparency register, set up by the interinstitutional agreement of 20 May 2021 between Parliament, the Council and the Commission, is completely voluntary as the application of the conditionality principle is left to the discretion of each Member State’s Permanent Representation; notes that only eight Member States and the Union institutions abide by the best practice of applying a mandatory broad-scope definition of lobbyist in their regulatory framework and insists that all Permanent Representations should take an active part in the mandatory transparency register before, during and after their Member State’s presidency of the Council; calls for stronger and harmonized ethics rules on conflicts of interest, revolving doors, and lobbying transparency; regrets that the Council does not fully use the mandatory transparency register or accept proposals to improve it; reiterates its call on the Council to refrain from engaging with unregistered lobbyists;

Or. en

Amendment 61

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 45 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

45 a. Urges the Council to mandate that all high-ranking officials, including Permanent Representatives and Heads of Delegation, publicly disclose their meetings with interest groups and lobbyists in a standardised transparency register, similar to the obligations imposed on Members of the European Parliament and the European Commission;

Or. en

Amendment 62

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 45 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

45 a. Regrets that the Council does not fully utilise the mandatory transparency register beyond its current limitations, rejecting any recommendation for improvements; reiterates its call on the Council to refuse to meet with unregistered lobbyists;

Or. en

Amendment 63

Tomáš Zdechovský

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 46

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

46. Regrets that the decision-making process in the Council is still far from fully transparent, which affects citizens’ trust in the Union as a transparent entity and thereby jeopardises the reputation of the Union as a whole; recalls and supports the recommendations of the European Ombudsman regarding the transparency of the Council legislative process in strategic inquiry OI/2/2017/TE; urges the Council to take all the measures necessary to implement the recommendations of the Ombudsman and the relevant rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union without undue delay; recalls that the Court of Justice of the European Union, in its judgement in Case T-163/21, De Capitani v Council, underlined that clearer legislative transparency would be needed from the Council in order to ensure access to legislative documents, simply corresponding to the Council’s obligation in terms of public scrutiny and accountability of the co-legislators as the basis of any democratic legitimacy;

46. Regrets that the decision-making process in the Council is still far from fully transparent, which negatively affects citizens’ trust in the Union as a transparent entity and thereby jeopardises the reputation of the Union as a whole; recalls and supports the recommendations of the European Ombudsman regarding the transparency of the Council legislative process in strategic inquiry OI/2/2017/TE; urges the Council to take all the measures necessary to implement the recommendations of the Ombudsman and the relevant rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union without undue delay; recalls that the Court of Justice of the European Union, in its judgement in Case T-163/21, De Capitani v Council, underlined that clearer legislative transparency would be needed from the Council in order to ensure access to legislative documents, simply corresponding to the Council’s obligation in terms of public scrutiny and accountability of the co-legislators as the basis of any democratic legitimacy;

Or. en

Amendment 64

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 47 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

47 a. Strongly regrets that the Council continues to systematically withhold or delay access to legislative documents, hindering public scrutiny of its decision-making; calls on the Council to implement a default disclosure policy, requiring publication of all legislative files, working documents, and legal opinions unless specific and justified exemptions apply;

Or. en

Amendment 65

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 50 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

50 a. Urges the Council to accelerate the implementation of secure digital voting and document-sharing systems to enhance efficiency, accountability, and reduce unnecessary paper-based processes;

Or. en

Amendment 66

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 53 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

53 a. Expresses concern over the lack of robust safeguards against surveillance and data collection by third parties; calls for enhanced security measures, including mandatory data encryption and regular security audits of all digital communication systems used by the Council;

Or. en

Amendment 67

Tomáš Zdechovský

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 57

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

57. Regrets that the Council has still not implemented a simplified accreditation procedure to facilitate the access of the other Union institutions’ staff to Council’s premises;

57. Regrets that the Council has still not implemented a simplified accreditation procedure to facilitate the access of the other Union institutions’ staff to Council’s premises; calls on the Council to implement this measure;

Or. en

Amendment 68

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 59 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

59 a. Calls on the Council to establish measurable sustainability targets, including specific carbon reduction goals and a strategy for reducing travel-related emissions; requests an annual sustainability report detailing the energy efficiency measures implemented and their quantified impact;

Or. en

Amendment 69

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 59 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

59 b. Demands that the Council introduce binding sustainability targets aligned with the European Green Deal, including mandatory carbon accounting for all Council-related travel, with offsetting measures where reduction is not feasible;

Or. en

Amendment 70

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 59 c (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

59 c. Calls on the Council to fully phase out fossil fuel-based vehicle use within its transport fleet by 2030 and commit to 100% renewable energy sourcing for its buildings by 2027;

Or. en

Amendment 71

Andrey Kovatchev

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 60

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

60. Stresses the need for Article 319 TFEU to be revised in order to explicitly stipulate that Parliament, besides granting discharge to the Commission, also grants discharge to other Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies in respect of the implementation of their sections of the budget or of their budgets; invites the Council to overcome the inter-institutional conflict and to resume talks with the European Parliament in order to reach a common agreement for a smooth resumption of the discharge procedure;

Or. en

Amendment 72

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 60 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

60 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 73

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 60 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

60 a. Calls on the European Commission to initiate infringement proceedings against the Council for persistent failure to respect democratic oversight in budgetary matters, in violation of the principles of transparency and good governance enshrined in the Treaties;

Or. en

Amendment 74

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 60 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

60 b. 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