Sittings · Document

Draft report (2024/2027(DEC)) 2025-02-10

2023 discharge: General budget of the EU - European Ombudsman

Committee on Budgetary Control

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Amendment 1

Virginie Joron, Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

4a. Notes that this budget is rather modest in the light of the Ombudsman's usefulness in monitoring maladministration within the European institutions.

Or. fr

Amendment 2

Tomáš Zdechovský

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 5

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

5. Notes that the budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2023 resulted in a budget implementation rate of 95,39 %, representing a decrease of 1,58 % compared to 2022; notes that the current year payment appropriations execution rate was 97,58 %, representing an increase of 1,31 % compared to 2022, which led to a decrease in automatic carry-overs from 3,73 % ( or 442 209) in 2002 to 2,42 % (or 304 550 EUR) in 2023; regrets, nevertheless, a lower execution rate of the automatic carry-overs of appropriations from the previous year, which in 2023 was 73,27 % compared to 92,59 % in 2022;

Or. en

Amendment 3

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

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

9. Notes that the budget for staff missions decreased from EUR 120,000 in 2022 to EUR 100,000 in 2022 thanks to an extensive use of videoconference facilities in both places of work; commends, in this context, the Ombudsman for the reduction in its staff missions’ budget for the fourth consecutive year; notes that the missions and travel budget for the Ombudsman remained the same in 2023 as in the previous years (2021 and 2022), i.e. EUR 35 000;

9. Welcomes that the budget for staff missions decreased from EUR 120,000 in 2022 to EUR 100,000 in 2022 thanks to an extensive use of videoconference facilities in both places of work; commends, in this context, the Ombudsman for the reduction in its staff missions’ budget for the fourth consecutive year; notes that the missions and travel budget for the Ombudsman remained the same in 2023 as in the previous years (2021 and 2022), i.e. EUR 35 000;

Or. en

Amendment 4

Tomáš Zdechovský

on behalf of the EPP Group

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

9. Notes that the budget for staff missions decreased from EUR 120,000 in 2022 to EUR 100,000 in 2023 thanks to an extensive use of videoconference facilities in both places of work; commends, in this context, the Ombudsman for the reduction in its staff missions’ budget for the fourth consecutive year; notes that the missions and travel budget for the Ombudsman remained the same in 2023 as in the previous years (2021 and 2022), i.e. EUR 35 000;

Or. en

Amendment 5

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

9 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 6

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

9 b. 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 7

Tamás Deutsch, Ondřej Knotek

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9 c (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

9 c. 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 8

Tamás Deutsch, Virginie Joron, Julien Sanchez, Ondřej Knotek

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9 d (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

9 d. 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 9

Tamás Deutsch, Ondřej Knotek

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9 e (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

9 e. 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 10

Tamás Deutsch, Ondřej Knotek, Virginie Joron, Julien Sanchez

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9 f (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

9 f. 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 11

Tomáš Zdechovský

on behalf of the EPP Group

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

11. Observes an overall increase in the Ombudsman’s workload compared to the previous year, whereas in 2023 the Ombudsman handled 2 392 new complaints (2 223 in 2022), opened 398 inquiries (348 in 2022), including 56 inquiries of public importance (60 in 2022), closed 372 inquiries (330 in 2022) and dealt with a record number of public access complaints which has increased from 117 in 2022 to a record number of 167 in 2023, 118 of which were followed up with inquiries; commends, in this context, the Ombudsman for the efficiency gains made in 2023 by simplifying the handling of the ‘failure to reply’ inquiries, and streamlining the processing of the ‘out of mandate complaints’ and information requests;

11. Observes an overall increase in the Ombudsman’s workload compared to the previous year, whereas in 2023 the Ombudsman handled 2 392 new complaints (2 223 in 2022), opened 398 inquiries (348 in 2022), including 56 inquiries of public importance (60 in 2022), closed 372 inquiries (330 in 2022) and dealt with a record number of public access complaints which has increased from 117 in 2022 to a record number of 167 in 2023, 118 of which were followed up with inquiries; commends, in this context, the Ombudsman for the efficiency gains made in 2023 to lower the number of complaints by simplifying the handling of the ‘failure to reply’ inquiries, and streamlining the processing of the ‘out of mandate complaints’ and information requests; calls on the Ombudsman to work on more targeted communication to address this issue in the future;

Or. en

Amendment 12

Tomáš Zdechovský

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

Or. en

Amendment 13

Virginie Joron, Ondřej Knotek, Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 15

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

15. Recognises the efforts made by and the positive impact of the Ombudsman in the areas of ethics, transparency and accountability in 2023, especially as a result of inquiries on public access to documents and conflicts of interest concerning various Union institutions, agencies or the European Investment Bank; expresses its appreciation for the special report the Ombudsman issued in September 2023 on the Commission delays in dealing with access to documents requests;

15. Recognises the huge efforts made by and the positive impact of the Ombudsman in the areas of ethics, transparency and accountability in 2023, especially as a result of inquiries on public access to documents and conflicts of interest concerning various Union institutions, agencies or the European Investment Bank; expresses its appreciation for the special report the Ombudsman issued in September 2023 on the Commission delays in dealing with access to documents requests;

Or. fr

Amendment 14

Virginie Joron, Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 15 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

15a. Congratulates the Ombudsman for having dared to criticise European Union maladministration, and in particular the lack of transparency displayed by the Commission President and her cabinet (e.g. the Pfizer affair) and revolving-door affairs;

Or. fr

Amendment 15

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda, Eero Heinäluoma

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

16. Takes note, from the Ombudsman’s report to the discharge authority entitled ‘Report on the follow-up to the discharge for the financial year 2022’, of the issues observed in the area of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), namely significant delays encountered by the European Commission in replying to access requests, as well as with regard to the reasoning on the basis of which the Commission established the level for granting public access to documents in some cases; regrets that significant divergences persist at the national level regarding the timeliness and completeness of information on final recipients; calls the Commission to intensify its efforts to address these shortcomings as part of its ongoing monitoring and control functions; stresses the importance of consistent and complete reporting across all Member States to ensure transparency and accountability; calls on the Ombudsman to maintain its monitoring of the Commission’s efforts to ensure transparency and effective supervision of the RRF and to continue informing the budgetary authority about the difficulties encountered in its work on the transparency and accountability of the RRF;

Or. en

Amendment 16

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

16. Takes note, from the Ombudsman’s report to the discharge authority entitled ‘Report on the follow-up to the discharge for the financial year 2022’, of the issues observed in the area of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), namely significant delays encountered by the European Commission in replying to access requests, as well as with regard to the reasoning on the basis of which the Commission established the level for granting public access to documents in some cases; express concerns on the Commission’s decision not to accept all the suggestions and solution proposals that the Ombudsman made in that regard, reminding the importance of the good practice principles for government transparency in the use of recovery funds produced in cooperation with the OECD; calls on the Ombudsman to continue informing the budgetary authority about the difficulties encountered in its work on the transparency and accountability of the RRF;

Or. en

Amendment 17

Tomáš Zdechovský

on behalf of the EPP Group

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

Or. en

Amendment 18

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

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

16 a. Calls the Ombudsman to inform periodically the budgetary authority about the difficulties encountered in its work on the transparency and accountability of the Recovery and Resilience Facility;

Or. en

Amendment 19

Cristian Terheş

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

16 a. Highlightes that, in 2023, following an own-initiative inquiry that revealed that, when individuals seek a review of an access decision, known as a confirmatory request, the Commission misses the deadlines set out in the law in 85% of cases, the Ombudsman urged the European Commission to promptly address systemic delays in processing access to documents requests; calls for the swift implementation of the Ombudsman’s urgent recommendation for a thorough reassessment to ensure compliance with the deadlines set out in EU public access law (Regulation 1049/2001); commends the Ombudsman for its special report to the European Parliament, asking the institution for its formal support in getting the Commission to act on her recommendation; recalls that the Ombudsman discussed the report with Members of the European Parliament in the Committee for Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs in November 20231a;

_________________

1a https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/doc/annual-report/en/183636

Or. en

Amendment 20

Cristian Terheş

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

16 b. Notes with great concern that the Ombudsman receives many citizens' complaints about extreme delays in gaining access to requested documents; supports the Ombudsman’s views that access delayed is effectively access denied and that administrative processes should be streamlined to ensure that citizens receive access to documents in a timely manner6a;

_________________

6a https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/multimedia/infographics/en/142

Or. en

Amendment 21

Cristian Terheş

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16 c (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

16 c. Notes the European Ombudsman exemplary efforts during the pandemic years in safeguarding the rights of citizens against the unprecedented abuses by the European Commission and investigating the Commission's refusal to provide access to documents and text messages related to the negotiation of COVID-19 vaccines purchase contracts using public funds;

Or. en

Amendment 22

Cristian Terheş

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16 d (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

16 d. Recalls that, according to the European Ombudsman, restrictions on access to documents, particularly legislative documents, should be exceptional and limited to what is absolutely necessary; recalls further that any decision denying public access to documents must be based on clearly and strictly defined legal exemptions, accompanied by a reasoned and specific justification, to enable citizens to understand the denial of access and make effective use of the legal remedies available;

Or. en

Amendment 23

Cristian Terheş

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16 e (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

16 e. Stresses that, in 2023, the Ombudsman initiated an inquiry into how the Commission ensures there are no conflicts of interest among external experts evaluating EDF project proposals; underlines that this inquiry was prompted by the fact that, unlike the general practice for evaluating proposals for EU funding, the Commission is not required to disclose the names of the experts it consults for these projects8a.

_________________

8a https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/doc/annual-report/en/183636

Or. en

Amendment 24

Cristian Terheş

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16 f (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

16 f. Expresses deep concern that, in 2021, following a request for public access to text messages between the Commission's President and the CEO of a pharmaceutical company regarding the Commission’s purchase of COVID-19 vaccines, the Commission refused to acknowledge that such text messages fall under the definition of a ‘document’ as outlined in Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001; reminds that the registration of a document is a consequence of its existence, not a prerequisite for it; acknowledges the Ombudsman’s finding of maladministration by the Commission in this case and expresses concern that, to date, the Commission has not acted on the Ombudsman’s recommendation to conduct an additional search for relevant text messages; urges the Commission to publish the text messages without delay; expresses serious concern about the growing disconnect between citizens and EU institutions, which is being exacerbated by this and other instances of maladministration by the Commission; stresses that the call for the Commission be transparent and to publish the text messages, which has been blatantly ignored to date, was also made in the European Parliament’s annual report on public access to documents for the years 2019-20213a, European Parliament's resolution of 21 October 2021 on EU transparency in the development, purchase and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines 4a, European Parliament's annual report on the activities of the European Ombudsman in 20225a, as well as in the Discharge reports for the Ombudsman and the Commission from previous years;

_________________

3a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0295_EN.html

4a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2021-0435_EN.html

5a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2024-0035_EN.html

Or. en

Amendment 25

Cristian Terheş

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16 g (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

16 g. Emphasizes that, in an inquiry related to environmental decision-making, the Ombudsman identified maladministration and criticized the Commission's refusal to grant access to documents concerning greenhouse gas emissions from the ceramics industry reported under the EU's Emissions Trading System. Further highlights that the Ombudsman notified the Commission of its consideration to initiate a broader inquiry into how the Commission interprets the scope of environmental information, including data related to emissions into the environment2a;

_________________

2a https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/decision/en/179451

Or. en

Amendment 26

Cristian Terheş

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16 h (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

16 h. Emphasizes that, following reports that Qatar and organizations connected to it had funded business trips for a European Commission Director-General, the Ombudsman, since 2021, requested information from the Commission regarding travel costs paid by third parties, underlines that fter reviewing the provided statistics, the Ombudsman announced her intention to open an inquiry to assess the trips in question and, in 2023, urged the Commission to make public, at least, a summary of the information it had already shared with her on this matter7a;

_________________

7a https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/case/en/63485

Or. en

Amendment 27

Tamás Deutsch

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 and its institutions, shall promote solidarity and equality between women and men;

Or. en

Amendment 28

Virginie Joron

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 19

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

19. Notes with dissatisfaction that the post of the Secretary-General of the Ombudsman has been vacant for more than two years, since 1 September 2022; notes from the Questionnaire that “as a courtesy to the new Ombudsman, who will be elected by the end of 2024, the current Ombudsman decided to leave the post vacant for her successor to decide on the appointment”; calls on the next Ombudsman to make sure that the periods of vacancy of management positions remain as short as possible and are not longer than the time necessary for recruitment of new staff in those positions;

deleted

Or. fr

Amendment 29

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

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 19

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

19. Regrets that the post of the Secretary-General of the Ombudsman has been vacant for more than two years, since 1 September 2022; notes from the Questionnaire that “as a courtesy to the new Ombudsman, who will be elected by the end of 2024, the current Ombudsman decided to leave the post vacant for her successor to decide on the appointment”; calls on the next Ombudsman to make sure that the periods of vacancy of management positions remain as short as possible and are not longer than the time necessary for recruitment of new staff in those positions;

Or. en

Amendment 30

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 21

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

21. Notes that, despite being a small institution, the Ombudsman managed to have 19 nationalities represented in its staff in 2023; observes, however, an overrepresentation of some nationalities (for example French, Irish) and an underrepresentation of other nationalities (for example Romanian, Spanish); urges the Ombudsman to continue its efforts to achieve a balanced geographical distribution of nationals from all Member States within its staff;

21. Notes that, despite being a small institution, the Ombudsman managed to have 19 nationalities represented in its staff in 2023, as a result of proactive communication and outreach, notably through social media and online platforms to advertise vacancies; observes, however, an overrepresentation of some nationalities (for example French, Irish) and an underrepresentation of other nationalities (for example Romanian, Spanish); urges the Ombudsman to continue its efforts to achieve a balanced geographical distribution of nationals from all Member States within its staff;

Or. en

Amendment 31

Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu, Olivier Chastel, Michal Wiezik

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 21

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

21. Notes that the Ombudsman managed to have 19 nationalities represented in its staff in 2023; notes with dissatisfaction, however, an overrepresentation of some nationalities (for example French, Irish) and an underrepresentation of other nationalities (for example Romanian, Spanish); urges the Ombudsman to continue its efforts to achieve a balanced geographical distribution of nationals from all Member States within its staff, by improving communication, fostering visibility, and enhancing job conditions to attract underrepresented nationalities;

Or. en

Amendment 32

Tomáš Zdechovský

on behalf of the EPP Group

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 21

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

Or. en

Amendment 33

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 21 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

21 a. Notes that, in terms of gender balance, the Ombudsman employs more women than men in all categories of staff, in particular at management level, with women-men overall ratio remaining the same as in 2022; encourages the Ombudsman to continue its efforts in achieving a gender-balanced representation of staff;

Or. en

Amendment 34

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda, Marit Maij

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 21 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

21 a. Takes note that gender representation within the Ombudsman’s staff remained unchanged compared to 2022, with 67% women and 33% men in 2023; encourages the Ombudsman to intensify efforts towards achieving a more balanced gender representation among its staff;

Or. en

Amendment 35

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda, Marit Maij

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 22 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

22 a. Acknowledges that the small size of the Ombudsman’s Office allows managers to closely monitor staff workload and make necessary adjustments, enabling the early detection of potential burnouts; notes that the 2023 staff survey indicated no issues with workload distribution or work-related health problems, and that the European Parliament’s medical service reported no long-term illnesses related to burnout;

Or. en

Amendment 36

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 23

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

23. Notes with satisfaction that no harassment cases were reported in 2022; acknowledges the efforts made by the Ombudsman to provide a working environment that is free from sexual and psychological harassment, as well as inclusive, in particular through awareness raising and training; notes with satisfaction that a survey carried out in 2023 in the context of an internal audit on the ethical framework has shown that 90 % of staff were aware of the policy and guidelines regarding harassment of any type; calls for the establishment of an independent oversight mechanism for workplace harassment complaints, ensuring impartial investigations and mandatory reporting on the number, type, and outcomes of cases annually;

Or. en

Amendment 37

Tomáš Zdechovský

on behalf of the EPP Group

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 23

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

23. Notes with satisfaction that no harassment cases were reported in 2023; acknowledges the efforts made by the Ombudsman to provide a working environment that is free from sexual and psychological harassment, in particular through awareness raising and training; notes with satisfaction that a survey carried out in 2023 in the context of an internal audit on the ethical framework has shown that 90 % of staff were aware of the policy and guidelines regarding harassment of any type;

Or. en

Amendment 38

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 23

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

Or. en

Amendment 39

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda, Marit Maij

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 24

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

24. Notes that the Ombudsman welcomed 18 paid trainees in 2023 (the same number as in 2022), one of which was selected following the Ombudsman’s first call aimed at candidates with disabilities;

24. Notes with satisfaction that the Ombudsman welcomed 18 paid trainees in 2023 (the same number as in 2022), one of which was selected following the Ombudsman’s first call aimed at candidates with disabilities; acknowledges that this initiative promotes inclusivity and equal opportunities by providing trainees with valuable experience in the EU institutions;

Or. en

Amendment 40

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 25

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

25. Welcomes the Ombudsman’s continued efforts to strengthen and raise awareness about the ethical framework of the institution; notes in this context that in 2023 the Ombudsman revised the whistleblower policy to further protect potential whistleblowers, fully deployed the SYSPER ethics tool that allows staff to update declarations (on their conflicts of interest and on their spouses/partners’ professional activities) and organised an interactive training course entitled ‘Respect and dignity at work and our roles as actors, recipients and bystanders’; welcomes the result of the general staff survey carried out in 2023 confirming high levels of staff awareness about ethical matters;

Or. en

Amendment 41

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 25

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

25. Welcomes the Ombudsman’s continued efforts to strengthen and raise awareness about the ethical framework of the institution; notes with appreciation that in 2023 the Ombudsman revised the whistleblower policy to strengthen protections for potential whistleblowers, ensure better alignment with data protection standards, enhance confidentiality and support, and incorporate provisions on ethics correspondents; further welcomes the full deployement of the SYSPER ethics tool that allows staff to update declarations (on their conflicts of interest and on their spouses/partners’ professional activities) and organised an interactive training course entitled ‘Respect and dignity at work and our roles as actors, recipients and bystanders’; welcomes the result of the general staff survey carried out in 2023 confirming high levels of staff awareness about ethical matters;

Or. en

Amendment 42

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 27 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

27 a. Calls for the introduction of a mandatory two-year "cooling-off" period for former senior Ombudsman officials before they can engage in lobbying, consultancy, or advisory roles linked to EU institutions, ensuring stronger safeguards against conflicts of interest;

Or. en

Amendment 43

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 29 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

29 a. Calls on the Ombudsman to introduce a mandatory declaration of financial interests for senior staff, with real-time public access to information regarding potential conflicts of interest, external engagements, and financial assets;

Or. en

Amendment 44

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 29 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

29 b. Calls on the Ombudsman to expand its monitoring of human rights violations linked to EU-funded programs, ensuring greater oversight in cases of potential institutional malpractice related to migration policies, labor rights, and corporate accountability;

Or. en

Amendment 45

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

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 30

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

30. Notes that the Ombudsman’s final (after transfers) budget for buildings and associated costs decreased by approx. 15 %, from EUR 1 622 200 in 2022 to EUR 1 373 000 in 2023; notes that the appropriations for rent decreased by 26 %, from EUR 1 177 700 in 2022 to EUR 866 100 in 2023, with a payment execution rate in both years of close to 100 %;

30. Welcomes that the Ombudsman’s final (after transfers) budget for buildings and associated costs decreased by approx. 15 %, from EUR 1 622 200 in 2022 to EUR 1 373 000 in 2023; notes that the appropriations for rent decreased by 26 %, from EUR 1 177 700 in 2022 to EUR 866 100 in 2023, with a payment execution rate in both years of close to 100 %;

Or. en

Amendment 46

Pasquale Tridico

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 31 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

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

Or. en

Amendment 47

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

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 34

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

34. Notes that, as of 2023, the Ombudsman has been actively exploring the opportunities that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) could bring; welcomes in this context the Ombudsman’s partnership with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre to experiment with large language models, and test and evaluate AI use cases; notes further that the Ombudsman purchased several AI tools which have successfully contributed to video content creation; welcomes the adoption by the Ombudsman of internal guidelines to ensure that external AI tools are used in a responsible and transparent manner; invites the Ombudsman to keep the discharge authority informed of the progress made in testing and using AI solutions;

34. Notes that, as of 2023, the Ombudsman has been actively exploring the opportunities that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) could bring; welcomes in this context the Ombudsman’s partnership with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre to experiment with large language models, and test and evaluate AI use cases; notes further that the Ombudsman purchased several AI tools which have successfully contributed to video content creation; welcomes the adoption by the Ombudsman of internal guidelines to ensure that external AI tools are used in a responsible and transparent manner; encourages the Ombudsman to ensure that staff receives compulsory training on the safe and ethical use of AI tools to enhance their understanding and mitigate potential risks; invites the Ombudsman to keep the discharge authority informed of the progress made in testing and using AI solutions;

Or. en

Amendment 48

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 35 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

35 a. Urges the Ombudsman to strengthen cybersecurity measures by increasing its IT security budget to at least 10% of total IT expenditures in line with EU cybersecurity directives and to conduct annual stress tests on data protection protocols;

Or. en

Amendment 49

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

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 35 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

35 a. Encourages the Ombudsman to work in close cooperation with ENISA (European union Agency for Cybersecurity); suggests to offer regularly updated cybersecurity-related training programmes for all staff within the Ombudsman;

Or. en

Amendment 50

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 37 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

37 a. Calls on the Ombudsman to adopt a comprehensive Green Transition Strategy by 2025, with clear sustainability targets, including a 50% reduction in institutional carbon emissions by 2030, prioritization of green procurement, and full adoption of paperless workflows by 2026;

Or. en

Amendment 51

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 38 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

38 a. Urges the Ombudsman to increase the use of renewable energy sources in its Brussels and Strasbourg offices, introduce mandatory sustainability clauses in service contracts, and explore green mobility incentives for staff to reduce the environmental impact of work-related travel;

Or. en

Amendment 52

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 38 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

38 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 53

Tomáš Zdechovský

on behalf of the EPP Group

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 40

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

40. Commends the Ombudsman for its good collaboration with OLAF, ECA and EPPO which in 2023 took the form of meetings and exchanges of views on, for example, ways to improve the transparency and integrity of Union institutions or the Union’s oversight framework; recalls that the Ombudsman and OLAF have put in place a system to avoid duplication of investigations; notes from the Questionnaire that the Ombudsman and the EDPS cooperate mainly on an ad-hoc and informal basis aiming for a quick and efficient collaboration when needed;

Or. en

Amendment 54

Damian Boeselager

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 40 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

40 a. Calls on the Ombudsman to establish a formalized annual dialogue with the European Parliament’s CONT and LIBE Committees, ensuring systematic follow-up on institutional transparency, governance reforms, and fundamental rights protection;

Or. en

Amendment 55

Csaba Molnár, Claudiu Manda

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 41

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

41. Recognises the importance of maintaining a high level of exchanges and coordination with the European Network of Ombudsmen (ENO); welcomes the organisation of the ENO annual conference with sessions on topics such as migration, artificial intelligence and ethics in public administration in 2023; notes with satisfaction that, through the query procedure, the Ombudsman assists ENO members in resolving investigations at national and regional level, whereas, in 2023, the Ombudsman concluded five queries originating from five Union Member States;

Or. en

Amendment 56

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 42 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

42 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 57

Cristian Terheş

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 44

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

44. Welcomes the efforts of and actions taken by the Ombudsman in 2023 to raise citizens’ awareness about its role and the possibility of recourse to it in the event of maladministration by a Union institution; notes in this sense the communication campaigns carried out in 2023 around a series of videos presenting the Ombudsman’s work and explaining three of the key areas of its interventions, an explainer in the form of a scrollable story on the impact of the Ombudsman’s work over time and an access to documents guide; welcomes moreover the organisation of the ‘Award for Good Administration’ ceremony and the participation of the Ombudsman at the EU Open Day in Brussels and Strasbourg, where it hosted targeted stakeholder events with academics and think tanks, and at the European Youth Event in Strasbourg in 2023;

44. Welcomes the efforts of and actions taken by the Ombudsman in 2023 to raise citizens’ awareness about its role and the possibility of recourse to it in the event of maladministration by a Union institution; notes the significant number of maladministration decisions concerning the Commission’s activities, particularly with regard to citizens' rights to access documents; notes in this sense the communication campaigns carried out in 2023 around a series of videos presenting the Ombudsman’s work and explaining three of the key areas of its interventions, an explainer in the form of a scrollable story on the impact of the Ombudsman’s work over time and an access to documents guide; welcomes moreover the organisation of the ‘Award for Good Administration’ ceremony and the participation of the Ombudsman at the EU Open Day in Brussels and Strasbourg, where it hosted targeted stakeholder events with academics and think tanks, and at the European Youth Event in Strasbourg in 2023;

Or. en

Amendment 58

Virginie Joron, Julien Sanchez

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 46

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

46. Notes that the Ombudsman has social media accounts on Instagram, LinkedIn, X (ex-Twitter), where the number of followers and the engagement rates continued to grow in 2023; welcomes the participation of the Ombudsman in a pilot project led by the EDPS aimed at bringing Union institutions onto EU Voice and EU Video, which are two free, open-source social media networks, based on Mastodon software, allowing Union institutions to interact with the public by sharing texts, images, videos and podcasts.

46. Notes that the Ombudsman has social media accounts on Instagram, LinkedIn, X (ex-Twitter), where the number of followers (36 700 on X) and the engagement rates continued to grow in 2023; welcomes the participation of the Ombudsman in a pilot project led by the EDPS aimed at bringing Union institutions onto EU Voice and EU Video, which are two free, open-source social media networks, based on Mastodon software, allowing Union institutions to interact with the public by sharing texts, images, videos and podcasts.

Or. fr

Amendment 59

Virginie Joron, Tamás Deutsch, Julien Sanchez

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 46 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

46a. Regrets that the Ombudsman is stopping using X/Twitter for petty political reasons.

Or. fr