Sittings · Document

Draft report (2025/2157(DEC)) 2026-01-28

Discharge 2024: General budget of the EU - Joint Undertakings

Committee on Budgetary Control

Amendment 1

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 1

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
1. Notes that the role of the Joint Undertakings should be to support research and innovation activities in the areas of transport, energy, health, circular bio-based industries, key electronic components, artificial intelligence and supercomputing, cybersecurity and network systems; urges the Joint Undertakings to facilitate the conversion of scientific knowledge into market-ready innovations and to put in place mechanisms ensuring that their activities contribute to strengthening Europe’s global strategic autonomy, sustainability, security and competitiveness;	1. Welcomes the role of the Joint Undertakings in supporting research and innovation activities in the areas of transport, energy, health, circular bio-based industries, key electronic components, artificial intelligence and supercomputing, cybersecurity and network systems; urges the Joint Undertakings to facilitate the conversion of scientific knowledge into market-ready innovations and to put in place mechanisms ensuring that their activities contribute to strengthening Europe’s global strategic autonomy, sustainability, security and competitiveness;

Or. en

Amendment 2

Terry Reintke

on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
4. Notes that Joint Undertakings are based on public-private partnerships that steer investment and leverage public and private funds to support common goals; recalls, in this regard, that the contributions of private members must meet established targets in order for such partnerships to remain mutually beneficial; calls on the Joint Undertakings which allow in-kind contributions to additional activities to avoid, where possible, an excessive reliance on such contributions in order to meet established targets;	4. Notes that Joint Undertakings are based on public-private partnerships that steer investment and leverage public and private funds to support common goals; recalls, in this regard, that the contributions of private members must meet established targets in order for such partnerships to remain mutually beneficial; calls on the Joint Undertakings and the Commission to reduce structural reliance on in-kind contributions to additional activities (IKAA) to meet targets, given that such activities are outside the Joint Undertakings’ work programmes and budgets and are not audited by the Court of Auditors; urges, therefore, strengthened transparency and Commission oversight of IKAA reporting and validation methodologies, and prioritisation of contributions linked to competitively awarded Joint Undertakings-funded actions;

Or. en

Amendment 3

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	4 a. Calls attention to the inherent risks of Public–Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements, in particular the tendency for risks to be disproportionately borne by the EU budget while a significant share of the financial returns accrues to private investors such as industry members and associations; stresses that such an imbalance undermines the principle of sound financial management and calls for stronger safeguards to ensure a fair and transparent allocation of risks and benefits between the public and private sectors;

Or. en

Amendment 4

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	4 a. Recommends that the Commission evaluate the European Court of Auditors’ suggestion to revise the private members’ target under Horizon Europe;

Or. en

Amendment 5

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

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	6 a. Calls on the Joint Undertakings to promote regular cybersecurity training to strengthen resilience against cyber threats and protect critical research, data, and infrastructure;

Or. en

Amendment 6

Tamás Deutsch, Ondřej Knotek

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 7 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	7 a. Notes that the role of the Joint Undertakings should be to support research and innovation in strategic sectors such as transport, energy, health, circular bio-based industries, key electronic components, artificial intelligence, supercomputing, cybersecurity and network systems; urges the Joint Undertakings to ensure that their activities contribute to Europe’s strategic autonomy, security, sustainability, competitiveness, and reduce dependency on third countries, including for critical technologies;

Or. en

Amendment 7

Michal Wiezik, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu, Gilles Boyer

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 7 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	7 a. Calls on Joint Undertakings to report on their contribution to horizontal priorities of the budget of the European Union, including climate mainstreaming; stresses the need for Joint Undertakings to contribute to environmental sustainability in their projects and to align their activities and investment strategies with EU’s environmental and climate goals;

Or. en

Amendment 8

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 8 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	8 a. Requests to assess how and why the promised funds are not delivered by the partners and whether this threatens in any way the achievement of the Joint Undertakings’ overall programme objectives;

Or. en

Amendment 9

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 8 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	8 b. Expresses its concern, based on the annual report on the research partnerships by the European Court of Auditors (ECA), that contributions from the private sector are in some cases falling short;

Or. en

Amendment 10

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	9 a. Points out, that some of the Joint Undertakings are far below the target, with private partnership members making in-kind contributions of in some cases only about 5% of the promised amounts by the end of 2024;

Or. en

Amendment 11

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	12 a. Points out, that due to the private members low contributions some Joint Undertakings currently face huge financial difficulties in achieving their targets, there is a need for a systemic evaluation of the reasons why some of the Joint Undertakings could not attract sufficient contributing partners from the private sector;

Or. en

Amendment 12

Tamás Deutsch, Ondřej Knotek

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14 – point b a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	(b a) Recalls that public health, in accordance with Article 168 TFEU, remains primarily the competence of the Member States; underlines that Joint Undertakings should support, not replace, national initiatives and policies;

Or. en

Amendment 13

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

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20 – point b

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
(b) the total available budget in 2024 for the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking amounted to EUR 172,0 million in commitment appropriations compared to EUR 269 million in 2023 and EUR 302,6 million in payment appropriations compared to EUR 486,0 million in 2023; understands furthermore that according to the report on budgetary and financial management of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, its total budget execution rate for the financial year 2024 reached 99,9 % for commitment appropriations and 84,4 % for payment appropriations (excluding the unused appropriations), indicating that there were no severe issues related to the pace of implementation of the budget; notes that the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking is piloting the European Commission’s new budgetary, accounting, and financial system (SUMMA) which is not yet fully operational; calls, in this regard, on the Joint Undertaking to ensure the reliability of the data through appropriate manual processing and additional verification controls where necessary;	(b) the total available budget in 2024 for the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking amounted to EUR 172,0 million in commitment appropriations compared to EUR 269 million in 2023 and EUR 302,6 million in payment appropriations compared to EUR 486,0 million in 2023; understands furthermore that according to the report on budgetary and financial management of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, its total budget execution rate for the financial year 2024 reached 99,9 % for commitment appropriations and 84,4 % for payment appropriations (excluding the unused appropriations), indicating that there were no severe issues related to the pace of implementation of the budget; nevertheless, stresses the low execution rate of payment appropriations dedicated to infrastructure and operating expenditure and Horizon Europe payments budget which reached only 67 % and 52 % respectively in 2024; notes that the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking is piloting the European Commission’s new budgetary, accounting, and financial system (SUMMA) which is not yet fully operational; calls, in this regard, on the Joint Undertaking to ensure the reliability of the data through appropriate manual processing and additional verification controls where necessary;

Or. en

Amendment 14

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

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20 – point j

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
(j) the total available budget in 2024 for the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking amounted to EUR 224,6 million in commitment appropriations compared to EUR 136,4 million in 2023 and EUR 80,3 million in payment appropriations compared to EUR 2,2 million in 2023; understands that according to the report on budgetary and financial management of the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking, its total budget execution rate for the financial year 2024 reached 98 % for commitment appropriations and 96 % for payment appropriations indicating that there were no severe issues related to the pace of implementation of the budget; notes however the low rate of payment appropriations for part of its administrative budget, namely the infrastructure and operating costs, which only reached 37 %; notes the explanation of the Joint Undertaking and calls on it to ensure better implementation of this part of its administrative budget;	(j) the total available budget in 2024 for the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking amounted to EUR 224,6 million in commitment appropriations compared to EUR 136,4 million in 2023 and EUR 80,3 million in payment appropriations compared to EUR 2,2 million in 2023; understands that according to the report on budgetary and financial management of the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking, its total budget execution rate for the financial year 2024 reached 98 % for commitment appropriations and 96 % for payment appropriations indicating that there were no severe issues related to the pace of implementation of the budget; notes however the low rate of payment appropriations for part of its administrative budget, namely the infrastructure and operating costs, which only reached 37 %; notes the explanation of the Joint Undertaking and calls on it to ensure better implementation of this part of its administrative budget when planning its administrative payments budget for 2027, including by proactively taking account of the volume of unused administrative appropriations already accumulated by the end of 2024;

Or. en

Amendment 15

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

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20 – point l

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
(l) the total available budget in 2024 for the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy amounted to EUR 811,8 million in commitment appropriations compared to EUR 807 million in 2024 and EUR 693,7 million in payment appropriations compared to EUR 631,5 million in 2023; understands furthermore that according to the report on budgetary and financial management of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy, its total budget execution rate for the financial year 2024 reached 92 % for commitment appropriations and 93 % for payment appropriations, indicating that there were no serious issues related to the pace of implementation of the budget; notes an improvement in the rate of implementation of operational expenditure which reached 92 % in commitment appropriations and 93 % for payment appropriations compared to 2023 when the execution rate of commitment appropriations dedicated to operational expenditure was 70 %;	(l) the total available budget in 2024 for the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy amounted to EUR 811,8 million in commitment appropriations compared to EUR 807 million in 2023 and EUR 693,7 million in payment appropriations compared to EUR 631,5 million in 2023; understands furthermore that according to the report on budgetary and financial management of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy, its total budget execution rate for the financial year 2024 reached 92 % for commitment appropriations and 93 % for payment appropriations, indicating that there were no longer serious issues related to the pace of implementation of the budget as compared to 73 % execution rate in 2023 for commitment appropriations; notes an improvement in the rate of implementation of operational expenditure which reached 92 % in commitment appropriations and 93 % for payment appropriations compared to 2023 when the execution rate of commitment appropriations dedicated to operational expenditure was 70 %;

Or. en

Amendment 16

Terry Reintke

on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 22 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	22 a. Considers that persistently increasing cash surpluses reflect structural weaknesses in budget realism and programme delivery capacity; calls on the Commission to tighten cash-request discipline and to require a transparent annual plan for surplus reduction for Joint Undertakings with persistent surpluses, including measurable milestones and a clear link to delayed implementation drivers (e.g. postponed Digital Europe investments);

Or. en

Amendment 17

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

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 24 – point c

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
(c) the situation of the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, which did not improve compared to last year and whose contributions from private members under Horizon Europe and Digital Europe at the end of 2024 stood unchanged at 0.3 % of the 2021-2027 MFF target of EUR 900 million; stresses once again that reaching contribution targets should be considered as a duty of the Joint Undertaking;	(c) the situation of the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, which did not improve compared to last year and whose contributions from private members under Horizon Europe and Digital Europe at the end of 2024 stood unchanged at 0.3 % of the 2021-2027 MFF target of EUR 900 million; stresses once again that reaching contribution targets should be considered as a duty of the Joint Undertaking; reiterates the previous year's recommendation that the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking should support the Commission’s reassessment of the current target in order to ensure that it can attain its contribution target for private members under Horizon Europe and Digital Europe and welcomes the ongoing process in this regard;

Or. en

Amendment 18

Dick Erixon, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 3 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Performance and monitoring

Or. en

Amendment 19

Dick Erixon, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 24 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	24 a. Notes that Joint Undertakings have EUR 38.1 billion at their disposal for the 2021-2027 period, which is more than double compared to the previous period; notes with regret, however, that the European Court of Auditors’ Special Annual Report on Joint Undertakings for 2024 examines primarily financial regularity, compliance with budgetary rules and partners’ contributions, but does not evaluate whether programmes are achieving their objectives;

Or. en

Amendment 20

Dick Erixon, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 24 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	24 b. Highlights the systemic problem identified by the European Court of Auditors in its Special Report on AI (08/2024), stating that ‘results of EU-funded AI projects are not systematically monitored’1a; stresses that without such metrics, it is impossible to assess whether the EU is getting value for money;
	_________________
	1a https://www.eca.europa.eu/ECAPublications/SAR-JUS-2024/SAR-JUS-2024_EN.pdf

Or. en

Amendment 21

Dick Erixon, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 24 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	24 c. Calls therefore on the Joint Undertakings to introduce and apply a common framework for measuring programme performance and impacts, allowing Parliament and taxpayers to see concrete results for the resources spent; requests that future reports from Joint Undertakings go beyond compliance with EU financial rules and present specific results delivered for European citizens;

Or. en

Amendment 22

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 25

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
25. Notes that the Court did not signal in its report for the year 2024 specific issues related to procurement and tenders; nevertheless, stresses the importance of procurement as a tool to advance policy objectives such as strategic autonomy, innovation, environmental and social agenda; calls on the Joint Undertakings to strengthen in their procurements the inclusion of strategic criteria on social responsibility, lifecycle sustainability, cybersecurity robustness, resilience of supply, etc; congratulates some Joint Undertakings which are already implementing such practices (e.g. the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy which in 2024 included sustainability requirements in more than 50 % of its procurements);	25. Notes that the Court did not signal in its report for the year 2024 specific issues related to procurement and tenders; nevertheless, stresses the importance of procurement as a tool to ensure best value for money, competition and legal certainty; encourages the Joint Undertakings to strengthen in their procurements the inclusion of strategic considerations such as lifecycle sustainability, security of supply, resilience and innovation capacity; congratulates some Joint Undertakings which are already implementing such practices (e.g. the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy which in 2024 included sustainability requirements in more than 50 % of its procurements);

Or. en

Amendment 23

Tamás Deutsch, Ondřej Knotek

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 25 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	25 a. Calls on all Joint Undertakings to actively pursue transparency in their administrative, budgetary, and communication activities; stresses the importance of timely, clear, and complete access to information on calls for proposals, allocation of funding, project results, and monitoring and evaluation measures; considers transparency an essential condition for the sound management of European Union funds;

Or. en

Amendment 24

Dick Erixon, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 27

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
27. Urges all Joint Undertakings to reinforce their actions to advance gender equality at all levels, to mainstream gender balance across all activities related to procurement, grants and tenders, and to justify any failure to achieve gender balance;	deleted

Or. en

Amendment 25

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 27

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
27. Urges all Joint Undertakings to reinforce their actions to advance gender equality at all levels, to mainstream gender balance across all activities related to procurement, grants and tenders, and to justify any failure to achieve gender balance;	27. Calls on all Joint Undertakings to reinforce their actions to advance gender equality in line with the principles of merit, excellence and equal opportunities, while ensuring that selection and funding decisions remain performance-based;

Or. en

Amendment 26

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 28

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
28. Urges all Joint Undertakings to mainstream geographical balance in all procurement and grant procedures and to duly justify cases where adequate geographical distribution is not ensured;	28. Urges all Joint Undertakings to mainstream geographical balance in all procurement and grant procedures, without undermining competition, quality or excellence and to duly justify cases where adequate geographical distribution is not ensured;

Or. en

Amendment 27

Joachim Stanisław Brudziński

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 28 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	28 a. Calls for due account to be taken, in the planning and implementation of Joint Undertakings, of the differing starting positions of the Member States, stemming from historical, structural and economic circumstances; calls, in particular, for specific attention to be paid to Member States whose income levels remain below the European Union average, in order to ensure that Joint Undertakings contribute to supporting those Member States, to reducing development disparities within the Union, and to ensuring that technological and energy transitions are carried out in a fair and just manner;

Or. en

Amendment 28

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 29

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
29. Stresses the need for a fair and equitable geographical distribution of the Joint Undertaking’s funding, with particular attention to regions with lower innovation capacity and to SMEs;	29. Stresses the need for a fair and equitable geographical distribution of the Joint Undertaking’s funding, with particular attention to regions with lower innovation capacity and to SMEs, while preserving open competition and ensuring that funded projects deliver clear European added value;

Or. en

Amendment 29

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 31

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
31. Expresses serious concern with the level of perceived dissatisfaction among staff within the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy, as revealed by a recent staff survey; notes with regret the continued high reliance of the Joint Undertaking on external service providers; calls on the Joint Undertaking to promptly take measures to address both issues;	31. Takes note of perceived dissatisfaction among staff within the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy, as revealed by a recent staff survey; stresses that staff should be able to work in a physically and psychologically safe environment; further stresses the importance of retaining institutional knowledge; calls on the Joint Undertaking to promptly take measures to address both issues;

Or. en

Amendment 30

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 32

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
32. Repeats its call for a coherent and fair staffing policy across all Joint Undertakings, ensuring inclusive working conditions, career development, work-life balance, and mental health support; urges the adoption of measures to limit temporary and precarious contracts and promote transparent internal career advancement;	32. Repeats its call for a coherent and fair staffing policy across all Joint Undertakings, ensuring inclusive working conditions, career development, work-life balance, and mental health support; welcomes the use of flexible working arrangements to ensure organisational flexibility and the ability to attract highly specialised talent while promoting transparent internal career advancement;

Or. en

Amendment 31

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

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 32

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
32. Repeats its call for a coherent and fair staffing policy across all Joint Undertakings, ensuring inclusive working conditions, career development, work-life balance, and mental health support; urges the adoption of measures to limit temporary and precarious contracts and promote transparent internal career advancement;	32. Repeats its call for a coherent, transparent and fair staffing policy across all Joint Undertakings, ensuring inclusive working conditions, career development, work-life balance, and mental health support; urges the adoption of measures to limit temporary and precarious contracts and promote transparent internal career advancement;

Or. en

Amendment 32

Dick Erixon, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 33

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
33. Welcomes the Joint Undertakings’ progress in improving the quality and accessibility of data on gender balance and geographical distribution across staff and governance structures; highlights that enhanced data strengthens accountability and enables more targeted actions to foster diversity, ensure fair representation of members, and support healthy and productive working environment across the Joint Undertakings;	deleted

Or. en

Amendment 33

Dick Erixon, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 34

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
34. Calls on all Joint Undertakings to adopt concrete measures to enhance gender balance in leadership and decision-making positions, including the establishment of gender balance targets and regular monitoring of progress; stresses the need to tackle gender pay gaps and to ensure equal opportunities for career progression; highlights in this regard the positive developments in the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, where 72.5 % of staff are female and 27.5 % male and where, among the extended management team, the gender balance is 40% male and 60% female;	deleted

Or. en

Amendment 34

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 34

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
34. Calls on all Joint Undertakings to adopt concrete measures to enhance gender balance in leadership and decision-making positions, including the establishment of gender balance targets and regular monitoring of progress; stresses the need to tackle gender pay gaps and to ensure equal opportunities for career progression; highlights in this regard the positive developments in the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, where 72.5 % of staff are female and 27.5 % male and where, among the extended management team, the gender balance is 40% male and 60% female;	34. Calls on all Joint Undertakings to encourage balanced representation in leadership and decision-making positions, in full respect of competence-based selection procedures, and to monitor progress in a proportionate and transparent manner; stresses the need to tackle gender pay gaps and to ensure equal opportunities for career progression; highlights in this regard the positive developments in the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, where 72.5 % of staff are female and 27.5 % male and where, among the extended management team, the gender balance is 40% male and 60% female;

Or. en

Amendment 35

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 35

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
35. Underlines that the Joint Undertakings shall ensure that funded projects contribute to social wellbeing and inclusivity, respect workers’ rights and labour conditions and align with the principles of a just transition to sustainable technologies;	35. Underlines that the Joint Undertakings shall ensure that funded projects comply with applicable social and labour standards and contribute to sustainable economic growth, innovation, competitiveness and high-quality employment in the Union;

Or. en

Amendment 36

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

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 36

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
36. Urges the Joint Undertakings to develop structured cooperation with European universities in order to improve outreach to young graduates and to reinforce their future recruitment capacity;	36. Urges the Joint Undertakings to develop structured cooperation with European universities in order to improve outreach to young graduates and to reinforce their future recruitment capacity; encourages the Joint Undertakings to promote university, research and professional mobility;

Or. en

Amendment 37

Joachim Stanisław Brudziński

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 36 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	36 a. Calls for the implementation of Joint Undertakings to take into account, to the widest possible extent, measures aimed at the development of human capital, in particular young workers, engineers and researchers; stresses that the integration of investment projects with education, training and work-based learning schemes is essential in view of the urgent need to build a sustainable innovation capacity within the Union, to ensure workforce continuity, and to safeguard the long-term competitiveness of the European economy;

Or. en

Amendment 38

Joachim Stanisław Brudziński, Dick Erixon

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 37

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
37. Welcomes the work of the Court on the examination of operational expenditure of the research and innovation Joint Undertakings, which comprised a sample of 33 randomly selected grant agreement transactions from 2024 (interim or final payments and clearings of advances) at the level of the final beneficiaries; is concerned with the results of this examination which showed that there were persistent systematic errors, especially as regards declared personnel costs; calls for correction of the systematic errors;	37. Welcomes the work of the Court on the examination of operational expenditure of the research and innovation Joint Undertakings, which comprised a sample of 33 randomly selected grant agreement transactions from 2024 (interim or final payments and clearings of advances) at the level of the final beneficiaries; is concerned with the results of this examination which showed that there were persistent systematic errors, especially as regards declared personnel costs; notes that these errors mainly relate to incorrect declarations of staff costs in grant transactions by the Joint Undertakings’ beneficiaries, including the incorrect calculation of hourly or daily rates, the inclusion of indirect costs in the calculation of hourly or daily rates based on unit costs, the incorrect reporting of staff costs, the declaration of subcontracting costs as staff costs, as well as the inclusion of ineligible equipment costs; calls for urgent correction of the systematic errors;

Or. en

Amendment 39

Terry Reintke

on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 37

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
37. Welcomes the work of the Court on the examination of operational expenditure of the research and innovation Joint Undertakings, which comprised a sample of 33 randomly selected grant agreement transactions from 2024 (interim or final payments and clearings of advances) at the level of the final beneficiaries; is concerned with the results of this examination which showed that there were persistent systematic errors, especially as regards declared personnel costs; calls for correction of the systematic errors;	37. Welcomes the work of the Court on the examination of operational expenditure of the research and innovation Joint Undertakings, which comprised a sample of 33 randomly selected grant agreement transactions from 2024 (interim or final payments and clearings of advances) at the level of the final beneficiaries; is concerned with the results of this examination which showed that there were persistent systematic errors, especially as regards declared personnel costs; calls for correction of the systematic errors; calls on the Commission and the Common Audit Service to provide the discharge authority with a consolidated analysis of the root causes of recurring staff-cost errors across Joint Undertakings, and to ensure harmonised preventive guidance, targeted ex-ante checks for high-risk beneficiaries, and systematic financial corrections where similar errors are detected;

Or. en

Amendment 40

Terry Reintke

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 38

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
38. Welcomes the work of the Court on the examination of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy’s expenditure, which comprised a sample of 30 random transactions; notes that the Court found only one error with financial impact resulting from a substantial modification to buildings contracts without a new procurement procedure; calls on the Joint Undertaking to ensure compliance with the applicable legal framework on procurement in order to ensure transparency and best value for money;	38. Welcomes the work of the Court on the examination of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy’s expenditure, which comprised a sample of 30 random transactions; notes that the Court found only one error with financial impact resulting from a substantial modification to buildings contracts without a new procurement procedure; calls on the Joint Undertaking to ensure compliance with the applicable legal framework on procurement in order to ensure transparency and best value for money; notes that the Court identified a case where a substantial modification to two building contracts was not addressed by a new procurement procedure; stresses that such practices expose the Union budget to value-for-money and integrity risks; calls on F4E to ensure that material contract modifications systematically trigger a procurement reassessment, including legal review and publication of a clear justification, and to report to the discharge authority on corrective measures taken;

Or. en

Amendment 41

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 39

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
39. Expresses concern about the Court’s finding that, by December 2024, only four Joint Undertakings (Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking, Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking and the Chips Joint Undertaking) had finalised a risk-based control framework for Horizon Europe grant payments, despite the expected rise in such payments; recalls that a robust, systematic, and centralised risk-based control framework is essential for ensuring ex-ante controls of high-risk beneficiaries, effective follow-up of audit findings, and reliable director’s declarations of assurance; calls on the rest of the Joint Undertakings to adopt promptly or to finalise the implementation of internal control frameworks;	39. Expresses concern about the Court’s finding that, by December 2024, only four Joint Undertakings (Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking, Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking and the Chips Joint Undertaking) had finalised a risk-based control framework for Horizon Europe grant payments, despite the expected rise in such payments; recalls that a robust, systematic, and centralised risk-based control framework is essential for ensuring ex-ante controls of high-risk beneficiaries, effective follow-up of audit findings, and reliable director’s declarations of assurance; stresses that audit and control work should concentrate on areas of higher financial and performance risk, while low-risk, recurring transactions should benefit from simplified verification methods; underlines that such an approach can improve assurance and significantly reduce the administrative burden for beneficiaries and participating states; calls on the rest of the Joint Undertakings to adopt promptly or to finalise the implementation of internal control frameworks;

Or. en

Amendment 42

Terry Reintke

on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 39

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
39. Expresses concern about the Court’s finding that, by December 2024, only four Joint Undertakings (Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking, Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking and the Chips Joint Undertaking) had finalised a risk-based control framework for Horizon Europe grant payments, despite the expected rise in such payments; recalls that a robust, systematic, and centralised risk-based control framework is essential for ensuring ex-ante controls of high-risk beneficiaries, effective follow-up of audit findings, and reliable director’s declarations of assurance; calls on the rest of the Joint Undertakings to adopt promptly or to finalise the implementation of internal control frameworks;	39. Expresses concern about the Court’s finding that, by December 2024, only four Joint Undertakings (Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking, Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking and the Chips Joint Undertaking) had finalised a risk-based control framework for Horizon Europe grant payments, despite the expected rise in such payments; recalls that a robust, systematic, and centralised risk-based control framework is essential for ensuring ex-ante controls of high-risk beneficiaries, effective follow-up of audit findings, and reliable director’s declarations of assurance; calls on all remaining Joint Undertakings to finalise and implement a risk-based control framework for Horizon Europe/Digital Europe grant payments no later than end-2026, including: (i) clear risk scoring of beneficiaries and projects, (ii) intensified ex-ante controls for high-risk cases, (iii) systematic feedback of ex-post audit results into future control planning, and (iv) consistent reporting in the Executive Director’s declaration of assurance;

Or. en

Amendment 43

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 40

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
40. Expresses concern that the risk management system of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy does not sufficiently reflect the material risks arising from the 2024 revision of the ITER baselines nor the horizontal human-resource implications arising from the new baselines; further notes that the Joint Undertaking’s IT risk-management tool lacks complete, up-to-date information on key risks (incidence, likelihood and financial impact), which undermines management’s ability to quantify exposure and to prioritise mitigations; calls on the Joint Undertaking to address the above-mentioned issues by implementing appropriate measures in a timely manner;	40. Expresses concern that the risk management system of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy does not sufficiently reflect the material risks arising from the 2024 revision of the ITER baselines nor the horizontal human-resource implications arising from the new baselines; stresses that the identification and assessment of risks should be further strengthened to support management’s decision-making processes and effective mitigations; calls on the Joint Undertaking to address the above-mentioned issues by implementing appropriate measures in a timely manner;

Or. en

Amendment 44

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 43

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
43. Calls on all Joint Undertakings to strengthen their transparency frameworks, in particular with regard to the prevention of conflicts of interest; urges them to ensure the systematic publication of declarations of interest for members of governing bodies, covering any financial, professional or personal links with entities benefiting from Joint Undertaking’s funding; calls for the introduction of a mandatory “cooling-off” period for senior staff of the Joint Undertakings before they take up new positions in organisations receiving support from these Joint Undertakings; further calls on the Joint Undertakings to ensure that members of scientific committees, independent experts or evaluation committee members duly sign declarations on the absence of conflict of interest;	43. Calls on all Joint Undertakings to strengthen their transparency frameworks, in particular with regard to the prevention of conflicts of interest; urges them to ensure the systematic publication of declarations of interest for members of governing bodies, covering any financial, professional or personal links with entities benefiting from Joint Undertaking’s funding; calls for the introduction of a “cooling-off” period for senior staff of the Joint Undertakings before they take up new positions in organisations receiving support from these Joint Undertakings; further calls on the Joint Undertakings to ensure that members of scientific committees, independent experts or evaluation committee members duly sign declarations on the absence of conflict of interest;

Or. en

Amendment 45

Terry Reintke

on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 45

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
45. Underlines that in June 2024, the ITER organisation submitted a revised project plan to the ITER Council, introducing new baselines to replace those approved in 2016, postponing the end of the assembly phase from 2025 (first plasma) to 2035 (start of research operations) and extending the overall project completion from 2042 to 2059; notes that the Joint Undertaking’s delivery obligations for ITER are therefore rising from EUR 21,6 billion to EUR 25,8 billion in 2024 values, implying an additional EUR 4,2 billion in contributions from Euratom and France to the Joint Undertaking’s operational budget; notes with concern that the estimated cost increase stemming from the revised ITER baselines proposed by ITER-IO in July 2024, have yet to be formally adopted by the ITER Council;	45. Underlines that in June 2024, the ITER organisation submitted a revised project plan to the ITER Council, introducing new baselines to replace those approved in 2016, postponing the end of the assembly phase from 2025 (first plasma) to 2035 (start of research operations) and extending the overall project completion from 2042 to 2059; notes that the Joint Undertaking’s delivery obligations for ITER are therefore rising from EUR 21,6 billion to EUR 25,8 billion in 2024 values, implying an additional EUR 4,2 billion in contributions from Euratom and France to the Joint Undertaking’s operational budget; notes with concern that the estimated cost increase stemming from the revised ITER baselines proposed by ITER-IO in July 2024, have yet to be formally adopted by the ITER Council; stresses that Parliament cannot treat the revised baselines as a mere technical update given the magnitude of the cost increase and schedule slippage; calls on the Commission and F4E to present to the discharge authority a clear, public risk-mitigation and affordability plan, including scenarios for future MFF impacts, before any further major financial commitments are undertaken;

Or. en

Amendment 46

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 46

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
46. Shares the concerns expressed by the Court that the revised baseline proposed by ITER-IO substantially heighten the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy’s exposure to a range of risks; notes that the project’s long-term sustainability may be undermined by continued delays to key milestones and by intensifying competition from fusion initiatives in third countries, which together risk eroding ITER’s relevance and leadership; underlines that at the same time, significant legal uncertainties persist, notably the possibility that members may decline to approve an extension of the ITER Agreement beyond 2042, or that the French hosting decree could lapse before reactor operations begin; notes with concern that the scale of the technical modifications now envisaged could have far-reaching implications for the project’s innovative capacity and economic viability; believes that these concerns are compounded by increasing financial pressures, as the higher contributions required from the Union and from France raise doubts about whether such funding can be sustained under future MFFs or by the host state.	46. Shares the concerns expressed by the Court regarding the revised ITER baselines proposed to substantially increase the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy’s exposure to technical, legal and financial risks; notes that the project’s long-term sustainability may be undermined by continued delays to key milestones and cost increases pose challenges to long-term sustainability of the project, which together risk eroding ITER’s relevance and leadership; underlines that at the same time, significant legal and governance uncertainties persist, notably the possibility that members may decline to approve an extension of the ITER Agreement beyond 2042, or that the French hosting decree could lapse before reactor operations begin, risking legal clarity and accountability; notes with concern that the scale of the technical modifications now envisaged could have far-reaching implications for the project’s innovative capacity and economic viability necessitating rigorous oversight and clear performance metrics to ensure value for taxpayers' money; believes that these concerns are compounded by increasing financial pressures, as the higher contributions required from the Union and from France raise doubts about whether such funding can be sustained under future MFFs or by the host state; highlights the urgent need for robust financial planning, transparent spending and reassessment of priorities to guarantee tangible European added value and strategic autonomy;

Or. en

Amendment 47

Gilles Boyer, Michal Wiezik

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 46 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	46 a. Acknowledges that ITER is a project of unprecedented scale and ambition, involving 35 international partners, in which the European Union, as host and largest contributor, plays a central role in advancing Europe’s long-term energy vision and scientific leadership; notes the adoption in November 2024 of a revised project baseline prioritising early scientific operations and accelerated assembly, and welcomes the tangible improvements in project delivery observed since its introduction; notes in particular that, for the years 2024 and 2025, schedule and cost performance indices were above 1.0, indicating that the programme is slightly ahead of schedule and that expenditure remains below the levels foreseen in the 2024 baseline; stresses that, to sustain this positive momentum and maintain the European Union’s leadership in fusion research, strong and coherent management and control arrangements are essential, including the timely and full formalisation and implementation of the revised ITER baseline, reinforced risk management, and continued improvements in accountability between the Joint Undertaking, the ITER Organisation and the European Union budgetary authority; underlines the need to further strengthen cost control, milestone-based funding and independent performance oversight, and to address legal uncertainties through binding commitments on the post-2042 framework and host-state obligations; highlights at the same time the importance of strategic governance to ensure that ITER remains scientifically and economically relevant by systematically benchmarking progress against global competitors and safeguarding innovation capacity within a sustainable long-term financing model;

Or. en

Amendment 48

Michal Wiezik, Olivier Chastel, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 46 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	46 a. Strongly emphasizes that to maintain the European Union’s leadership in fusion research, stronger management and control arrangements are needed, including the rapid formalisation of the revised ITER baselines, reinforced risk management, and clearer accountability between the Joint Undertaking, the ITER Organisation and the European Union's budgetary authority; stresses the need to strengthen cost control, milestone-based funding and independent performance oversight and urgently address legal uncertainties through binding commitments on the post-2042 framework and host-state obligations; highlights at the same time the need for strategic governance to ensure that ITER remains scientifically and economically relevant by systematically benchmarking progress against global competitors and safeguarding innovation capacity within a sustainable long-term financing model;

Or. en

Amendment 49

Terry Reintke

on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 46 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	46 a. Stresses that, in light of the scale, duration and cost escalation of the ITER project, continued Union funding must be assessed not only against technical milestones but also against opportunity costs and climate additionality; calls on the Commission and Fusion for Energy to provide the discharge authority with a comparative analysis of the expected contribution of ITER to the Union’s climate and energy objectives relative to alternative, more mature low-carbon technologies and energy-system investments, including timelines for potential impact, before further long-term financial commitments are made;

Or. en

Amendment 50

Kinga Kollár

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 48

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
48. Deplores the continued participation of Russia in the ITER project; calls on the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy to ensure a full enforcement of the Union’s sanctions against Russia, including the procurement restrictions of components for European supplies to ITER; exhorts the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy to minimise dependence on Russia and to avoid any bilateral contacts and engagements with it; notes with satisfaction the fact that Russia has not assumed the chairmanship of the ITER Council for the past two years when it was due in accordance with the chair rotation principle; notes with satisfaction that the intellectual property rules in the ITER Agreement guarantee that the project has all the intellectual resources it needs for successful development and operation, ensuring full independence from Russian intellectual property rights; notes that Russia has fulfilled all its in-kind contributions under the ITER Agreement, therefore reducing dependency on Russia in this regard;	48. Reiterates its concerns about the continued participation of Russia in the ITER project; calls on the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy to ensure a strict and full enforcement of the Union’s sanctions against Russia, including the procurement restrictions of components for European supplies to ITER, and to proactively close any potential loopholes; exhorts the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy to minimise all remaining dependence on Russia and to avoid any bilateral contacts and engagements with it that could compromise the Union's strategic interests and values; notes with satisfaction the fact that Russia has not assumed the chairmanship of the ITER Council for the past two years when it was due in accordance with the chair rotation principle; notes with satisfaction that the intellectual property rules in the ITER Agreement guarantee that the project has all the intellectual resources it needs for successful development and operation, ensuring full independence from Russian intellectual property rights; notes that Russia has fulfilled all its in-kind contributions under the ITER Agreement; stresses that the Union must continue to prioritise the diversification of supply chains to achieve complete technological sovereignty;

Or. en

Amendment 51

Michal Wiezik, Olivier Chastel, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 49

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
49. Emphasises the Court’s recommendation that the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy should strengthen its risk management system by considering all horizontal risks stemming from the 2024 baselines;	49. Emphasises the Court’s recommendation that the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy should improve effectiveness of its risk management system by considering all horizontal risks stemming from the 2024 baselines such as the need to restructure the Joint Undertakings and reallocate human resources, the disproportionate use of external service providers, resource planning and management, and non-compliance with the European Union's Staff Regulations or the Joint Undertaking’s ethical framework; stresses moreover that the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy should enhance its IT tool for risk management so as to have complete information on relevant key risks;

Or. en

Amendment 52

Tamás Deutsch

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 57 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	57 a. Stresses that the purpose of the discharge procedure is to ensure timely democratic scrutiny of the implementation of the Union budget; recalls that the discharge decision should, as a rule, be taken in the year following the financial year concerned (N+1), and underlines that systematic delays leading to a N+2 discharge weaken parliamentary accountability;

Or. en