Sittings · Document
Draft report (2025/2149(DEC)) 2026-01-28
Discharge 2024: General budget of the EU - Court of Auditors
Committee on Budgetary Control
Amendment 1
Csaba Molnár
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 1. Notes that the budget of the Court falls under MFF heading 7, ‘European public administration’, which amounted to EUR 13,3 billion in 2023 (representing 6,9 % of the total Union budget); notes that the Court’s budget of approximately EUR 0,2 billion represents approximately 1,5 % of the total administrative expenditure of the Union; | 1. Notes that the budget of the Court falls under MFF heading 7, ‘European public administration’, which amounted to EUR 13,3 billion in 2024 (representing 6,9 % of the total Union budget); notes that the Court’s budget of approximately EUR 0,2 billion represents approximately 1,5 % of the total administrative expenditure of the Union; |
Or. en
Amendment 2
Csaba Molnár
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 5 a. Notes the announcement by the Court of 1 October 2025 on the introduction of a revised audit approach for Joint Undertakings starting with the 2025 financial year; notes that this change was prompted, inter alia, by staff capacity constraints and by the cessation of audits of Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe by the Commission’s Internal Audit Service, which had previously audited Joint Undertakings, thereby limiting the availability of complementary audit assurance; notes further that the new approach foresees an adequate audit sample size, the consolidation of audit work across all Joint Undertakings and the issuance of two separate statements of assurance, supported by additional thematic and special reports; calls on the Court to ensure that the revised methodology is implemented in a timely manner and that it continues to meet the highest standards of audit quality, reliability and assurance for the protection of the Union’s financial interests; |
Or. en
Amendment 3
Caterina Chinnici
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 7. Notes that the implementation rates for commitments and payments for 2024 remained high, almost the same as in 2023, whereas the utilisation rate for appropriations stood at 97,30 % and payments represented 94,81 % of total commitments in 2024; notes an increase in the cancelled appropriations at year-end from approximately EUR 3,4 million in 2023 to EUR 4,4 million in 2024; commends the Court for having maintained below 11 days the average time for payment of invoices in 2024; | 7. Notes that the implementation rates for commitments and payments for 2024 remained high, almost the same as in 2023, whereas the utilisation rate for appropriations stood at 97,30 % and payments represented 94,81 % of total commitments in 2024; notes an increase in the cancelled appropriations at year-end from approximately EUR 3,4 million in 2023 to EUR 4,4 million in 2024; commends the Court for having maintained below 11 days the average time for payment of invoices in 2024; encourages the Court to maintain strict cost discipline, continue prioritising operational efficiency, and further reduce year-end cancellations, thereby improving efficiency and the value-for-money of its appropriations; |
Or. en
Amendment 4
Caterina Chinnici
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 9. Notes that, according to the Questionnaire, the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine was felt by the Court through inflation-driven increases in the cost of goods, services and logistics in 2024; welcomes the Court’s measures to counter such effects by conducing more detailed pre-market analyses to ensure realistic planning and effective procurement; notes further with satisfaction that the Court’s costs for energy consumption (Budget Item No. 2024) fell significantly, from EUR 1 556 671 in 2023 to EUR 887 827 in 2024, mainly because of a reduction in the fixed electricity price, in line with the interinstitutional contract with the provider concerned; acknowledges the need for all Union institutions to improve their budget management, including by taking into account price volatility, especially in the energy sector, when concluding contracts with service providers; | 9. Notes that, according to the Questionnaire, the impact of the illegal Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine was felt by the Court through inflation-driven increases in the cost of goods, services and logistics in 2024; welcomes the Court’s measures to counter such effects by conducing more detailed pre-market analyses to ensure realistic planning and effective procurement; notes further with satisfaction that the Court’s costs for energy consumption (Budget Item No. 2024) fell significantly, from EUR 1 556 671 in 2023 to EUR 887 827 in 2024, mainly because of a reduction in the fixed electricity price, in line with the interinstitutional contract with the provider concerned; acknowledges the need for all Union institutions to improve their budget management, including by taking into account price volatility, especially in the energy sector, when concluding contracts with service providers; |
Or. en
Amendment 5
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 12. Notes with satisfaction that, according the Questionnaire, with regard to the Court’s budget item for publications, budgeted appropriations decreased from EUR 810 000 in 2014 to EUR 300 000 in 2024 due to an increase in the in-house production of reports and the virtual promotion of publications; notes that the Court’s estimates for that budget item have further decreased in the following budgetary years; notes further the Court’s tendency to decrease the budget for interpretation and the services of experts (consultations, studies etc.) and the plan to decommission its fixed telephony to generate further savings; | 12. Notes that, according to the questionnaire, the budget for the Court’s publications decreased significantly over the period 2014-2024; takes note of this development and stresses that further savings should continue to be explored while maintaining the transparency and accessibility of the reports; |
Or. de
Amendment 6
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 16. Notes that, during 2024, the Court presented 2 annual reports, 3 specific annual reports, 28 special reports, 4 reviews and 3 opinions, totalling 40 items (down from 45 items in 2023); welcomes the Court’s focus, through special reports and reviews, in 2024 on pressing challenges that the Union is facing on key topics such as security of gas supply, investment in artificial intelligence (AI), climate adaptation, absorption of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (the ‘RFF’), the road to zero-emission cards, support for refugees in Türkiye and the Union’s industrial policy on hydrogen; welcomes further the Court’s planned reports on the RRF in areas such as transparency and traceability, as well as on the Union’s architecture and strategy in the fight against fraud and the Union’s support to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia; notes an improvement with regard to stakeholders’ satisfaction with the Court’s work, with a survey carried out in 2024 showing that 89 % of respondents (up from 85% in 2023) considered the Court’s reports useful and that 82 % (up from 78 %) considered the Court’s work to have an impact; | deleted |
Or. de
Amendment 7
Ondřej Knotek, Virginie Joron, Julien Sanchez, Tamás Deutsch
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 16. Notes that, during 2024, the Court presented 2 annual reports, 3 specific annual reports, 28 special reports, 4 reviews and 3 opinions, totalling 40 items (down from 45 items in 2023); welcomes the Court’s focus, through special reports and reviews, in 2024 on pressing challenges that the Union is facing on key topics such as security of gas supply, investment in artificial intelligence (AI), climate adaptation, absorption of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (the ‘RFF’), the road to zero-emission cards, support for refugees in Türkiye and the Union’s industrial policy on hydrogen; welcomes further the Court’s planned reports on the RRF in areas such as transparency and traceability, as well as on the Union’s architecture and strategy in the fight against fraud and the Union’s support to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia; notes an improvement with regard to stakeholders’ satisfaction with the Court’s work, with a survey carried out in 2024 showing that 89 % of respondents (up from 85% in 2023) considered the Court’s reports useful and that 82 % (up from 78 %) considered the Court’s work to have an impact; | 16. Notes that, during 2024, the Court presented 2 annual reports, 3 specific annual reports, 28 special reports, 4 reviews and 3 opinions, totalling 40 items (down from 45 items in 2023); welcomes the Court’s focus, through special reports and reviews, in 2024 on pressing challenges that the Union is facing on key topics such as financial instruments in cohesion policy, transparency of EU funding granted to NGOs, EU bodies fighting fraud, security of gas supply, investment in artificial intelligence (AI), climate adaptation, absorption of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (the ‘RFF’), the road to zero-emission cards, support for refugees in Türkiye and the Union’s industrial policy on hydrogen; welcomes further the Court’s planned reports on the RRF in areas such as transparency and traceability, as well as on the Union’s architecture and strategy in the fight against fraud and the Union’s support to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia; notes an improvement with regard to stakeholders’ satisfaction with the Court’s work, with a survey carried out in 2024 showing that 89 % of respondents (up from 85% in 2023) considered the Court’s reports useful and that 82 % (up from 78 %) considered the Court’s work to have an impact; |
Or. en
Amendment 8
Cristian Terheş
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 16 a. Calls on the European Court of Auditors to provide more detailed and systematic assessments of the spillover effects of Union-funded programmes on Member States, both those with high and those with low absorption rates of European funds; stresses that a comprehensive analysis of the economic, social, administrative and territorial impacts of such spillover effects, including cross-border and distributional effects, would strengthen the evaluation of the long-term impact, added value and sustainability of EU spending and support better-informed policy-making at both Union and national level; |
Or. en
Amendment 9
Olivier Chastel, Gilles Boyer, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu, Michal Wiezik
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 17. Notes that the Court has a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress made towards achieving its strategic goals, in line with the Court’s 2021-2025 strategy; notes the Court’s strategic goals for 2024: improvement of accountability, transparency and audit arrangements, targeting of areas and topics where audits can add most value and the provision of strong audit assurance in a challenging and changing environment; invites the Court to present its KPIs, the degree of progress achieved and targets in a summarised way in the future (table format); | 17. Notes that the Court has a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress made towards achieving its strategic goals, in line with the Court’s 2021-2025 strategy; notes the Court’s strategic goals for 2024: improvement of accountability, transparency and audit arrangements, targeting of areas and topics where audits can add most value and the provision of strong audit assurance in a challenging and changing environment; invites the Court to present its KPIs, the degree of progress achieved and targets in a summarised way in the future (table format); Calls on the Court to further develop KPI based on the performance and results of European policies in order to clearly measure the impact of the policies pursued by the Commission; |
Or. en
Amendment 10
Dick Erixon, Şerban Dimitrie Sturdza
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 17 a. Invites the Court to consolidate its findings into a comparative performance analysis and to develop a methodology for a "performance compass" of Union programmes; believes that such an instrument, while respecting the diversity of policies, would provide the discharge authority, decision-makers and the general public with clear guidance on which programmes use resources effectively and which might be candidates for termination or fundamental restructuring; |
Or. en
Amendment 11
Damian Boeselager
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 19. Notes from the Follow-up Report that the Commission has agreed to provide the Court with a manual extraction of data from the ARACHNE tool; deplores, nevertheless, the fact that the Court’s access to FENIX, the reporting tool on the RRF, remains an open issue, with the Commission granting the Court with access to only some of the FENIX modules; welcomes a reported increase in the number of the Court’s users who have access to FENIX; supports, nevertheless, the Court’s request to the Commission to grant it full access as soon as possible; recalls that the Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs has endeavoured to grant the Court access to FENIX files within 2 weeks of approving a payment request; is alarmed, however, that in practice this deadline is not being met in many cases, and delays of up to 2,5 months have been encountered in some instances, significantly slowing down the delivery of Court findings; reminds the Commission of its obligation under Article 263 of the Financial Regulation to grant the Court comprehensive access to all relevant systems and databases (ARACHNE, FENIX, ARES, among others); | 19. Notes from the Follow-up Report that the Commission has agreed to provide the Court with a manual extraction of data from the ARACHNE tool; deplores, nevertheless, the fact that the Court’s access to FENIX, the reporting tool on the RRF, remains an open issue, with the Commission granting the Court with access to only some of the FENIX modules; welcomes a reported increase in the number of the Court’s users who have access to FENIX; supports, nevertheless, the Court’s request to the Commission to grant it full access as soon as possible; recalls that the Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs has endeavoured to grant the Court access to FENIX files within 2 weeks of approving a payment request; is alarmed, however, that in practice this deadline is not being met in many cases, and delays of up to 2,5 months have been encountered in some instances, significantly slowing down the delivery of Court findings; reminds the Commission of its obligation under Article 263 of the Financial Regulation to grant the Court comprehensive access to all relevant systems and databases (ARACHNE, FENIX, ARES, among others); considers that persistent delays and partial access to key Commission IT systems, in particular FENIX and ARACHNE, undermine the effectiveness and timeliness of the Court’s audit work on high-risk expenditure such as the Recovery and Resilience Facility; calls on the Commission to remedy this situation without delay and invites the Court to report back to the discharge authority on concrete improvements achieved; |
Or. en
Amendment 12
Olivier Chastel, Gilles Boyer, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu, Michal Wiezik
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 19. Notes from the Follow-up Report that the Commission has agreed to provide the Court with a manual extraction of data from the ARACHNE tool; deplores, nevertheless, the fact that the Court’s access to FENIX, the reporting tool on the RRF, remains an open issue, with the Commission granting the Court with access to only some of the FENIX modules; welcomes a reported increase in the number of the Court’s users who have access to FENIX; supports, nevertheless, the Court’s request to the Commission to grant it full access as soon as possible; recalls that the Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs has endeavoured to grant the Court access to FENIX files within 2 weeks of approving a payment request; is alarmed, however, that in practice this deadline is not being met in many cases, and delays of up to 2,5 months have been encountered in some instances, significantly slowing down the delivery of Court findings; reminds the Commission of its obligation under Article 263 of the Financial Regulation to grant the Court comprehensive access to all relevant systems and databases (ARACHNE, FENIX, ARES, among others); | 19. Notes from the Follow-up Report that the Commission has agreed to provide the Court with a manual extraction of data from the ARACHNE tool; deplores, nevertheless, the fact that the Court’s access to FENIX, the reporting tool on the RRF, remains still an open issue, with the Commission granting the Court with access to only some of the FENIX modules; welcomes a reported increase in the number of the Court’s users who have access to FENIX; supports, nevertheless, the Court’s request to the Commission to grant it full access as soon as possible; recalls that the Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs has endeavoured to grant the Court access to FENIX files within 2 weeks of approving a payment request; is alarmed, however, that in practice this deadline is not being met in many cases, and delays of up to 2,5 months have been encountered in some instances, significantly slowing down the delivery of Court findings; reminds the Commission of its obligation under Article 263 of the Financial Regulation to grant the Court comprehensive access to all relevant systems and databases (ARACHNE, FENIX, ARES, among others); Demands to the Commission to establish, without further delay, a binding interinstitutional arrangement ensuring the Court’s full, systematic and real-time access to all relevant databases, including ARACHNE and FENIX; |
Or. en
Amendment 13
Caterina Chinnici
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 19. Notes from the Follow-up Report that the Commission has agreed to provide the Court with a manual extraction of data from the ARACHNE tool; deplores, nevertheless, the fact that the Court’s access to FENIX, the reporting tool on the RRF, remains an open issue, with the Commission granting the Court with access to only some of the FENIX modules; welcomes a reported increase in the number of the Court’s users who have access to FENIX; supports, nevertheless, the Court’s request to the Commission to grant it full access as soon as possible; recalls that the Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs has endeavoured to grant the Court access to FENIX files within 2 weeks of approving a payment request; is alarmed, however, that in practice this deadline is not being met in many cases, and delays of up to 2,5 months have been encountered in some instances, significantly slowing down the delivery of Court findings; reminds the Commission of its obligation under Article 263 of the Financial Regulation to grant the Court comprehensive access to all relevant systems and databases (ARACHNE, FENIX, ARES, among others); | 19. Notes from the Follow-up Report that the Commission has agreed to provide the Court with a manual extraction of data from the ARACHNE tool; deplores, nevertheless, the fact that the Court’s access to FENIX, the reporting tool on the RRF, remains an open issue, with the Commission granting the Court with access to only some of the FENIX modules, and the information these contain not being updated in a timely manner; welcomes a reported increase in the number of the Court’s users who have access to FENIX; supports, nevertheless, the Court’s request to the Commission to grant it full access as soon as possible; recalls that the Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs has endeavoured to grant the Court access to FENIX files within 2 weeks of approving a payment request; is alarmed, however, that in practice this deadline is not being met in many cases, and delays of up to 2,5 months have been encountered in some instances, significantly slowing down the delivery of Court findings; reminds the Commission of its obligation under Article 263 of the Financial Regulation to grant the Court comprehensive access to all relevant systems and databases (ARACHNE, FENIX, ARES, among others); |
Or. en
Amendment 14
Csaba Molnár
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 19 a. Stresses the importance of procurement as a tool to advance policy objectives, including social and environmental goals; calls on the Court to strengthen the inclusion of strategic criteria on social responsibility and environmental sustainability in its procurement procedures; |
Or. en
Amendment 15
Csaba Molnár
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 20. Notes that the Court, at the end of 2024, had 961 members of staff (down from 969 in 2023), including temporary agents (192 in 2024, down from 204 in 2023), contract staff (84 in 2024, down from 86 in 2023) and seconded national experts (26 in 2024, the same as in 2023); recalls the importance of providing permanent contracts to employees in order to maintain skills and ensure continuity and a productive working environment; | 20. Notes that the Court, at the end of 2024, had 961 members of staff (down from 969 in 2023), including temporary agents (192 in 2024, down from 204 in 2023), contract staff (84 in 2024, down from 86 in 2023) and seconded national experts (26 in 2024, the same as in 2023); recalls the importance of providing permanent contracts to employees in order to maintain skills, ensuring continuity and a productive and stable working environment; |
Or. en
Amendment 16
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 21. Notes that, in 2024, 54 % of the Court’s staff were women (up from 53 % in 2023) and 47 % were men; regrets the fact that women represent only 30 % of the Court’s senior management, the same as in 2023; regrets further a decrease in the proportion of women in middle-management positions from 40 % to 37,30 % in 2023; recalls the fact that gender equality is a Treaty-based principle that should be respected by all institutions and invites the Court to continue its efforts to promote gender balance for middle and senior management; | deleted |
Or. de
Amendment 17
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 22. Notes that, according to the Questionnaire, the Court employed 64 trainees, 59 of whom received a monthly allowance in 2024; welcomes the Court’s new programme, entitled TraineEca Career Development, which aims to offer job opportunities to the most deserving trainees; notes, in addition, the Court’s plan to offer special traineeships in the area of AI to recent university graduates and doctoral students in that area; renews its emphasis that traineeships should be remunerated in compliance with Parliament’s resolution of 15 June 2023 on Quality Traineeships in the Union (2020/2005(INL)), which calls for all internships in the Union to be paid; | deleted |
Or. de
Amendment 18
Csaba Molnár
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 22. Notes that, according to the Questionnaire, the Court employed 64 trainees, 59 of whom received a monthly allowance in 2024; welcomes the Court’s new programme, entitled TraineEca Career Development, which aims to offer job opportunities to the most deserving trainees; notes, in addition, the Court’s plan to offer special traineeships in the area of AI to recent university graduates and doctoral students in that area; renews its emphasis that traineeships should be remunerated in compliance with Parliament’s resolution of 15 June 2023 on Quality Traineeships in the Union (2020/2005(INL)), which calls for all internships in the Union to be paid; | 22. Notes that, according to the Questionnaire, the Court employed 64 trainees, 59 of whom received a monthly allowance in 2024; welcomes the Court’s new programme, entitled TraineEca Career Development, which aims to offer job opportunities to the most deserving trainees; notes, in addition, the Court’s plan to offer special traineeships in the area of AI to recent university graduates and doctoral students in that area; renews its emphasis that traineeships should be remunerated in compliance with Parliament’s resolution of 15 June 2023 on Quality Traineeships in the Union (2020/2005(INL)), which calls for all internships in the Union to be paid; emphasizes that unpaid traineeships constitute a form of exploitation of young workers and a barrier to equal opportunities; |
Or. en
Amendment 19
Caterina Chinnici
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 23. Notes that, according to the Questionnaire, recruiting officials continued to be a challenge for the Court in 2024, due to a lack of attractiveness of Luxembourg as a place of work or the lack of interest in audit and control jobs among young workers; notes with satisfaction that the Court addressed this issue by organising regular selection procedures that target the Court’s trainees, organising internal competitions to retain the most deserving talent and increasing outreach activities; acknowledges, in this context, that a competition clause is needed with a view to also organising EPSO competitions exclusively for Luxembourg; commends the Court for having joined an interinstitutional agreement whereby staff recruited by Luxembourg-based Union institutions receive a housing allowance as of 2025 in order to compensate for the high cost of living in Luxembourg; | 23. Notes that, according to the Questionnaire, recruiting officials continued to be a challenge for the Court in 2024, due to a lack of attractiveness of Luxembourg as a place of work or the lack of interest in audit and control jobs among young workers; notes with satisfaction that the Court addressed this issue by organising regular selection procedures that target the Court’s trainees, organising internal competitions to retain the most deserving talent and increasing outreach activities; encourages the Court to continue these efforts, in order to safeguard the continuity of its activity; acknowledges, in this context, that a competition clause is needed with a view to also organising EPSO competitions exclusively for Luxembourg; commends the Court for having joined an interinstitutional agreement whereby staff recruited by Luxembourg-based Union institutions receive a housing allowance as of 2025 in order to compensate for the high cost of living in Luxembourg; |
Or. en
Amendment 20
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 24. Is aware that the Court has no role in the selection process for members under Article 286(2) TFEU; recalls, nevertheless, that there is still an important gender imbalance among the members of the Court, with only 10 women among the 27 members; reiterates its call on Member States to propose candidates of different genders, aiming for a more balanced and representative composition of the Court; | deleted |
Or. de
Amendment 21
Caterina Chinnici
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 24. Is aware that the Court has no role in the selection process for members under Article 286(2) TFEU; recalls, nevertheless, that there is still an important gender imbalance among the members of the Court, with only 10 women among the 27 members; reiterates its call on Member States to propose candidates of different genders, aiming for a more balanced and representative composition of the Court; | 24. Is aware that the Court has no role in the selection process for members under Article 286(2) TFEU; recalls, nevertheless, that there is still an important gender imbalance among the members of the Court, with only 10 women among the 27 members; reiterates its call on Member States to take the need for gender balance into account when proposing candidates, while ensuring that nominations continue to be based on merit, qualification and independence criteria; |
Or. en
Amendment 22
Csaba Molnár
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 24. Is aware that the Court has no role in the selection process for members under Article 286(2) TFEU; recalls, nevertheless, that there is still an important gender imbalance among the members of the Court, with only 10 women among the 27 members; reiterates its call on Member States to propose candidates of different genders, aiming for a more balanced and representative composition of the Court; | 24. Is aware that the Court has no role in the selection process for members under Article 286(2) TFEU; recalls, nevertheless, that there is still an important gender imbalance among the members of the Court, with only 10 women among the 27 members; regrets that several Member States have never nominated a woman to the Court; reiterates its call on Member States to propose candidates of different genders, aiming for a more balanced and representative composition of the Court; |
Or. en
Amendment 23
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 28. Notes that several nationalities, in particular from Nordic Member States, are underrepresented among the Court’s staff; notes that there is a risk of the situation further declining due to aging of staff and lack of recruitment of candidates from those Member States; recalls the Court’s recurrent efforts to tackle this imbalance by increasing publicity for the Court’s competition and vacancy notices in significantly underrepresented Member States, cooperating with members of the Court to disseminate its notices and reaching out to potential candidates by attending career fairs in certain Member States; notes in addition that, according to the Follow-up Report, the Court also developed an action plan with 10 actions over the coming 5 years, with a view to reversing the current underrepresentation of certain Member States; invites the Court to keep the discharge authority informed of the progress in and the outcome of the implementation of that action plan; | deleted |
Or. de
Amendment 24
Caterina Chinnici
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 28. Notes that several nationalities, in particular from Nordic Member States, are underrepresented among the Court’s staff; notes that there is a risk of the situation further declining due to aging of staff and lack of recruitment of candidates from those Member States; recalls the Court’s recurrent efforts to tackle this imbalance by increasing publicity for the Court’s competition and vacancy notices in significantly underrepresented Member States, cooperating with members of the Court to disseminate its notices and reaching out to potential candidates by attending career fairs in certain Member States; notes in addition that, according to the Follow-up Report, the Court also developed an action plan with 10 actions over the coming 5 years, with a view to reversing the current underrepresentation of certain Member States; invites the Court to keep the discharge authority informed of the progress in and the outcome of the implementation of that action plan; | 28. Notes that several nationalities, in particular from Nordic Member States, are underrepresented among the Court’s staff; notes that there is a risk of the situation further declining due to aging of staff and lack of recruitment of candidates from those Member States; recalls the Court’s recurrent efforts to tackle this imbalance by increasing publicity for the Court’s competition and vacancy notices in significantly underrepresented Member States, cooperating with members of the Court to disseminate its notices and reaching out to potential candidates by attending career fairs in certain Member States; notes in addition that, according to the Follow-up Report, the Court also developed an action plan with 10 actions over the coming 5 years, with a view to reversing the current underrepresentation of certain Member States; invites the Court to keep the discharge authority informed of the progress in and the outcome of the implementation of that action plan; commends the efforts done by the Court to carry out its duties regarding the RRF so far despite the not fully adequate resources available; |
Or. en
Amendment 25
Ondřej Knotek, Virginie Joron, Julien Sanchez, Tamás Deutsch
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 29. Recalls that, at the end of 2023, all 29 additional posts (temporary agents) required for the RRF audit of EUR 723,8 billion were filled; understands, however, that the materiality, complexity and large amounts of, and rapid disbursements from, the RRF continue to pose challenges and that current resources are not sufficient to systematically ensure that RRF expenditure complies with Union and national rules and to respond to the increased Union activities; supports, in this context, the Court’s request to convert the 29 temporary agents hired for RRF-related audits into permanent posts; | 29. Recalls that, at the end of 2023, all 29 additional posts (temporary agents) required for the RRF audit of EUR 723,8 billion were filled; understands, however, that the materiality, complexity and large amounts of, and rapid disbursements from, the RRF continue to pose challenges and that current resources are not sufficient to systematically ensure that RRF expenditure complies with Union and national rules and to respond to the increased Union activities; supports, in this context, the Court’s request to convert the 29 temporary agents hired for RRF-related audits into permanent posts; underlines that the assessment of milestones and targets is inherently more complex and time-consuming, as they are often qualitative in nature and relate to legislative reforms, administrative changes or governance structures rather than quantifiable financial data; expresses concern that the replication or expansion of similar performance-based financing models under the next Multiannual Financial Framework, without corresponding adjustments to audit methodologies, access to information and resources, could significantly weaken effective scrutiny, accountability and assurance over Union spending; |
Or. en
Amendment 26
Csaba Molnár
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 29. Recalls that, at the end of 2023, all 29 additional posts (temporary agents) required for the RRF audit of EUR 723,8 billion were filled; understands, however, that the materiality, complexity and large amounts of, and rapid disbursements from, the RRF continue to pose challenges and that current resources are not sufficient to systematically ensure that RRF expenditure complies with Union and national rules and to respond to the increased Union activities; supports, in this context, the Court’s request to convert the 29 temporary agents hired for RRF-related audits into permanent posts; | 29. Recalls that, at the end of 2023, all 29 additional posts (temporary agents) required for the RRF audit of EUR 723,8 billion were filled; understands, however, that the materiality, complexity and large amounts of, and rapid disbursements from, the RRF continue to pose challenges and that current resources are not sufficient to systematically ensure that RRF expenditure complies with Union and national rules and to respond to the increased Union activities; supports, in this context, the Court’s request to convert the 29 temporary agents hired for RRF-related audits into permanent posts; highlights the importance of ensuring that the Court is consistently provided with adequate staffing levels to fulfil both its mandate and additional responsibilities stemming from new financing instruments such as the RRF; |
Or. en
Amendment 27
Damian Boeselager
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 29. Recalls that, at the end of 2023, all 29 additional posts (temporary agents) required for the RRF audit of EUR 723,8 billion were filled; understands, however, that the materiality, complexity and large amounts of, and rapid disbursements from, the RRF continue to pose challenges and that current resources are not sufficient to systematically ensure that RRF expenditure complies with Union and national rules and to respond to the increased Union activities; supports, in this context, the Court’s request to convert the 29 temporary agents hired for RRF-related audits into permanent posts; | 29. Recalls that, at the end of 2023, all 29 additional posts (temporary agents) required for the RRF audit of EUR 723,8 billion were filled; understands, however, that the materiality, complexity and large amounts of, and rapid disbursements from, the RRF continue to pose challenges and that current resources are not sufficient to systematically ensure that RRF expenditure complies with Union and national rules and to respond to the increased Union activities; supports, in this context, the Court’s request to convert the 29 temporary agents hired for RRF-related audits into permanent posts to ensure the Court is structurally equipped to audit the RRF and future performance-based instruments, including the MFF; |
Or. en
Amendment 28
Caterina Chinnici
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 29 a. Notes with appreciation that also in 2024 the Court exceeded the professional training target of 5 days of non-language training per year for auditors, in line with the International Federation of Accountants’ recommendations, and 2 days for non-audit staff (respectively 5.8 and 3.9); |
Or. en
Amendment 29
Csaba Molnár
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 31. Notes that 13 cases of burnout were reported in 2024, up from 7 cases in 2023; welcomes the fact that the Court took several steps to reduce the risk of burnout by introducing a full wellbeing programme, offering resilience training, publishing and implementing guidelines on returning to work after long-term sick leave, continuing to offer mental health first aid, and providing financial support to staff by covering the cost of 10 sessions with a psychologist of their choice; notes, in particular, that the Court organised 4 compulsory training sessions for managers in 2024, focusing on staff wellbeing, performance, work-life balance and preventing burnout; | 31. Notes with serious concerns that 13 cases of burnout were reported in 2024, up from 7 cases in 2023; calls on the Court to carry out a thorough and evidence-based analysis of the reasons for this significant increase in reported burnout cases in 2024; welcomes the fact that the Court took several steps to reduce the risk of burnout by introducing a full wellbeing programme, offering resilience training, publishing and implementing guidelines on returning to work after long-term sick leave, continuing to offer mental health first aid, and providing financial support to staff by covering the cost of 10 sessions with a psychologist of their choice; notes, in particular, that the Court organised 4 compulsory training sessions for managers in 2024, focusing on staff wellbeing, performance, work-life balance and preventing burnout; calls on the Court, in the light of the findings of that analysis, to review and adapt its approach accordingly, with a view to effectively preventing burnout and improving the working environment; |
Or. en
Amendment 30
Damian Boeselager
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 31. Notes that 13 cases of burnout were reported in 2024, up from 7 cases in 2023; welcomes the fact that the Court took several steps to reduce the risk of burnout by introducing a full wellbeing programme, offering resilience training, publishing and implementing guidelines on returning to work after long-term sick leave, continuing to offer mental health first aid, and providing financial support to staff by covering the cost of 10 sessions with a psychologist of their choice; notes, in particular, that the Court organised 4 compulsory training sessions for managers in 2024, focusing on staff wellbeing, performance, work-life balance and preventing burnout; | 31. Notes that 13 cases of burnout were reported in 2024, up from 7 cases in 2023; notes with concern the significant increase in reported burnout cases in 2024; calls on the Court to further analyse workload distribution, organisational drivers and structural risks, and to integrate the findings into its human-resources planning and management practices; welcomes the fact that the Court took several steps to reduce the risk of burnout by introducing a full wellbeing programme, offering resilience training, publishing and implementing guidelines on returning to work after long-term sick leave, continuing to offer mental health first aid, and providing financial support to staff by covering the cost of 10 sessions with a psychologist of their choice; notes, in particular, that the Court organised 4 compulsory training sessions for managers in 2024, focusing on staff wellbeing, performance, work-life balance and preventing burnout; |
Or. en
Amendment 31
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 33. Notes that, according to the Questionnaire, the Court took many actions in 2024, in line with its Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Action Plan 2021-2025, in various areas such as recruitment, training, career development, working conditions and staff awareness; notes that the Court integrates D&I into its performance management, evaluation, certification and promotion processes, as well as its training programmes, with 13 managers having taken a voluntary D&I assessment in 2024; welcomes the specialised training course entitled “Women managers rise up: skilling for success” which the Court organised to encourage women to purse management roles; welcomes further the Court’s new positive action programmes for trainees and contract staff targeting people with disabilities, with two traineeships per year offered to people with a recognised disability; notes with satisfaction that the Court organised in 2024 the fourth Court Disabilities Awareness Week, where a new Disability Roadmap was launched, highlighting the Court’s efforts towards a more inclusive workplace; notes with satisfaction that the Court also publishes mid-term reviews of its D&I Action Plan in order to ensure transparency and engagement across the organisation; | deleted |
Or. de
Amendment 32
Olivier Chastel, Gilles Boyer, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu, Michal Wiezik
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 35. Reiterates its deep concern regarding the Court’s refusal to lift the immunity of its former President and the Court’s decision to deny the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) to allow a number of the Court’s staff members to testify in an ongoing criminal investigation; notes from the Follow-up Report the Court’s position whereby it did not lift said immunity because the EPPO did not provide the Court with “sufficient information enabling it to understand which actions the persons concerned are accused of and in how far such actions might constitute criminal conduct”, citing case-law as part of the applicable legal framework in support of the Court’s position; notes that, on 10 February 2025, the EPPO filed an appeal (case number T-99/25) with the Court of Justice of the European Union under Article 263, paragraph 4, of the TFEU against the Court’s decision to deny the EPPO’s request to allow a number of the Court’s staff members to testify in an ongoing criminal investigation; notes further that the aforementioned appeal did not challenge the non-lifting of the immunity of the persons concerned; stresses that the powers of the Union institutions to withhold authorisation of their staff members to be heard as witness do not include having a say on the merits of the legal proceedings in which the staff members are to testify and can only be invoked in situations where the interests of the Union, which must be of considerable importance and vital to the Union, would be at risk; urges the Court to maintain a high level of transparency and accountability in its cooperation with the EPPO and other Union bodies responsible for combating fraud and misconduct; | 35. Reiterates its deep concern regarding the Court’s refusal to lift the immunity of its former President and the Court’s decision to deny the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) to allow a number of the Court’s staff members to testify in an ongoing criminal investigation; notes from the Follow-up Report the Court’s position whereby it did not lift said immunity because the EPPO did not provide the Court with “sufficient information enabling it to understand which actions the persons concerned are accused of and in how far such actions might constitute criminal conduct”, citing case-law as part of the applicable legal framework in support of the Court’s position; notes that, on 10 February 2025, the EPPO filed an appeal (case number T-99/25) with the Court of Justice of the European Union under Article 263, paragraph 4, of the TFEU against the Court’s decision to deny the EPPO’s request to allow a number of the Court’s staff members to testify in an ongoing criminal investigation; notes further that the aforementioned appeal did not challenge the non-lifting of the immunity of the persons concerned; Calls on the Court to maintain a high level of transparency and accountability in its cooperation with the EPPO and other Union bodies responsible for combating fraud and misconduct; Urges the Court to clarify the criteria applied when deciding on requests from the EPPO, and to ensure that such decisions cannot be perceived as obstructing judicial investigations; |
Or. en
Amendment 33
Damian Boeselager
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 35. Reiterates its deep concern regarding the Court’s refusal to lift the immunity of its former President and the Court’s decision to deny the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) to allow a number of the Court’s staff members to testify in an ongoing criminal investigation; notes from the Follow-up Report the Court’s position whereby it did not lift said immunity because the EPPO did not provide the Court with “sufficient information enabling it to understand which actions the persons concerned are accused of and in how far such actions might constitute criminal conduct”, citing case-law as part of the applicable legal framework in support of the Court’s position; notes that, on 10 February 2025, the EPPO filed an appeal (case number T-99/25) with the Court of Justice of the European Union under Article 263, paragraph 4, of the TFEU against the Court’s decision to deny the EPPO’s request to allow a number of the Court’s staff members to testify in an ongoing criminal investigation; notes further that the aforementioned appeal did not challenge the non-lifting of the immunity of the persons concerned; stresses that the powers of the Union institutions to withhold authorisation of their staff members to be heard as witness do not include having a say on the merits of the legal proceedings in which the staff members are to testify and can only be invoked in situations where the interests of the Union, which must be of considerable importance and vital to the Union, would be at risk; urges the Court to maintain a high level of transparency and accountability in its cooperation with the EPPO and other Union bodies responsible for combating fraud and misconduct; | 35. Reiterates its deep concern regarding the Court’s refusal to lift the immunity of its former President and the Court’s decision to deny the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) to allow a number of the Court’s staff members to testify in an ongoing criminal investigation; notes from the Follow-up Report the Court’s position whereby it did not lift said immunity because the EPPO did not provide the Court with “sufficient information enabling it to understand which actions the persons concerned are accused of and in how far such actions might constitute criminal conduct”, citing case-law as part of the applicable legal framework in support of the Court’s position; notes that, on 10 February 2025, the EPPO filed an appeal (case number T-99/25) with the Court of Justice of the European Union under Article 263, paragraph 4, of the TFEU against the Court’s decision to deny the EPPO’s request to allow a number of the Court’s staff members to testify in an ongoing criminal investigation; notes further that the aforementioned appeal did not challenge the non-lifting of the immunity of the persons concerned; stresses that the powers of the Union institutions to withhold authorisation of their staff members to be heard as witness do not include having a say on the merits of the legal proceedings in which the staff members are to testify and can only be invoked in situations where the interests of the Union, which must be of considerable importance and vital to the Union, would be at risk; stresses that the Union institutions’ duty of sincere cooperation requires that authorisations to hear staff as witnesses in criminal investigations be refused only in strictly exceptional circumstances; recalls that such decisions must not encroach upon the assessment of the merits of criminal proceedings; reiterates the expectation that the Court ensures full, timely and good-faith cooperation with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and keeps the discharge authority duly informed of all relevant developments; |
Or. en
Amendment 34
Csaba Molnár
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 35. Reiterates its deep concern regarding the Court’s refusal to lift the immunity of its former President and the Court’s decision to deny the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) to allow a number of the Court’s staff members to testify in an ongoing criminal investigation; notes from the Follow-up Report the Court’s position whereby it did not lift said immunity because the EPPO did not provide the Court with “sufficient information enabling it to understand which actions the persons concerned are accused of and in how far such actions might constitute criminal conduct”, citing case-law as part of the applicable legal framework in support of the Court’s position; notes that, on 10 February 2025, the EPPO filed an appeal (case number T-99/25) with the Court of Justice of the European Union under Article 263, paragraph 4, of the TFEU against the Court’s decision to deny the EPPO’s request to allow a number of the Court’s staff members to testify in an ongoing criminal investigation; notes further that the aforementioned appeal did not challenge the non-lifting of the immunity of the persons concerned; stresses that the powers of the Union institutions to withhold authorisation of their staff members to be heard as witness do not include having a say on the merits of the legal proceedings in which the staff members are to testify and can only be invoked in situations where the interests of the Union, which must be of considerable importance and vital to the Union, would be at risk; urges the Court to maintain a high level of transparency and accountability in its cooperation with the EPPO and other Union bodies responsible for combating fraud and misconduct; | 35. Reiterates its deep concern regarding the Court’s refusal to lift the immunity of its former President and the Court’s decision to deny the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) to allow a number of the Court’s staff members to testify in an ongoing criminal investigation; notes from the Follow-up Report the Court’s position whereby it did not lift said immunity because the EPPO did not provide the Court with “sufficient information enabling it to understand which actions the persons concerned are accused of and in how far such actions might constitute criminal conduct”, citing case-law as part of the applicable legal framework in support of the Court’s position; notes that, on 10 February 2025, the EPPO filed an appeal (case number T-99/25) with the Court of Justice of the European Union under Article 263, paragraph 4, of the TFEU against the Court’s decision to deny the EPPO’s request to allow a number of the Court’s staff members to testify in an ongoing criminal investigation; notes further that the aforementioned appeal did not challenge the non-lifting of the immunity of the persons concerned; stresses that the powers of the Union institutions to withhold authorisation of their staff members to be heard as witness do not include having a say on the merits of the legal proceedings in which the staff members are to testify and can only be invoked in situations where the interests of the Union, which must be of considerable importance and vital to the Union, would be at risk; urges the Court to maintain a high level of transparency and accountability in its cooperation with the EPPO and other Union bodies responsible for combating fraud and misconduct and to ensure that immunity is not invoked to hinder legitimate judicial proceedings; |
Or. en
Amendment 35
Caterina Chinnici
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 35. Reiterates its deep concern regarding the Court’s refusal to lift the immunity of its former President and the Court’s decision to deny the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) to allow a number of the Court’s staff members to testify in an ongoing criminal investigation; notes from the Follow-up Report the Court’s position whereby it did not lift said immunity because the EPPO did not provide the Court with “sufficient information enabling it to understand which actions the persons concerned are accused of and in how far such actions might constitute criminal conduct”, citing case-law as part of the applicable legal framework in support of the Court’s position; notes that, on 10 February 2025, the EPPO filed an appeal (case number T-99/25) with the Court of Justice of the European Union under Article 263, paragraph 4, of the TFEU against the Court’s decision to deny the EPPO’s request to allow a number of the Court’s staff members to testify in an ongoing criminal investigation; notes further that the aforementioned appeal did not challenge the non-lifting of the immunity of the persons concerned; stresses that the powers of the Union institutions to withhold authorisation of their staff members to be heard as witness do not include having a say on the merits of the legal proceedings in which the staff members are to testify and can only be invoked in situations where the interests of the Union, which must be of considerable importance and vital to the Union, would be at risk; urges the Court to maintain a high level of transparency and accountability in its cooperation with the EPPO and other Union bodies responsible for combating fraud and misconduct; | 35. Notes the Court’s refusal to lift the immunity of its former President and the Court’s decision to deny the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) to allow a number of the Court’s staff members to testify in an ongoing criminal investigation; notes from the Follow-up Report the Court’s position whereby it did not lift said immunity because the EPPO did not provide the Court with “sufficient information enabling it to understand which actions the persons concerned are accused of and in how far such actions might constitute criminal conduct”, citing case-law as part of the applicable legal framework in support of the Court’s position; notes that, on 10 February 2025, the EPPO filed an appeal (case number T-99/25) with the Court of Justice of the European Union under Article 263, paragraph 4, of the TFEU against the Court’s decision to deny the EPPO’s request to allow a number of the Court’s staff members to testify in an ongoing criminal investigation; notes further that the aforementioned appeal did not challenge the non-lifting of the immunity of the persons concerned; stresses that the powers of the Union institutions to withhold authorisation of their staff members to be heard as witness do not include having a say on the merits of the legal proceedings in which the staff members are to testify and can only be invoked in situations where the interests of the Union, which must be of considerable importance and vital to the Union, would be at risk; urges the Court to maintain a high level of transparency and accountability in its cooperation with the EPPO and other Union bodies responsible for combating fraud and misconduct; |
Or. en
Amendment 36
Damian Boeselager
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 35 a. calls on the Court, in cases involving decisions on waivers of immunity of its Members, to provide Parliament with sufficiently detailed, non-confidential reasoning to enable meaningful democratic scrutiny, while fully respecting judicial proceedings and the rights of the persons concerned; |
Or. en
Amendment 37
Csaba Molnár
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 42. Recalls the fact that the Internal Audit Service of the Court (IAS) carried out an audit on the ethical framework applicable to the Court’s staff and members; notes that, according to the Final Report (02/2023) sent by the Court to Parliament’s President on 9 July 2024 and according to the Questionnaire, the IAS issued 16 recommendations, 15 of which have already been completed, with one, concerning conflicts of interest of staff, ongoing; | 42. Recalls the fact that the Internal Audit Service of the Court (IAS) carried out an audit on the ethical framework applicable to the Court’s staff and members; notes that, according to the Final Report (02/2023) sent by the Court to Parliament’s President on 9 July 2024 and according to the Questionnaire, the IAS issued 16 recommendations, 15 of which have already been completed, with one, concerning conflicts of interest of staff, ongoing; urges the Court to complete the outstanding recommendation without delay and invites it to keep the discharge authority duly informed of the progress made in this regard; |
Or. en
Amendment 38
Caterina Chinnici
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 43. Notes that, according to the Court’s report, no cases of corruption or fraud in the Court’s internal operations were identified in 2024; appreciates the Court for organising preventive training on anti-corruption policies and procedures, 10 sessions of which were held in 2024 with 257 people attending in total; appreciates the fact that, according to the Follow-up Report, the Court issued in 2024 a single consolidated document on addressing fraud in the context of its audit activities, thus harmonising how the Court’s audit chambers address fraud-related matters uncovered during external audit work; notes that the fraud risk in connection with the Court’s internal operations is managed through the Court’s internal control framework designed to prevent, detect, correct and follow-up on any irregularities involving Court members or staff that might affect the Union’s financial interests; notes further the Court’s view that designing a standalone antifraud strategy for internal operations “would entail disproportionate administrative burden, given the extensive controls already in place”, but continues to ask the Court to adopt an anti-fraud strategy covering all types of operations; | 43. Notes that, according to the Court’s report, no cases of corruption or fraud in the Court’s internal operations were identified in 2024; appreciates the Court for organising preventive training on anti-corruption policies and procedures, 10 sessions of which were held in 2024 with 257 people attending in total; appreciates the fact that, according to the Follow-up Report, the Court issued in 2024 a single consolidated document on addressing fraud-related matters in the context of its audit activities, that provides comprehensive and detailed guidance to the Court’s auditors, thus harmonising how the Court’s audit chambers address cases of suspected fraud, corruption or any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests of the Union uncovered during external audit work, and contributing to ensuring consistency; notes that the fraud risk in connection with the Court’s internal operations is managed through the Court’s internal control framework designed to prevent, detect, correct and follow-up on any irregularities involving Court members or staff that might affect the Union’s financial interests; notes further the Court’s view that designing a standalone antifraud strategy for internal operations “would entail disproportionate administrative burden, given the extensive controls already in place”, but continues to ask the Court to adopt an anti-fraud strategy covering all types of operations; |
Or. en
Amendment 39
Damian Boeselager
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 44. Notes the Court’s view, as expressed in the Follow-up Report, that its role as an independent external audit institution places it outside the typical scope of entities seeking to interact with and lobby Union decision-making bodies; is of the opinion that this argument does not fully apply because the Court issues special reports in which the Court examines whether the objectives of Union policies and programmes have been met, which gives the Court’s work either a political or advisory dimension, even if the Court is not a decision-making body; recalls, in addition, that there are other non-decision-making and advisory bodies of the Union that have formally joined the Union’s Transparency Register; reiterates, therefore, its call on the Court to join the Transparency Register, which would adhere to basic principles of transparency without creating any obstacles to the full independence of the Court; | 44. Notes the Court’s view, as expressed in the Follow-up Report, that its role as an independent external audit institution places it outside the typical scope of entities seeking to interact with and lobby Union decision-making bodies; is of the opinion that this argument does not fully apply because the Court issues special reports in which the Court examines whether the objectives of Union policies and programmes have been met, which gives the Court’s work either a political or advisory dimension, even if the Court is not a decision-making body; recalls, in addition, that there are other non-decision-making and advisory bodies of the Union that have formally joined the Union’s Transparency Register; reiterates its call on the Court to join the Transparency Register without delay, in line with the practices of other non-decision-making Union bodies, in order to reinforce public trust while fully preserving its independence as the Union’s external auditor; |
Or. en
Amendment 40
Caterina Chinnici
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 46. Strongly supports the Court’s efforts to develop an audit knowledge ecosystem through digitalisation; notes, in this context, that, according to the Questionnaire, in 2024 the Court implemented several initiatives to enhance its digital capabilities and operational efficiency, including the integration of audit information systems, the increasing of the interoperability between systems and applications, the introduction of the Document Reading Assistant (DORA) to support knowledge management in audit activities, the launch of the BibliotECA Discovery Collections Service and the adoption of a new digital archiving policy; emphasises that pairing digitalisation with an increased number of on-site visits should lead to more efficient and accurate audit outcomes; | 46. Strongly supports the Court’s efforts to develop an audit knowledge ecosystem through digitalisation; notes, in this context, that, according to the Questionnaire, in 2024 the Court implemented several initiatives to enhance its digital capabilities and operational efficiency, including the integration of audit information systems, the increasing of the interoperability between systems and applications, the introduction of the Document Reading Assistant (DORA) to support knowledge management in audit activities, the launch of the BibliotECA Discovery Collections Service and the adoption of a new digital archiving policy; emphasises that pairing digitalisation with an increased number of on-site visits should lead to more efficient and accurate audit outcomes; encourages further investments in AI-assisted audit tools and interoperability of systems to enhance audit precision, reduce administrative burden, and maximise value-for-money; |
Or. en
Amendment 41
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 47. Appreciates the publication of the Court’s Artificial Intelligence initial strategy and deployment roadmap for 2024-2025; notes with satisfaction that, according to the Questionnaire, the Court made steady progress in implementing that strategy, focusing, inter alia, on testing and preparing for the rollout of tools such as Microsoft Copilot and GPT@EC, raising staff awareness with targeted AI training, as well as testing AI applications in audit work and sharing preliminary findings; welcomes furthermore the strengthening of the Court’s AI governance, with the Court setting up the AI Advisory Committee and appointing an AI correspondent in 2024; notes with satisfaction that the AI Advisory Committee, whose role is to support and advise the Court in fulfilling its obligations stemming from the legal and ethical framework governing the use of AI, is composed of staff with a mix of expertise to ensure a comprehensive approach and understanding of the impact of AI; | 47. Appreciates the publication of the Court’s Artificial Intelligence initial strategy and deployment roadmap for 2024-2025; notes with satisfaction that, according to the Questionnaire, the Court made steady progress in implementing that strategy, focusing, inter alia, on testing and preparing for the rollout of tools such as Microsoft Copilot and GPT@EC, raising staff awareness with targeted AI training, as well as testing AI applications in audit work and sharing preliminary findings; notes that the Court has developed a strategy for the use of AI tools; stresses that their use must be strictly limited to audit-related activities and regularly evaluated in terms of cost-benefit ratio, data security and added value; |
Or. de
Amendment 42
Damian Boeselager
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 47. Appreciates the publication of the Court’s Artificial Intelligence initial strategy and deployment roadmap for 2024-2025; notes with satisfaction that, according to the Questionnaire, the Court made steady progress in implementing that strategy, focusing, inter alia, on testing and preparing for the rollout of tools such as Microsoft Copilot and GPT@EC, raising staff awareness with targeted AI training, as well as testing AI applications in audit work and sharing preliminary findings; welcomes furthermore the strengthening of the Court’s AI governance, with the Court setting up the AI Advisory Committee and appointing an AI correspondent in 2024; notes with satisfaction that the AI Advisory Committee, whose role is to support and advise the Court in fulfilling its obligations stemming from the legal and ethical framework governing the use of AI, is composed of staff with a mix of expertise to ensure a comprehensive approach and understanding of the impact of AI; | 47. Appreciates the publication of the Court’s Artificial Intelligence initial strategy and deployment roadmap for 2024-2025; notes with satisfaction that, according to the Questionnaire, the Court made steady progress in implementing that strategy, focusing, inter alia, on testing and preparing for the rollout of tools such as Microsoft Copilot and GPT@EC, raising staff awareness with targeted AI training, as well as testing AI applications in audit work and sharing preliminary findings; welcomes furthermore the strengthening of the Court’s AI governance, with the Court setting up the AI Advisory Committee and appointing an AI correspondent in 2024; notes with satisfaction that the AI Advisory Committee, whose role is to support and advise the Court in fulfilling its obligations stemming from the legal and ethical framework governing the use of AI, is composed of staff with a mix of expertise to ensure a comprehensive approach and understanding of the impact of AI; calls on the Court, as part of its Artificial Intelligence strategy, to develop clear indicators to assess the added value, risks and limitations of AI-supported audit tools, and to report regularly to Parliament on their impact on audit quality, transparency and accountability; |
Or. en
Amendment 43
Csaba Molnár
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 47. Appreciates the publication of the Court’s Artificial Intelligence initial strategy and deployment roadmap for 2024-2025; notes with satisfaction that, according to the Questionnaire, the Court made steady progress in implementing that strategy, focusing, inter alia, on testing and preparing for the rollout of tools such as Microsoft Copilot and GPT@EC, raising staff awareness with targeted AI training, as well as testing AI applications in audit work and sharing preliminary findings; welcomes furthermore the strengthening of the Court’s AI governance, with the Court setting up the AI Advisory Committee and appointing an AI correspondent in 2024; notes with satisfaction that the AI Advisory Committee, whose role is to support and advise the Court in fulfilling its obligations stemming from the legal and ethical framework governing the use of AI, is composed of staff with a mix of expertise to ensure a comprehensive approach and understanding of the impact of AI; | 47. Appreciates the publication of the Court’s Artificial Intelligence initial strategy and deployment roadmap for 2024-2025; notes with satisfaction that, according to the Questionnaire, the Court made steady progress in implementing that strategy, focusing, inter alia, on testing and preparing for the rollout of tools such as Microsoft Copilot and GPT@EC, raising staff awareness with targeted AI training, as well as testing AI applications in audit work and sharing preliminary findings; welcomes furthermore the strengthening of the Court’s AI governance, with the Court setting up the AI Advisory Committee and appointing an AI correspondent in 2024; notes with satisfaction that the AI Advisory Committee, whose role is to support and advise the Court in fulfilling its obligations stemming from the legal and ethical framework governing the use of AI, is composed of staff with a mix of expertise to ensure a comprehensive approach and understanding of the impact of AI; stresses that the use of artificial intelligence must be carried out by guaranteeing strict principles of ethical use, transparency, data protection, human oversight, and protection against algorithmic bias or misuse; |
Or. en
Amendment 44
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 49. Notes with concern that the Court experienced a cyber-attack, claimed by a pro-Russian group, that took down its public website, as part of a coordinated action to destabilise the European elections in 2024; welcomes the Court’s commitment to reassessing cybersecurity risks at least every two years; encourages the continued implementation of regular staff training on cyber threats to enhance institutional resilience; invites the Court to keep the discharge authority informed of the outcome of any cybersecurity risk assessment that the Court might run in the context of the implementation of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2023/28411; | deleted |
| _________________ | |
| 1 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2023/2841 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2023 laying down measures for a high common level of cybersecurity at the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the Union (OJ L, 2023/2841, 18.12.2023, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/2841/oj). |
Or. de
Amendment 45
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 50. Welcomes the planned initiatives for 2025 which aim to further strengthen digital transformation and cybersecurity, such as the deployment of Microsoft Copilot, the implementation of local generative AI models and the installation of biometric authentication on laptops; notes also the Court’s plan to upgrade its IT infrastructure with new servers, install new capabilities in support of hybrid meetings and reinforce its cooperation with the Interinstitutional Committee for Digital Transformation on emerging technologies such as AI; | 50. Welcomes the planned initiatives for 2025 which aim to further strengthen digital transformation and cybersecurity, such as the deployment of Microsoft Copilot, the implementation of local generative AI models and the installation of biometric authentication on laptops; notes also the Court’s plan to upgrade its IT infrastructure with new servers, install new capabilities in support of hybrid meetings and reinforce its cooperation with the Interinstitutional Committee for Digital Transformation on emerging technologies such as AI; stresses that additional expenditure for hybrid meetings and technical infrastructure should only incurred on the basis of a clear needs analysis and within existing budgetary ceilings; |
Or. de
Amendment 46
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Environment and sustainability | deleted |
Or. de
Amendment 47
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 56. Welcomes with appreciation the Court’s ongoing efforts to be a sustainable institution; notes that the Court issued in 2024 its fourth sustainability report which measures the economic, social and environmental impacts of the Court’s operations; notes with satisfaction that 91 % of the Court’s special reports and reviews published in 2024 covered topics relevant to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals; welcomes the fact that 40 % of the Court’s procurement contracts included green and circular economy criteria and 98 % of the Court’ purchases of goods and services were from local suppliers in 2024; | deleted |
Or. de
Amendment 48
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 57. Notes that the Court is EMAS-certified and has had an environmental policy since 2014, which was updated in 2025; notes that the Court measures its carbon footprint using the latest version of the ‘Bilan Carbon’ method, which covers scopes at operational (Court activities) and organisational (the three buildings in Luxembourg) levels; notes that the Court’s total green-house gas emissions in 2024 was 9 108 tonnes of CO2, i.e. a decrease of 15 % compared to the emissions in 2014, but an increase of 1,60 % compared to those in 2023; notes that purchases of goods and services and passenger transport contributed the most to the total of the Court’s emissions in 2024, i.e. 31 % and 29 %, respectively; | deleted |
Or. de
Amendment 49
Ondřej Knotek, Julien Sanchez, Virginie Joron, Tamás Deutsch
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 57 a. Stresses that environmental initiatives within Union institutions must remain cost-effective and technology-neutral; calls on the Court to provide a transparent cost–benefit analysis of its green investments and procurement practices and to ensure that environmental considerations do not override efficiency, or budgetary discipline. |
Or. en
Amendment 50
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 58. Notes with satisfaction the Court’s environmental statement presenting results for 2024, including the actions already undertaken and those planned for implementation, which aim to reduce the environmental impact of the Court’s activities and at achieving or surpassing its annual environmental performance objectives; notes that the Court measures its environmental performance using a set of indicators and benchmarks of excellence; notes that the Court has a set of general and specific objectives under its environmental programme for 2023-2025, most of which were achieved in 2024, in particular with regard to reducing the Court’s energy consumption (electricity: -24 %; heating: -21,80 %), air emissions (- 30 %) and water consumption (- 45 %) and increasing the number of procurement procedures that include environmental criteria (more than 30 %); notes, nevertheless, a trend reversal with regard to the number of pages printed (+9,1 %) and the reduction of annual waste generation (+ 27,50 %); appreciates the Court’s actions to counterbalance its negative impact on biodiversity; notes that the Court hosts on its premises several colonies of bees producing honey which is harvested by staff volunteers and participates in initiatives to plant trees in Luxembourg and participated in other eco-related activities as part of the Court’s participation at the 2024 EU interinstitutional EMAS days; welcomes the fact that the number of staff using the city’s shares bikes increased from 172 in 2023 to 201 in 2024; welcomes the Court’s support for the use of mobility for commuting, such as cycling, by covering the costs of subscriptions to the Luxembourg City bike-share scheme, or public transport, by partially reimbursing season tickets for cross-border staff, with the number of staff taking advantage of that type of reimbursement scheme rising from 28 in 2023 to 30 in 2024; | deleted |
Or. de
Amendment 51
Olivier Chastel, Gilles Boyer, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu, Michal Wiezik
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 63 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 63 a. Underlines the important role of the ECA in the Architecture Anti fraud. Its audits and special reports systematically identify weaknesses, irregularities and risks, thereby triggering corrective and recovery actions by the Commission, Member States and other AFA actors. Through this oversight function, the ECA not only enhances transparency and accountability but also strengthens the overall deterrence and detection capacity of the EU system, ensuring that public funds are managed soundly and protected against fraud and misuse |
Or. en
Amendment 52
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 65. Regrets once again that, despite improved access to European Investment Bank (EIB) documents and information, the Court lacks a mandate to audit operations financed with the EIB’s own funds; calls for that mandate to be granted to the Court, given the EIB’s mission to pursue Union objectives and its growing role in the Union’s economic and political landscape, which extends beyond utilising the Union budget to guarantee its operations; recalls that the Court, in Special Report 05/2023 entitled ‘The EU’s financial landscape - a patchwork construction requiring further simplification and accountability’, stated that a public audit mandate should be established for all types of financing for Union policies; | 65. Recalls that any extension of the Court’s audit mandate with regard to the European Investment Bank requires a clear legal basis and a careful assessment of responsibilities; |
Or. de
Amendment 53
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 68. Supports the Court’s growing media strategy, which resulted in a record of more than 24 000 press articles being published online in 2024, covering the Court’s audit reports, other publications or the Court in general, thus confirming the upward trend in coverage observed over the recent years (2023: 22 000; 2022: 20 000; 2021: 18 000); notes with appreciation that, according to the Court’s report, there was an increase in visitors to the Court’s website, launched in 2023, with 780 000 visits in 2024 (2023: 700 000), 1 295 025 unique page views and 56 440 downloads; welcomes the fact that, by the end of 2024, the Court’s four main social media accounts (X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram) had attracted over 61 500 followers, up from 55 000 in 2023 and 49 500 in 2022; commends the Court for launching its first monthly LinkedIn newsletter (ECA Insights) in November 2024, which provides highlights of recent reports and previews of upcoming audits and which attracted over 8 500 subscribers by the end of that year; | deleted |
Or. de
Amendment 54
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 69. Welcomes the fact that the Court has a digitally accessible website (A++ level), which is audited twice a year by an external consultant to assess the website’s compliance with relevant accessibility standards and to identify barriers to accessibility for users with disabilities; appreciates that, overall, accessibility implementation is assessed as very good, and notes that some recommendations to keep improving and maintaining the accessibility score of the website were proposed as a result of the audit; | deleted |
Or. de
Amendment 55
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 70. Notes that the Court issued 44 press releases in 24 EU languages, as well as various information notes, media advisories and ready-to-use audio-statements in certain languages in 2024; notes furthermore that the Court held 20 online press briefings and 14 additional country-specific press briefings for the annual report in that year; highlights that, altogether, the Court’s briefings have attracted 876 journalists, most representing major national media outlets in Member States; | 70. Notes that the Court issued 44 press releases in 24 EU languages, as well as various information notes, media advisories and ready-to-use audio-statements in certain languages in 2024; notes furthermore that the Court held 20 online press briefings and 14 additional country-specific press briefings for the annual report in that year; takes note of these activities and stresses that the Court’s communication activities should be strictly limited to the objective communication of audit results; |
Or. de
Amendment 56
Cristian Terheş
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 70 b. Welcomes the European Court of Auditors’ Special report 11/2025: Transparency of EU funding granted to NGOs; notes with concern the problems identified therein, including shortcomings in transparency, classification and oversight; underlines the need for the ECA to continue and strengthen its monitoring and reporting on these issues to ensure full compliance with financial rules, transparency requirements and the Union’s fundamental values; |
Or. en
Amendment 57
Cristian Terheş
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 70 a. Encourages the Court, in this context, to prepare a special report on EU funding provided to NGOs active in the Gaza context and to organisations involved in the development of Palestinian school textbooks; underlines that such scrutiny is crucial to ensure that EU funds are not diverted, directly or indirectly, to terrorist organisations or their affiliates, nor used in a manner that promotes hatred, radicalisation, or incitement to violence, and to ensure full compliance with EU financial rules, transparency standards, and the Union’s core values; |
Or. en
Amendment 58
Arno Bausemer
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 71. Welcomes the fact that in order to increase public engagement, the Court has, since 2024, provided citizens with an opportunity to contribute to its work programme by making audit suggestions via the Court’s website; | deleted |
Or. de