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DRAFT REPORT (2023/2137(DEC))

On discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022, Section VIII – European Ombudsman

CONT-PR-753486

Committee on Budgetary Control · Rapporteur: Luke Ming Flanagan

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This draft report by the Committee on Budgetary Control concerns discharge for the European Ombudsman's 2022 budget. It proposes granting discharge and sets out observations on budgetary management, internal control, staff, ethics, digitalisation, buildings, environment, interinstitutional cooperation and communication. The observations note the Ombudsman's EUR 12,222,108 budget, a 96.97% implementation rate, 2,223 complaints and 348 inquiries opened in 2022, and no specific issues identified by the Court of Auditors. The report welcomes progress on ethics, transparency, hybrid work and digitalisation, while noting longer complaint and inquiry handling times and calling on Parliament to improve accessibility to the Brussels building.

Committee position. The rapporteur proposes that Parliament grant the European Ombudsman discharge for the 2022 financial year and adopt observations covering budgetary management, internal control, staff, ethics, digitalisation, buildings, environment, interinstitutional cooperation and communication.

Key points

  1. Parliament grants the European Ombudsman discharge for the implementation of its 2022 budget and sets out its observations in the resolution.
  2. The Ombudsman's budget falls under MFF heading 7, which totalled EUR 11.6 billion (5.9% of Union spending) in 2022; the Ombudsman's budget was 0.1% of that heading.
  3. The Court of Auditors examined 60 transactions under Administration, found 14 (23%) with errors, and estimated the error level below the materiality threshold; it identified no specific issues concerning the Ombudsman.
  4. The Ombudsman's 2022 budget was EUR 12,222,108, a decrease of EUR 280,000 from 2021, with a 96.97% implementation rate and 6 budget transfers totalling EUR 344,460 (2.8% of appropriations).
  5. Average payment time rose from 11.35 to 13 days; the report expects electronic invoicing from 2023 to improve efficiency and recommends the Ombudsman account for possible higher rent and building charges in 2023.
  6. The Ombudsman received 2,223 complaints in 2022 (35% within mandate), opened 348 inquiries including 60 of public importance, and closed 330; average complaint handling rose from 61 to 91 days and inquiry handling from 112 to 166 days.
  7. Public access to documents remained a priority with 121 complaints, the highest recorded; fast-track inquiries fell to 28% of public access inquiries from 58% in 2021.
  8. The Ombudsman had 74 staff at end-2022, 18 nationalities represented, 67% women and 33% men, and rolled out a hybrid work policy with a 97% staff satisfaction rate.
  9. No harassment cases were reported in 2022; 90% of staff were aware of harassment policy and guidelines at the start of 2023; the Ombudsman welcomed 18 paid trainees and planned a traineeship scheme for young people with disabilities.
  10. The Ombudsman aligned its practices with the EU transparency register without formally joining it, and published information on inquiries, missions, meetings and events.
  11. The Ombudsman relies on Parliament's IT infrastructure and cybersecurity framework, concluded service-level agreements on personal data, suffered no cyberattack in 2022, and completed four of five actions on data protection.
  12. The Ombudsman returned 20.5% of rented Strasbourg surface, relies on Parliament for building environmental measures, and Parliament is called on to improve accessibility to the Brussels building.

Who is affected

  • The European Ombudsman: receives discharge for its 2022 budget and is given observations on management, staff, ethics and buildings.
  • The European Parliament: is asked to improve accessibility to the building it rents to the Ombudsman in Brussels.
  • The Ombudsman's staff: affected by hybrid work policy, gender balance, harassment prevention and traineeship arrangements.
  • The Commission, Council, Court of Auditors, Court of Justice, EDPS and EEAS: receive the discharge decision and resolution.

Figures and deadlines

  • EUR 11.6 billion: total MFF heading 7 in 2022, 5.9% of Union budget spending.
  • EUR 12,222,108: the Ombudsman's budget in 2022, a decrease of EUR 280,000 compared to 2021.
  • 96.97%: budget implementation rate in 2022, compared to 88.8% in 2021.
  • EUR 344,460 or 2.8% of appropriations: total of 6 budget transfers in 2022.
  • 11.35 to 13 days: average payment time from 2021 to 2022.
  • EUR 135,000 to EUR 120,000: budget for staff missions from 2021 to 2022.
  • 2,223 complaints in 2022 compared to 2,192 in 2021; 348 inquiries opened and 330 closed.
  • 61 to 91 days: average time for dealing with a complaint within mandate; 112 to 166 days for an inquiry, between 2021 and 2022.

Legal basis: Article 314(10) and Articles 317, 318 and 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.