On discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the EU agencies for the financial year 2023

PA_NonLegDec

OPINION

The Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:

A. whereas Article 8 TFEU mandates the Union to aim to eliminate inequalities and to promote equality between men and women in all its activities; whereas equality is a fundamental right under the Treaty of Lisbon and a priority for the Union with the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) supporting Union institutions and Member States in achieving that aim;

B. whereas in 2023 EIGE’s work focused on two thematic priorities: the European Green Deal and gender-based violence; whereas crises exacerbate women’s vulnerability and exposure to violence, intensifying existing structural inequalities and aggravating all types of gender-based violence, including physical, sexual and psychological; whereas the effectiveness of EIGE’s actions on the European Green Deal, which needs to be revised and updated to set achievable targets in general to achieve equality and support women, especially in the Union, is questionable;

1. Has serious concerns that EIGE’s mission was diverted from improving equality by its focus on the European Green Deal; points out that EIGE achieved 92,76 % of its work programme objectives;

2. Notes that the 8,5 % increase in EIGE’s staff costs can be attributed to the continued high inflation rate as well as a 2,7% indexation of salaries, and that the average number of staff remained at 45; notes that two contract agents were engaged and funded by the IPA contribution agreement with the Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations; acknowledges the persisting understaffing of EIGE and suggests that EIGE focus its work programme on violence against women and girls while deprioritizing actions related to the European Green Deal where necessary in light of current staff capacities;

3. Acknowledges that specific measures were taken in the area of financial management to ensure a proper implementation of interinstitutional framework contracts.