On discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the EU agencies for the financial year 2024 – Agencies

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 gender equality is one of the founding values of the Union and the Union is committed to promoting equality in all its activities as enshrined in Article 8 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), thus establishing the principle of gender mainstreaming;

B. whereas the 2024 Gender Equality Index demonstrates that Member States have made limited progress, with only a 0,8 increase; whereas in other areas such as women's health progress has stagnated;

C. whereas inflation has put increasing pressure on EIGE's budget, and has reduced the operational capacity of EIGE causing the agency to be understaffed and under permanent financial strain;

1. Recalls that EIGE was established to contribute to and strengthen the promotion of gender equality in the Union through independent, quality research and comparable data, to help EU institutions and Member States mainstream gender equality in all policies and combat gender-based discrimination;

2. Reiterates Parliament's call for increased funding and staff for EIGE, in line with rising requests for technical assistance and higher operational costs;

3. Notes EIGE’s continuous 95 % budget execution of its work programme and achievement of targets in the amended 2024–2026 programming document, despite understaffing and high carry-overs, and that the European Court of Auditors confirmed its accounts present fairly its financial position.