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Discharge 2023: Joint Undertakings

TA-10-2025-0089 · P10_TA(2025)0089 · PE765.276

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Parliament grants discharge to the executive directors of eleven EU joint undertakings for the 2023 budget and approves closure of their accounts, with observations in a resolution. The resolution notes the Court of Auditors found the 2023 accounts and transactions legal and regular, but raises concerns on budget execution, cash surpluses, procurement, and staffing. It calls on joint undertakings to improve financial management, reduce cash surpluses, meet contribution targets, enhance transparency on gender and geography, and implement anti-fraud measures. Each joint undertaking must submit a follow-up report on actions taken by 30 September 2025.

Key points

  1. Parliament grants discharge to the Executive Directors of the Clean Aviation, Circular Bio-based Europe, Clean Hydrogen, Europe's Rail, European High Performance Computing, ITER, Global Health EDCTP3, Innovative Health Initiative, Chips, Single European Sky ATM Research 3, and Smart Networks and Services joint undertakings for 2023.
  2. Parliament approves the closure of the accounts of all eleven joint undertakings for the financial year 2023.
  3. Notes the Court's unqualified opinions on the reliability of accounts and legality and regularity of transactions for all joint undertakings.
  4. Calls on joint undertakings to avoid excessive reliance on in-kind contributions to additional activities and to meet contribution targets.
  5. Expresses concern over low budget execution rates in several joint undertakings, especially for payment appropriations, and calls for healthy implementation pace.
  6. Calls on joint undertakings to reduce cash surpluses, which totaled EUR 1.5 billion in 2023, and to align cash requests with spending needs.
  7. Calls for strengthening internal financial controls, transparency, and anti-fraud measures, including publishing declarations of interest and introducing cooling-off periods.
  8. Calls on joint undertakings to improve gender balance and geographical distribution among staff and experts, and to report quantitative data.
  9. Calls for corrective mechanisms for systemic errors in grant payments and for mandatory financial training for beneficiaries.
  10. Calls on joint undertakings to implement business continuity plans and internal control policies on sensitive functions.
  11. Calls on each joint undertaking to produce a follow-up report on actions taken, signed by its director, by 30 September 2025.

Who is affected

  • The eleven EU joint undertakings and their executive directors, who receive discharge and must implement the resolution's recommendations.
  • Private members of joint undertakings, who must meet contribution targets and avoid excessive reliance on in-kind contributions.
  • Beneficiaries of joint undertaking funding, who face mandatory financial training and automated verification tools.
  • Staff and experts of joint undertakings, who are subject to gender balance and geographical distribution reporting and anti-fraud measures.

Figures and deadlines

  • Combined budget of EUR 17 billion from Union cash contribution and EUR 21.1 billion from other members.
  • Total available budget in 2023 for the eleven joint undertakings: EUR 4.25 billion in commitment appropriations and EUR 3.87 billion in payment appropriations.
  • Cash surplus of EUR 1.5 billion for the financial year 2023.
  • Average error rate just below the materiality threshold of 2% for grant expenditure.
  • Follow-up reports due by 30 September 2025.

Legal basis: Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union