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Discharge 2024: EU general budget - European Ombudsman

TA-10-2026-0133 · P10_TA(2026)0133 · PE778.065

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 4 Sept 2026

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Parliament grants the European Ombudsman discharge for the 2024 budget and adopts a resolution with observations on budget management, performance, ethics, and transparency. The resolution notes the Ombudsman's budget of EUR 13 843 160, a 97.55% implementation rate, and calls for improvements in areas such as SUMMA access costs, mission forecasting, and case-handling delays. It also addresses staff issues, including the Secretary-General selection process, gender balance, and calls for stronger safeguards against conflicts of interest.

Key points

  1. Grants the European Ombudsman discharge for implementing its 2024 budget.
  2. Notes the Ombudsman's 2024 budget was EUR 13 843 160, up 4.77% from 2023, mainly due to salary adjustments.
  3. Calls on the Commission to make SUMMA access costs proportionate to the Ombudsman's size and budget.
  4. Calls for more realistic initial mission budget forecasting to reduce reliance on mid-year transfers.
  5. Recommends refining key performance indicators for case-handling and calls for a plan to address delays in access-to-documents cases.
  6. Calls on the Ombudsman to strengthen safeguards in selection procedures to avoid perceived conflicts of interest, and to provide Parliament with all documents on the Secretary-General selection.
  7. Urges the Ombudsman to develop a strategy to address the absence of men in management roles and improve gender balance.
  8. Calls for strengthening procurement with social and environmental criteria.
  9. Encourages continued AI use with human oversight and data protection safeguards.
  10. Welcomes interinstitutional cooperation and calls for regular cybersecurity training.

Who is affected

  • The European Ombudsman: must implement the discharge decision and address Parliament's recommendations on budget, staffing, and transparency.
  • The Commission: asked to adjust SUMMA access pricing for smaller institutions.
  • Parliament's committees: to be informed of Commission delays on RRF-related documents.

Figures and deadlines

  • EUR 13 843 160: Ombudsman's 2024 budget.
  • 97.55%: budget implementation rate in 2024.
  • EUR 200 000: amount the Ombudsman is asked to pay for SUMMA access.
  • 75%: increase in actual energy expenditure in 2024.
  • 2 264: new complaints handled in 2024.
  • 82%: acceptance rate of Ombudsman's proposals in 2024.
  • 78: total staff in 2024, down from 82 in 2023.
  • 68% women and 32% men: overall staff representation in 2024.

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