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Adopted text

Discharge 2024: EU general budget – European Council and Council

TA-10-2026-0353 · P10_TA(2026)0353 · PE790.743

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Parliament's decision refuses to grant the Secretary-General of the Council discharge for the 2024 budget of the European Council and Council, and sets out its observations in an accompanying resolution. The resolution regrets that the Council has refused to cooperate in the discharge procedure since 2009, including by not answering Parliament's questionnaire and not attending a hearing. It insists the Council's administrative spending be subject to the same scrutiny as other institutions and calls on the Council to resume negotiations on a binding working arrangement. It asks for transparency in IT, cloud and consultancy procurement, better geographical balance and equal opportunities in staff management, and full implementation of the De Capitani ruling on access to Council working documents. It repeats the call to split the European Council and Council budgets, and calls for Treaty changes or practical improvements on unanimity voting and on clarifying the discharge procedure.

Key points

  1. Parliament refuses to grant the Secretary-General of the Council discharge for the implementation of the 2024 budget of the European Council and Council.
  2. It regrets that since 2009, and again for 2024, the Council has refused to cooperate in the discharge procedure, preventing informed scrutiny and compelling refusal of discharge.
  3. It stresses that Parliament's budgetary control derives from Article 14(1) TEU and Article 319 TFEU, and that the Council cannot place itself outside the discharge process.
  4. It calls on the Council to resume negotiations without delay to establish a binding working arrangement for the discharge procedure.
  5. It urges the Council to ensure transparency and oversight in public procurement for IT, cloud migration and external consultancy services.
  6. It calls for balanced geographical representation at all administrative levels, especially management posts, and strict adherence to equal opportunity policies.
  7. It regrets that the Council did not answer Parliament's questionnaire of 103 questions sent on 22 September 2025 and did not take part in the hearing arranged for 6 November 2025.
  8. It finds it incomprehensible that the Council believes discharge should be granted to the Commission for the Council's budget, given Article 59(1) of the Financial Regulation.
  9. It calls on the Council to fully implement the General Court's 2023 De Capitani v Council ruling that Council working group documents are legislative and subject to access rules.
  10. It calls on the Council to follow up on Parliament's discharge recommendations and to resume negotiations at the highest level, involving the Secretary-Generals and Presidents of both institutions.
  11. It reiterates its regret that the European Council and Council budgets are not split into two separate budgets, and calls for compliance with this recommendation.
  12. It calls for targeted Treaty reforms or practical improvements within the existing framework on unanimity voting, and for clarifying the discharge procedure in a future Treaty revision.

Who is affected

  • The Secretary-General of the Council: refused discharge for the 2024 budget of the European Council and Council.
  • The Council and European Council: called to cooperate in the discharge procedure, resume negotiations and improve transparency.
  • The Commission: asked, with the Council's legal service, to give an opinion on Treaty-based solutions to enforce Council accountability.
  • Council staff and administration: called to improve geographical balance, equal opportunities and procurement transparency.

Figures and deadlines

  • 103 questions in Parliament's questionnaire to the Council Secretariat, sent on 22 September 2025.
  • 3 October 2025: date the Council's General Secretariat said it would not answer the questionnaire.
  • 6 November 2025: date of the discharge hearing the Council did not attend.
  • Since 2009: period of the Council's refusal to cooperate in the discharge procedure.
  • 15 years: period of the Council's lack of political willingness to collaborate cited by Parliament.
  • Almost 20 years: period of Parliament's practice of granting discharge to all Union institutions.
  • 6 May 2025: date the Council Presidency representative expressed willingness to cooperate on discharge.

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