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2024/2023(DEC) Discharge procedure First reading

2023 discharge: General budget of the EU - Court of Auditors

Parliament checks how an EU institution or agency spent a past year’s budget and signs it off — or refuses to.

Where it stands: Completed: published in the Official Journal on 8 October 2025 and now EU law.

  1. ✓ Referred to committee 17 September 2024
  2. ✓ Committee work Report adopted 18 March 2025
  3. ✓ Tabled for plenary 31 March 2025
  4. ✓ Plenary vote Adopted 7 May 2025
  5. ✓ Parliament’s position Final
How a file moves through Parliament

A file is referred to one lead committee (others may give an opinion). Its rapporteur writes a draft report, committee members table amendments, and the committee votes to adopt the report. The report is then tabled for all MEPs; political groups can table further amendments, which are voted on before the final vote in plenary. The adopted resolution is Parliament’s final position; it is not itself law.

Who is working on it

Lead committee
CONT — Budgetary Control
Rapporteur
Dick ERIXON ECR
Shadow rapporteurs
Caterina CHINNICI PPECsaba MOLNÁR S&DVirginie JORON PfEOlivier CHASTEL RenewDamian BOESELAGER Verts/ALEPasquale TRIDICO The LeftAlexander JUNGBLUTH ESN
For opinion
SANT — Public Health BUDG — Budgets EMPL — Employment and Social Affairs ENVI — Environment, Climate and Food Safety IMCO — Internal Market and Consumer Protection FEMM — Women’s Rights and Gender Equality TRAN — Transport and Tourism AFCO — Constitutional Affairs REGI — Regional Development AFET — Foreign Affairs CULT — Culture and Education PECH — Fisheries SEDE — Security and Defence JURI — Legal Affairs DEVE — Development AGRI — Agriculture and Rural Development ECON — Economic and Monetary Affairs INTA — International Trade ITRE — Industry, Research and Energy LIBE — Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

The rapporteur drafts and negotiates the text for the lead committee; each other political group names a shadow rapporteur to follow the file.

The text, version by version

Adopted by Parliament · latest Adopted text TA10-0081/2025 7 May 2025 ✦ Parliament grants discharge to the Court of Auditors for the 2023 budget and adopts a resolution with observations on its management, performance, ethics, and cooperation.⇄ what changed Tabled for plenary Report A10-0047/2025 31 March 2025 ✦ Parliament grants discharge to the Court of Auditors for the 2023 budget and adopts observations in a resolution covering budget management, audits, staffing, ethics, and cooperation.⇄ what changed Committee draft Draft report (CONT) 17 December 2024 ✦ This draft report concerns discharge for the Court of Auditors' 2023 budget. It proposes granting discharge and includes observations on the Court's financial management, performance, and operations.

Latest Tabled for plenary → Adopted by Parliament: Deletes a paragraph on Council nominations and Parliament's role in evaluating candidates. The other changes are formal or wording: renumbering, punctuation, capitalization, and terminology updates. see the changes →

Committee draft → Tabled for plenary: The main change is postponing the discharge decision for the Court of Auditors for 2023. The resolution adds numerous calls for expanded audits, including EIB operations, and for full access to FENIX and other tools. It strengthens demands on transparency and ethics, including joining the Transparency Register and cooperating with EPPO investigations. It adds concerns about gender balance, recruitment, and staff well-being, with calls for more action. The other changes are formal or wording updates, including renumbering and minor rephrasing. see the changes →

Newest version first. Open a version to read it in full. “What changed” shows the differences paragraph by paragraph; ✦ lines are AI-written from the texts themselves.

Timeline

  1. Outcome
  2. 8 October 2025 Published in the Official Journal

    The act is now EU law.

  3. Plenary stage
  4. 7 May 2025 Plenary vote
    Sitting of 7 May 2025 📄 Adopted text TA10-0081/2025📄 Report A10-0047/2025
    Adopted Adopted by an overwhelming majority
    For 630 Against 16 Abstained 16

    Final vote — text as a whole at 13:44 · 95% of votes cast in favour · every MEP’s position →

    How the vote unfolded · 16 ballots

    adopted rejected lapsed square = amendment circle = part of the text decisive vote Solid = roll call (click for every MEP’s vote); faded = no individual positions

    Show all 16 ballots in voting order
    1. Final vote — text as a whole 13:44 A10-0047/2025 – Dick Erixon – Proposal for a decision (as a whole)
    Adopted
    2. Separate vote on paragraph 6
    — no individual positions recorded
    Rejected
    3. Separate vote on paragraph 14
    — no individual positions recorded
    Adopted
    4. Paragraph 14 — part 2 13:44 A10-0047/2025 – Dick Erixon – § 14/2
    Adopted
    5. Separate vote on paragraph 22
    — no individual positions recorded
    Adopted
    6. Paragraph 22 — part 2 13:45 A10-0047/2025 – Dick Erixon – § 22/2
    Adopted
    7. Vote on text inserted after paragraph 22
    — no individual positions recorded
    Rejected
    8. Separate vote on paragraph 23
    — no individual positions recorded
    Adopted
    9. Paragraph 23 — part 2 13:45 A10-0047/2025 – Dick Erixon – § 23/2
    Adopted
    10. Separate vote on paragraph 31
    — no individual positions recorded
    Adopted
    11. Paragraph 31 — part 2 13:45 A10-0047/2025 – Dick Erixon – § 31/2
    Adopted
    12. Separate vote on paragraph 33
    — no individual positions recorded
    Adopted
    13. Paragraph 33 — part 2 13:45 A10-0047/2025 – Dick Erixon – § 33/2
    Adopted
    14. Amendment 1 to paragraph 45 13:45 A10-0047/2025 – Dick Erixon – § 45 – Am 1
    Rejected
    15. Amendment 2 to paragraph 47 13:46 A10-0047/2025 – Dick Erixon – § 47 – Am 2
    Rejected
    16. Final vote — text as a whole 13:46 A10-0047/2025 – Dick Erixon – Motion for a resolution (as a whole)
    Adopted
  5. 6 May 2025 Debated in plenary

    MEPs debated the text in the chamber ahead of the vote.

    Sitting of 6 May 2025 📄 Council / Commission text C10-0067/2024📄 Council / Commission text C10-0068/2024📄 Council / Commission text C10-0069/2024📄 Council / Commission text C10-0070/2024📄 Council / Commission text C10-0071/2024📄 Council / Commission text C10-0072/2024📄 Council / Commission text C10-0073/2024📄 Council / Commission text C10-0074/2024📄 Council / Commission text C10-0075/2024📄 Council / Commission text C10-0076/2024📄 Council / Commission text C10-0077/2024📄 Council / Commission text C10-0078/2024📄 Council / Commission text C10-0079/2024📄 Report A10-0046/2025📄 Report A10-0047/2025📄 Report A10-0050/2025📄 Report A10-0051/2025📄 Report A10-0052/2025📄 Report A10-0053/2025📄 Report A10-0054/2025📄 Report A10-0055/2025📄 Report A10-0056/2025📄 Report A10-0062/2025📄 Report A10-0065/2025📄 Report A10-0069/2025📄 Report A10-0074/2025
  6. 30 April 2025 4 amendments tabled for the plenary vote

    Groups propose changes to the tabled text; each is voted on before the final vote.

    📄 Amendments 1–2📄 Amendments 3–4
  7. 31 March 2025 Report tabled for plenary

    This is the text all MEPs vote on. Political groups can still table amendments to it.

    📄 Report A10-0047/2025
  8. Committee stage
  9. 18 March 2025 Committee vote: report adopted

    CONT (Budgetary Control) voted on the amendments and adopted the report that goes to plenary.

  10. 11 February 2025 Amendments tabled in committee

    Members of CONT (Budgetary Control) proposed changes to the draft.

    📄 Amendments in committee (CONT)
  11. 17 December 2024 Draft report published

    The rapporteur’s first text in CONT (Budgetary Control). Members can table amendments before the committee votes.

    📄 Draft report (CONT)
  12. 17 September 2024 Referred to the CONT (Budgetary Control) committee

    The lead committee prepares the report; SANT (Public Health), BUDG (Budgets), EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs), ENVI (Environment, Climate and Food Safety), IMCO (Internal Market and Consumer Protection), FEMM (Women’s Rights and Gender Equality), TRAN (Transport and Tourism), AFCO (Constitutional Affairs), REGI (Regional Development), AFET (Foreign Affairs), CULT (Culture and Education), PECH (Fisheries), SEDE (Security and Defence), JURI (Legal Affairs), DEVE (Development), AGRI (Agriculture and Rural Development), ECON (Economic and Monetary Affairs), INTA (International Trade), ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy), LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs) give an opinion.