2023 discharge: General budget of the EU - European External Action Service
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.
- ✓ Referred to committee 17 September 2024
- ✓ Committee work Report adopted 8 April 2025
- ✓ Tabled for plenary 23 April 2025
- ✓ Plenary vote Adopted 7 May 2025
- ✓ 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
- Joachim Stanisław BRUDZIŃSKI ECR
- Shadow rapporteurs
- Andrey KOVATCHEV PPECsaba MOLNÁR S&DVirginie JORON PfEVlad VASILE-VOICULESCU RenewDamian BOESELAGER Verts/ALEPasquale TRIDICO The Left
- For opinion
- DEVE — Development SEDE — Security and Defence AFCO — Constitutional Affairs AFET — Foreign Affairs · rapporteur Michael GAHLER PPE
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
Latest Tabled for plenary → Adopted by Parliament: Adds a new paragraph on reduced trainee numbers and requests information on their conditions. The other changes are formal: updated terminology, punctuation, and renumbering. see the changes →
Committee draft → Tabled for plenary: The decision on granting discharge is postponed, and the report adds numerous calls for action on disinformation, human rights, and transparency. Budgetary concerns are emphasised with calls for increased resources and better financial management, including for missions and procurement. Gender balance and diversity are addressed with updated statistics and calls for more progress. Cybersecurity and countering foreign interference are strengthened with new calls for training and support. The other changes are formal or wording updates, such as changing "notes" to "welcomes" and rephrasing sentences. see the changes →
Committee opinions: Opinion (AFET),Draft opinion (AFET)
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
- Outcome
- 8 October 2025 Published in the Official Journal
The act is now EU law.
- Plenary stage
- 7 May 2025 Plenary voteAdopted Adopted by a large majorityFor 519 Against 126 Abstained 16
Final vote at 13:50 · 79% of votes cast in favour · every MEP’s position →
Show all 21 ballots in voting order
Adopted2. Vote on text inserted after paragraph 5RejectedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recordedRejected4. Separate vote on paragraph 8AdoptedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recorded5. Separate vote on paragraph 8Adoptedelectronic vote (totals only) — no individual positions recorded6. Separate vote on paragraph 8AdoptedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recorded7. Amendment 3, adding text after paragraph 9 13:51 A10-0069/2025 – Joachim Stanisław Brudziński – After § 9 – Am 3Rejected8. Separate vote on paragraph 10RejectedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recordedRejectedRejected11. Separate vote on paragraph 10RejectedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recorded12. Separate vote on paragraph 31AdoptedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recordedAdoptedAdopted15. Separate vote on paragraph 33AdoptedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recorded16. Separate vote on paragraph 40AdoptedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recordedAdopted18. Vote on text inserted after paragraph 48Adoptedelectronic vote (totals only) — no individual positions recorded19. Separate vote on paragraph 53RejectedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recorded20. Amendment 4, adding text after paragraph 82 13:52 A10-0069/2025 – Joachim Stanisław Brudziński – After § 82 – Am 4Rejected21. Final vote — text as a whole 13:52 A10-0069/2025 – Joachim Stanisław Brudziński – Motion for a resolution (as a whole)Adopted - 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 - 30 April 2025 10 amendments tabled for the plenary vote
Groups propose changes to the tabled text; each is voted on before the final vote.
- 23 April 2025 Report tabled for plenary
This is the text all MEPs vote on. Political groups can still table amendments to it.
- Committee stage
- 8 April 2025 Committee vote: report adopted
CONT (Budgetary Control) voted on the amendments and adopted the report that goes to plenary.
- 11 February 2025 Amendments tabled in committee
Members of CONT (Budgetary Control) proposed changes to the draft.
- 30 January 2025 AFET (Foreign Affairs) adopted its opinion
The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.
- 17 December 2024 Draft report published
The rapporteur’s first text in CONT (Budgetary Control). Members can table amendments before the committee votes.
- 22 November 2024 Draft opinion from AFET (Foreign Affairs)
An associated committee gives its view to the lead committee.
- 17 September 2024 Referred to the CONT (Budgetary Control) committee
The lead committee prepares the report; DEVE (Development), SEDE (Security and Defence), AFCO (Constitutional Affairs), AFET (Foreign Affairs) give an opinion.