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2024/2025(DEC) Discharge procedure First reading

2023 discharge: General budget of the EU - European Economic and Social Committee

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

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 TA10-0082/2025 7 May 2025 ✦ Parliament grants discharge to the European Economic and Social Committee for the 2023 budget and adopts a resolution with observations. It notes the Committee's budget implementation, internal controls, HR, ethics, digitalisation, buildings, environment, and interinstitutional cooperation, and makes recommendations for improvements.⇄ what changed Tabled for plenary Report A10-0054/2025 1 April 2025 ✦ Parliament grants discharge to the European Economic and Social Committee for the 2023 budget and adopts a resolution with observations.⇄ what changed Committee draft Draft report (CONT) 17 January 2025 ✦ This draft report concerns granting discharge to the European Economic and Social Committee for the 2023 budget. It proposes granting discharge and includes observations on budget management, internal control, HR, ethics, digitalisation, buildings, environment, and cooperation.

Latest Tabled for plenary → Adopted by Parliament: The versions differ only in formal points: typographical corrections, punctuation, capitalization, and expansion of acronyms. see the changes →

Committee draft → Tabled for plenary: The main change is postponing the discharge decision for 2023, indicating unresolved issues. Adds several calls for action on cybersecurity, transparency, anti-fraud, and staff well-being. Adds new paragraphs on youth engagement, AI guidelines, and cooperation with other bodies. Removes or rephrases some existing paragraphs, including on solar panels and internal audit. Other changes are formal or wording: 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 TA10-0082/2025📄 Report A10-0054/2025
    Adopted Adopted by an overwhelming majority
    For 538 Against 96 Abstained 27

    Final vote at 13:46 · 81% of votes cast in favour · every MEP’s position →

    How the vote unfolded · 5 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 5 ballots in voting order
    1. Final vote 13:46 A10-0054/2025 – Joachim Stanisław Brudziński – Proposal for a decision
    Adopted
    2. Amendment 1, adding text after paragraph 4 13:46 A10-0054/2025 – Joachim Stanisław Brudziński – After § 4 – Am 1
    Rejected
    3. Amendment 2, adding text after paragraph 4 13:47 A10-0054/2025 – Joachim Stanisław Brudziński – After § 4 – Am 2
    Rejected
    4. Amendment 3, adding text after paragraph 9 13:47 A10-0054/2025 – Joachim Stanisław Brudziński – After § 9 – Am 3
    Rejected
    5. Final vote — text as a whole 13:47 A10-0054/2025 – Joachim Stanisław Brudziński – 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 3 amendments tabled for the plenary vote

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

    📄 Amendments 1–3
  7. 1 April 2025 Report tabled for plenary

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

    📄 Report A10-0054/2025
  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. 10 February 2025 Amendments tabled in committee

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

    📄 Amendments in committee (CONT)
  11. 17 January 2025 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; BUDG (Budgets), DEVE (Development), EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs), TRAN (Transport and Tourism), AFET (Foreign Affairs), INTA (International Trade), IMCO (Internal Market and Consumer Protection), CULT (Culture and Education), LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs), REGI (Regional Development), ENVI (Environment, Climate and Food Safety), ECON (Economic and Monetary Affairs), PECH (Fisheries), SANT (Public Health), FEMM (Women’s Rights and Gender Equality), AFCO (Constitutional Affairs), JURI (Legal Affairs), AGRI (Agriculture and Rural Development), ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy), SEDE (Security and Defence) give an opinion.