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2024/2027(DEC) Discharge procedure First reading

2023 discharge: General budget of the EU - European Ombudsman

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 2 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
Kinga KOLLÁR PPECsaba MOLNÁR S&DVirginie JORON PfEVlad VASILE-VOICULESCU RenewDamian BOESELAGER Verts/ALEPasquale TRIDICO The Left
For opinion
ENVI — Environment, Climate and Food Safety PECH — Fisheries AFET — Foreign Affairs DEVE — Development SEDE — Security and Defence CULT — Culture and Education ECON — Economic and Monetary Affairs TRAN — Transport and Tourism EMPL — Employment and Social Affairs BUDG — Budgets IMCO — Internal Market and Consumer Protection FEMM — Women’s Rights and Gender Equality ITRE — Industry, Research and Energy LIBE — Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs AFCO — Constitutional Affairs JURI — Legal Affairs INTA — International Trade SANT — Public Health REGI — Regional Development AGRI — Agriculture and Rural Development

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 TA10-0084/2025 7 May 2025 ✦ Parliament grants the European Ombudsman discharge for the 2023 budget and adopts a resolution with observations on budget management, performance, ethics, and transparency.⇄ what changed Tabled for plenary Report A10-0055/2025 2 April 2025 ✦ Parliament grants the European Ombudsman discharge for the 2023 budget and adopts a resolution with observations on the Ombudsman's financial management, performance, staff, ethics, buildings, digitalisation, environment, cooperation and communication.⇄ what changed Committee draft Draft report (CONT) 16 December 2024 ✦ This draft report proposes granting discharge to the European Ombudsman for the 2023 budget and includes a resolution with observations on budget management, performance, staffing, ethics, and other areas.

Latest Tabled for plenary → Adopted by Parliament: The versions differ only in formal points: the title is updated, acronyms are expanded, and punctuation and capitalization are corrected. see the changes →

Committee draft → Tabled for plenary: The main change is postponing the discharge decision for the Ombudsman's 2023 budget. Adds calls for improved transparency, including on RRF recipients, high-level meetings, and financial interests. Adds calls for better communication, training, and cooperation with committees and agencies. Adds paragraphs on gender balance, workload, and accessibility, and moves staff well-being text. Other changes are wording or formal, including rephrasing and correcting years. 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 TA10-0084/2025📄 Report A10-0055/2025
    Adopted Adopted by an overwhelming majority
    For 568 Against 54 Abstained 43

    Final vote at 13:48 · 85% of votes cast in favour · every MEP’s position →

    How the vote unfolded · 4 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 4 ballots in voting order
    1. Final vote 13:48 A10-0055/2025 – Joachim Stanisław Brudziński – Proposal for a decision
    Adopted
    2. Vote on text inserted after paragraph 15
    — no individual positions recorded
    Rejected
    3. Amendment 1, adding text after paragraph 47 13:48 A10-0055/2025 – Joachim Stanisław Brudziński – After § 47 – Am 1
    Rejected
    4. Final vote — text as a whole 13:49 A10-0055/2025 – 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 2 amendments tabled for the plenary vote

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

    📄 Amendment 1📄 Amendment 2
  7. 2 April 2025 Report tabled for plenary

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

    📄 Report A10-0055/2025
  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. 16 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; ENVI (Environment, Climate and Food Safety), PECH (Fisheries), AFET (Foreign Affairs), DEVE (Development), SEDE (Security and Defence), CULT (Culture and Education), ECON (Economic and Monetary Affairs), TRAN (Transport and Tourism), EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs), BUDG (Budgets), IMCO (Internal Market and Consumer Protection), FEMM (Women’s Rights and Gender Equality), ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy), LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs), AFCO (Constitutional Affairs), JURI (Legal Affairs), INTA (International Trade), SANT (Public Health), REGI (Regional Development), AGRI (Agriculture and Rural Development) give an opinion.