Discharge 2024: General budget of the EU - European Council and Council
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 10 September 2026 and now EU law.
- ✓ Referred to committee 9 September 2025
- ✓ Committee work Report adopted 1 October 2026
- ✓ Tabled for plenary 6 October 2026
- ✓ Plenary vote Adopted 21 October 2026
- ✓ 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
- Pasquale TRIDICO The Left
- Shadow rapporteurs
- Andrey KOVATCHEV PPECsaba MOLNÁR S&DOndřej KNOTEK PfEŞerban Dimitrie STURDZA ECRGerben-Jan GERBRANDY Renew
- For opinion
- ITRE — Industry, Research and Energy REGI — Regional Development IMCO — Internal Market and Consumer Protection AGRI — Agriculture and Rural Development AFCO — Constitutional Affairs EMPL — Employment and Social Affairs LIBE — Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs TRAN — Transport and Tourism FEMM — Women’s Rights and Gender Equality DEVE — Development ECON — Economic and Monetary Affairs JURI — Legal Affairs BUDG — Budgets SEDE — Security and Defence INTA — International Trade CULT — Culture and Education ENVI — Environment, Climate and Food Safety AFET — Foreign Affairs PECH — Fisheries SANT — Public Health
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
Tabled for plenary → Tabled for plenary: Parliament now refuses rather than postpones discharge to the Secretary-General of the Council for 2024. New paragraphs set out Parliament's scrutiny powers, regret the Council's refusal to cooperate, call for negotiations on a binding working arrangement and address cybersecurity and staff representation. A recital now cites the Ombudsman's finding that the Council's transparency in the legislative process constituted maladministration. Many detailed paragraphs on political priorities, budget management, human resources, ethics, transparency, digitalisation, buildings, environment and communication are removed, while new paragraphs address the De Capitani ruling, discharge practice, Treaty revision and unanimity voting. The other changes are wording and formal: recitals and paragraphs are shortened or rephrased, and a capitalisation and an abbreviation are corrected. see the changes →
Committee draft → Tabled for plenary: The discharge decision changes from refusal to postponement, altering the core outcome. Adds extensive new content on budgetary figures, political priorities, and management areas, while removing previous paragraphs on Council non-cooperation. Strengthens language on democratic legitimacy and transparency, citing Treaty articles and adding criticism of Council practices. Other changes are formal or wording: updated Treaty references, terminology alignment, and minor rephrasing. see the changes →
Committee draft → Committee draft: The main change is that Parliament now refuses discharge to the Council instead of granting it, due to continued non-cooperation. The resolution is restructured: detailed sections on budget, HR, and other topics are removed, replaced by a focus on Council's refusal to cooperate and calls for reform. Recitals are updated to reflect the Ombudsman's specific recommendation and to adjust wording on transparency and cooperation. Other changes are formal or wording: terminology updates, punctuation fixes, and capitalization corrections. 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
- Plenary stage
- 21 October 2026 Plenary voteAdopted Adopted by a large majorityFor 434 Against 203 Abstained 21
Final vote — text as a whole at 13:39 · 66% of votes cast in favour · every MEP’s position →
Show all 6 ballots in voting order
1. Final vote Proposal for a decisionAdoptedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recordedRejectedRejectedRejectedAdopted6. Final vote — text as a whole 13:39 A10-0258/2026 – Pasquale Tridico – Motion for a resolution (as a whole)Adopted - 13 October – 14 October 2026 3 amendments tabled for the plenary vote
Groups propose changes to the tabled text; each is voted on before the final vote.
- 6 October 2026 Report tabled for plenary
This is the text all MEPs vote on. Political groups can still table amendments to it.
- Committee stage
- 1 October 2026 Committee vote: report adopted
CONT (Budgetary Control) voted on the amendments and adopted the report that goes to plenary.
- Outcome
- 10 September 2026 Published in the Official Journal
The act is now EU law.
- Committee stage
- 10 September 2026 Amendments tabled in committee
Members of CONT (Budgetary Control) proposed changes to the draft.
- 2 July 2026 Draft report published
The rapporteur’s first text in CONT (Budgetary Control). Members can table amendments before the committee votes.
- Plenary stage
- 29 April 2026 Plenary voteAdopted Adopted
Show all 16 ballots in voting order
1. Final vote Proposal for a decisionAdoptedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recorded2. Separate vote on paragraph 28RejectedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recorded3. Separate vote on paragraph 29AdoptedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recordedRejectedRejectedAdopted7. Separate vote on paragraph 39Adoptedelectronic vote (totals only) — no individual positions recorded8. Vote on text inserted after paragraph 51RejectedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recorded9. Vote on text inserted after paragraph 53RejectedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recorded10. Vote on text inserted after paragraph 54RejectedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recorded11. Separate vote on paragraph 55AdoptedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recorded12. Separate vote on paragraph 55Adoptedelectronic vote (totals only) — no individual positions recorded13. Separate vote on paragraph 58Adoptedelectronic vote (totals only) — no individual positions recorded14. Separate vote on paragraph 58AdoptedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recorded15. Separate vote on paragraph 58AdoptedA vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recorded16. Final vote — text as a whole 13:47 A10-0051/2026 – Pasquale Tridico – Motion for a resolution (as a whole)Adopted - 28 April 2026 Debated in plenary
MEPs debated the text in the chamber ahead of the vote.
Sitting of 28 April 2026 📄 Council / Commission text C10-0145/2025📄 Council / Commission text C10-0146/2025📄 Council / Commission text C10-0147/2025📄 Council / Commission text C10-0148/2025📄 Council / Commission text C10-0149/2025📄 Council / Commission text C10-0150/2025📄 Council / Commission text C10-0151/2025📄 Council / Commission text C10-0152/2025📄 Council / Commission text C10-0153/2025📄 Council / Commission text C10-0154/2025📄 Council / Commission text C10-0155/2025📄 Council / Commission text C10-0156/2025📄 Council / Commission text C10-0157/2025📄 Report A10-0046/2026📄 Report A10-0050/2026📄 Report A10-0051/2026📄 Report A10-0052/2026📄 Report A10-0053/2026📄 Report A10-0054/2026📄 Report A10-0055/2026📄 Report A10-0056/2026📄 Report A10-0057/2026📄 Report A10-0059/2026📄 Report A10-0081/2026📄 Report A10-0085/2026📄 Report A10-0087/2026 - 27 March 2026 Report tabled for plenary
This is the text all MEPs vote on. Political groups can still table amendments to it.
- Committee stage
- 2 March 2026 Committee vote: report adopted
CONT (Budgetary Control) voted on the amendments and adopted the report that goes to plenary.
- 27 January 2026 Amendments tabled in committee
Members of CONT (Budgetary Control) proposed changes to the draft.
- 17 December 2025 Draft report published
The rapporteur’s first text in CONT (Budgetary Control). Members can table amendments before the committee votes.
- 9 September 2025 Referred to the CONT (Budgetary Control) committee
The lead committee prepares the report; ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy), REGI (Regional Development), IMCO (Internal Market and Consumer Protection), AGRI (Agriculture and Rural Development), AFCO (Constitutional Affairs), EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs), LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs), TRAN (Transport and Tourism), FEMM (Women’s Rights and Gender Equality), DEVE (Development), ECON (Economic and Monetary Affairs), JURI (Legal Affairs), BUDG (Budgets), SEDE (Security and Defence), INTA (International Trade), CULT (Culture and Education), ENVI (Environment, Climate and Food Safety), AFET (Foreign Affairs), PECH (Fisheries), SANT (Public Health) give an opinion.