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2025/2153(DEC) Discharge procedure First reading

Discharge 2024: 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 10 September 2026 and now EU law.

  1. ✓ Referred to committee 9 September 2025
  2. ✓ Committee work Report adopted 2 March 2026
  3. ✓ Tabled for plenary 12 March 2026
  4. ✓ Plenary vote Adopted 29 April 2026
  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
Pasquale TRIDICO The Left
Shadow rapporteurs
Caterina CHINNICI PPEJosé CEPEDA S&DOndřej KNOTEK PfEŞerban Dimitrie STURDZA ECRVlad VASILE-VOICULESCU Renew
For opinion
SEDE — Security and Defence BUDG — Budgets AFCO — Constitutional Affairs SANT — Public Health FEMM — Women’s Rights and Gender Equality AGRI — Agriculture and Rural Development ENVI — Environment, Climate and Food Safety ECON — Economic and Monetary Affairs JURI — Legal Affairs CULT — Culture and Education IMCO — Internal Market and Consumer Protection TRAN — Transport and Tourism INTA — International Trade AFET — Foreign Affairs REGI — Regional Development PECH — Fisheries ITRE — Industry, Research and Energy EMPL — Employment and Social Affairs DEVE — Development 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 TA10-0133/2026 29 April 2026 ✦ Parliament grants the European Ombudsman discharge for the 2024 budget and adopts a resolution with observations on budget management, performance, ethics, and transparency.⇄ what changed Tabled for plenary Report A10-0054/2026 12 March 2026 ✦ Parliament grants the European Ombudsman discharge for the 2024 budget and adopts a resolution with observations on budget management, performance, ethics, and other areas.⇄ what changed Committee draft Draft report (CONT) 15 December 2025 ✦ This draft report proposes granting discharge to the European Ombudsman for the 2024 budget, with observations in a resolution. It notes the budget, management, and performance, and raises concerns about the Secretary-General selection process.

Latest Tabled for plenary → Adopted by Parliament: The versions differ only in formal points and wording: the title is updated and a regulation citation is completed. Two factual corrections are made: the missions budget year is corrected to 2024 and the parental leave policy year to 2004. see the changes →

Committee draft → Tabled for plenary: The main change is that Parliament postpones its discharge decision for the Ombudsman for 2024 instead of granting it. Adds numerous calls for the Ombudsman to address perceived conflicts of interest, improve recruitment diversity, and strengthen safeguards in senior appointments. Adds requests for more realistic budgeting, better cost models for shared systems, and improved handling of access-to-documents delays. Adds stresses on maintaining communication capacity, ensuring ethical AI use, and incorporating social and environmental criteria in procurement. Other changes are formal or wording: updated references, terminology alignment, 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. 10 September 2026 Published in the Official Journal

    The act is now EU law.

  3. Plenary stage
  4. 29 April 2026 Plenary vote
    Sitting of 29 April 2026 📄 Adopted text TA10-0133/2026📄 Report A10-0054/2026
    Adopted Adopted
    How the vote unfolded · 2 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 2 ballots in voting order
    1. Final vote Proposal for a decision
    — no individual positions recorded
    Adopted
    2. Final vote — text as a whole 13:58 A10-0054/2026 – Pasquale Tridico – Motion for a resolution (as a whole)
    Adopted
  5. 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
  6. 12 March 2026 Report tabled for plenary

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

    📄 Report A10-0054/2026
  7. Committee stage
  8. 2 March 2026 Committee vote: report adopted

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

  9. 28 January 2026 Amendments tabled in committee

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

    📄 Amendments in committee (CONT)
  10. 15 December 2025 Draft report published

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

    📄 Draft report (CONT)
  11. 9 September 2025 Referred to the CONT (Budgetary Control) committee

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