What changed between the plenary report and the adopted text

39. Notes with satisfaction from the Follow-up report the Union’s effort to protect children in conflict-affected regions through its delegations in 2024; welcomes the update of the Union’s Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict in 2024 that provide a framework to strengthen protection and prevent grave violations against children in times of war;

40. Recalls that in 2021 Parliament proposed a pilot project ‘Towards the creation of the European Diplomatic Academy’ with the objective to create a critical mass of European diplomats trained on Union’s foreign relations and security and a European diplomatic culture that aims at enhancing the Union’s role as an effective foreign policy actors; notes that in the first phase of that pilot project, which covered the academic year 2022-2023, 42 young diplomats participated, while in the second phase, which covered the academic year 2023-2024, there were 50 participants; notes that the second phase ran over two identical 4-month course editions, followed by 1-month training assignment at EEAS Headquarters in Brussels; notes that courses and training programmes were implemented by an academic consortium formed by the College of Europe in Belgium (Bruges) and Poland (Natolin); notes from the Questionnaire that, in line with the service contract EEAS/2022/OP/0168-2023, the College of Europe produced a final report containing the assessment of the second phase of the pilot project; calls on the EEAS to provide the discharge authority with that report; notes from the EEAS report on the annual accounts for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024, with regard to budget implementation for the pilot phases of the EU Diplomatic Academy, that the EEAS paid EUR 831 000 in 2022, EUR 120 000 in 2023 and EUR 862 000 in 2024; asks the EEAS to provide Parliament in the context of discharge procedure with copies of all documentation with regard to procurement procedures carried out, contracts signed and payments made in connection with phase 1 and phase 2 of the EU Diplomatic Academy pilot project;

41. Notes further that on 21 May 2024, building on the experience and structure developed in the pilot phases, the Council adopted a decision to establish a fully-fledged EU Diplomatic Academy for four academic years starting with 2024-2025, whereas the course and training activities have been assigned to the College of Europe, while the EU Diplomatic Academy will operate under the responsibility of the Vice-President/High Representative who will receive guidance from a steering committee composed of a representative designated by each Member State, as well as representative of Parliament, the Council and the Commission; notes from that decision that an intended amount of EUR 1,72 million shall cover the period 1 July 2024-30 June 2025, whereas the management of the expenditure in connection with the EU Diplomatic Academy is supervised by the Commission through the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments;

42. Notes that, following the creation of the CGS in 2023, the EEAS updated its Internal Control Framework (ICF) in 2024 to reflect the role of the Chief Governance Officer and introduce a monitoring mechanism on internal controls; notes from the Questionnaire that the ICF of the EEAS is aligned with that of the Commission; notes that, in addition to the standard annual assessment of its internal control system, the EEAS carried out in 2024 a survey among 167 respondents/staff, all with Authorising Officers by Sub-Delegation (AOSD) responsibilities, whereas the results of that survey are discussed at senior management level in the EEAS’ Internal Control Committee; notes that that survey highlighted 183 areas that need attention, especially with regard to challenges that Union delegations are facing such as awareness on internal controls and risk management, recruiting and retaining qualified staff and IT services; welcomes the fact that the EEAS devised an action plan to rectify existing concerns and pro-actively address potential risks; invites the EEAS to keep the discharge authority updated on these matters;

43. Encourages the EEAS to strengthen internal controls and document management systems, addressing weaknesses identified by the Court, in particular those concerning information management and reporting from Union delegations;

44. Notes that the EEAS employs two ex ante verification modes with regard to financial transactions (commitments, payments and recovery orders); notes that one type ex ante verification is decentralised, i.e. carried out independently from the responsible AOSD, for payments linked to invoices whose amount is (as of 2024) below 15 000; notes that, for all other financial transactions, the ex ante verification is ensured internally by the operational divisions or by Union delegations; notes that for procurement procedures, there are also two ex ante verification modes: one mode for contracts whose value is equal or greater than Directive 2014/24/EU thresholds, ran independently from the AOSD of the department in charge of the procurement file and another mode ensured internally, by the department in charge, for (very) low and middle value contracts;

45. Notes that for financial errors, the detected error rate corresponds to errors detected by ex post controls (after the payment/recovery has been made) which feeds into a residual error that also reflects errors presumed to be affecting the non-controlled expenditure and revenue; notes that in 2024, the residual financial error rate for the EEAS expenditure was 0,03 % and for revenue 0,05 %; notes with regard to procurement errors, that the EEAS updated its ex post controls methodology in 2024, thus aligning it with the Commission’s approach with regard to the calculation of procurement errors, which discards the notion of a residual error, whereas the financial impact of procurement errors cannot be quantified the same way the financial errors are; notes that based on this new methodology, the value of procurement detected error was EUR 49 774 108 in 2024 (up from EUR 23 392 948 in 2023) or 4,32 % of the audited population in 2024 (up from 2,07 % in 2023);

46. Notes with appreciation that the EEAS made tangible progress in 2024 in implementing outstanding recommendations made by various bodies such as the EEAS’ Internal Audit Division (IAD), the Commission’s Internal Audit Service (IAS) and the Court; acknowledges the role of the EEAS Audit Progress Committee in ensuring the independence of IAD and monitoring the quality of the internal audit work and the progress made with regard to follow-up on internal and external audit recommendations;

47. Notes with regard audits carried out by the IAD that the number of open recommendations was reduced from four critical and 49 very important recommendations to three critical and 32 very important ones and three action plans were reviewed, one of which was accepted as satisfactory; notes that the remaining critical recommendations are linked to the audit on ‘Management of the EU Delegation building in Washington’ which was delayed by legal matters and 13 of the 32 remaining very important recommendations are linked to the audit on ‘Information flows between EEAS, DG HR and the PMO’; observes further that the IAD launched an advisory review of procurement processes at Headquarters, initiated a strategic risk assessment, conducted benchmarking with other Union institutions, updated its Mission Charter, thereby completing the 2022–2024 multiannual audit plan, and took the necessary steps to prepare its new strategic audit plan starting in 2025;

48. Observes that the IAS finalised two audits on human resources allocation and on the EEAS anti-fraud strategy, with action plans under implementation, and launched a new audit on ex post controls at the end of 2024, the operational work for which continued into 2025; invites the EEAS to inform the discharge authority of the progress made with regard to the implementation of IAS recommendations that are still open as follow-up to the ‘Audit on the procurement process and contract monitoring in the EEAS’ launched in 2022;

49. Notes from the Annual activity report of the EEAS (the ‘EEAS 2024 report’) for 2024 that the operations of each Union delegation are periodically evaluated (every 4-5 years) through inspection missions and strategic corporate exercises; notes that 26 Union delegations were inspected in 2024 which led to the formulation of 1 000 recommendations and advice to the Union delegations inspected and Headquarters services, including six critical recommendations and approximately 100 very important ones; notes with concern from the Questionnaire that two Union delegations received critical recommendations concerning internal management; welcomes the fact that the EEAS has applied strict follow-up in both cases and, although one inspection remains open due to its complexity, the EEAS is actively supporting the delegation to resolve the outstanding issues and implement the required corrective measures;

50. Notes that the EEAS is broadly on schedule to meet the Court’s deadline to implement the recommendations of the Court’s Special Report 02/2024 on ‘The coordination role of the European External Action Service’ by the end of 2025; acknowledges that all newly appointed Heads of Delegation received mission letters in 2024 and 2025, and that improved feedback mechanisms and the Annual Management Plan process have strengthened coordination between Headquarters and Union delegations; welcomes the ongoing implementation of the EEAS information management strategy, including the full roll-out of the HIVE collaborative platform, used by over 16 500 staff; notes the continued work with the Commission, Council and Member States on enhancing interoperability and progressing discussions on a standardised security classification; further notes the completion of the Union delegations’ workload assessment in September 2024, which informed the subsequent political agreement on the modernisation of the Union delegation network in May 2025; notes the EEAS status of ‘associated service’ in audits carried out by the Court, whereas four audits (Special Reports 17/2024, 18/2024, 06/2024 and 04/2025) were finalised in 2024 and two audits (Special Report 17/2025, 20/2025) were launched in 2024 and finalised in 2025; notes in this context with satisfaction the good cooperation of the EEAS with the Commission’s directorate generals concerned by those audits;

Human resources, equality and staff well-being

51. Notes that the EEAS was employing, excluding local staff, a total of 2 902 members of staff, including 1 268 officials, 442 temporary agents, 619 contract agents and 573 seconded national experts in 2024, compared to 2 812 members of staff, including 1 245 officials, 450 temporary agents, 603 contract agents and 514 SNEs in 2023; recalls the importance of providing permanent contracts in order to maintain skills, continuity and productive working environment;

52. Notes from the EEAS 2024 report that, of a total of 5 355 people working in the EEAS, 47 % were working in the EEAS headquarters and 53 % in Union delegations at the end of 2024, with 1 622 as local agents in Union delegations; notes that, during the Hearing, Members raised concerns regarding the alleged dismissal of local staff in certain Union delegations without due respect for local labour law; notes that, following that hearing, CONT Members submitted additional written questions; notes from the EEAS replies to those questions (the ‘Second questionnaire’), that on 14 May 2025 the Commissioners’ Project Group on External Action endorsed a project for the modernisation of the Union delegations network; notes that the implementation of this project entails, inter alia, the centralisation of finance, contracts and audit functions for the six Western Balkans Union delegations at DG Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood headquarters, as well as a reduction in the number of staff working on finance and contracts in those Union delegations, based on assessments carried out in consultation with legal advisers; notes that, in relation to the redundancy package, the EEAS claims that all rights under the local law and the Union’s internal rules have been respected, with financial packages for economic redundancy being the most favourable between the ones mandated by the local law and the Union ones, and this despite the concerns expressed by the local agents in the relevant Union delegations; further notes that the EEAS in collaboration with the Commission is partnering closely with local law firm who provide guidance on any local legal requirements, thus ensuring the implementation of the redundancy process in full compliance with the applicable local labour laws; call on the EEAS to fully consult the local staff representative when designing the dismissal plan for local staff; notes with concerns from the answers from the Questionnaire that if a Union delegation is relocated to a different country, such as in the event of an evacuation (e.g. Sudan sub-office moving to Egypt), local agents employed in the origin country are made redundant, leaving them behind without security; calls on the EEAS to find viable solutions for the security and safety of local staff who have been working loyally in Union delegations;

54. Stresses that any restructuring, relocation or redundancy affecting local staff must be preceded by meaningful consultation with staff representatives and accompanied by concrete measures to safeguard the rights, security and dignity of local agents, in particular in crisis or evacuation contexts; calls on the EEAS to assess and report to the discharge authority on the cost-effectiveness of staff reductions compared to alternative organisational solutions, including the long-term financial, operational and reputational impacts of redundancies affecting local staff;

55. Calls on the EEAS to further improve the security of Union delegations, including cybersecurity, physical security and crisis evacuation capabilities, and to systematically report on progress and remaining vulnerabilities;

56. Notes that in 2024 46,60 % of all EEAS staff were women (compared to 46,80 % in 2023); notes with regard to women representation and the posts they occupied in the EEAS in 2024, that 40 % were administrators, 63,78 % were assistants, 73,25 % were assistant-secretaries, 56,70 % were contract agents and 26,87 % seconded national experts; notes with satisfaction from the EEAS 2024 report the institution’s efforts to achieve greater representation of women in management positions; notes in this context an upward trend with regard to senior management positions, with 37,30 % of women in 2024 (compared to 31 % in 2023), but a slight decrease with regard to middle management positions with 38,70 % of women in 2024 (compared to 40,40 % in 2023); welcomes an increase from 35,50 % in 2023 to 36,10 % in 2024 with regard to representation of women in Head of Delegation positions; welcomes the gradual increase in the number of women in management positions within the EEAS, while noting that women continue to be underrepresented at AD level and overrepresented at AST level, and that gender balance in middle and senior management positions, both at headquarters and in Union delegations, has yet to be fully achieved; stresses that while equal opportunities must be ensured for staff within the institutions’ bodies, excellence and professionalism within the EEAS must be preserved;

57. Notes from the Follow-up report the EEAS efforts to mobilise additional applications from underrepresented gender; welcomes in this context the organisation of four executive training activities on gender-responsive leadership (GRL) which reached 80 % of EEAS senior managers and a full 29 hours over four-month programme on GRL for 13 managers, including 4 from Union delegations in 2024; notes further that the EEAS established its new Gender Focal Point network and created a Task Force on Istanbul Convention which presented in 2024 a mid-term report with an action plan; notes the work of the Union’s Ambassador for Gender and Diversity to integrate a gender perspective in human rights dialogues and key multilateral statements and resolutions; invites on the EEAS to continue providing updates on the latest developments of the GAP for 2021-2025, and the actions taken to further promote the participation of women in all diplomatic and political dialogues;

58. Notes the efforts made by the EEAS towards reaching a diverse and representative workforce; regrets however the persistent lack of geographical balance and regional diversity in the EEAS, including in management posts and in key headquarters functions; notes that at the end of 2024 three Member States (one Member State in 2025) continued having no Union Ambassador, while Ambassadors from five Member States occupied 56 % of all Union’s Ambassadors posts, up from 54 % in 2023; stresses that an Union diplomatic service must reflect the Union’s diversity to strengthen legitimacy, local knowledge and effectiveness; calls on the EEAS, in cooperation with the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) and the Commission services responsible for selection policy, to step up targeted outreach in under-represented Member States (including ‘focus country’ information and recruitment events), to widen the pipeline through traineeships, junior professional schemes and structured secondments, and to improve fairness in internal selection through diverse selection panels, transparent criteria and mentoring/sponsorship for under-represented groups; recalls that recruitment must remain merit-based and in line with Union law;

59. Notes that, at the end of 2024, the occupation rate of the EEAS establishment plan was at 95,3 % (compared to 96,7 % in 2023); notes moreover that the staff turnover at the EEAS reached 12,07 % in 2024 (10,15 % in 2023); observes that this increase reflects the specific structure of the EEAS as a diplomatic service, characterised by regular rotations of staff from Member State diplomatic corps and other Union institutions, as well as the application of a stable staffing policy;

60. Notes that work is ongoing to update the 2014 decision on seconded national experts, with the revised text due to be published in 2025; observes that the EEAS continued its internship programmes by hosting 62 Blue Book interns at headquarters and 566 interns in 106 Union delegations in 2024; notes that 531 interns from the latter category were paid either by the EEAS or by other institutions, while for 35 students, who were not paid traineeship grants, the traineeship was compulsory as part of their academic programme; notes further that the EEAS also continued with the seventh round of the Junior Professionals in Delegations (JPD) programme for 2023-2025 with 67 JPDs placed in Union delegations;

61. Notes that in 2024 the EEAS continued to strengthen a safe, respectful and ethical working environment; welcomes the expanded accessibility of the mandatory e-learning on respect and dignity at work, recognising and addressing harassment with 1 900 members of staff having completed the training in 2024; welcomes the fact that 57 % of managers attended a similar mandatory training in 2024; commends the EEAS for offering training on resilience and trauma management for staff in crisis zones and for Regional Security Officers in 2024; further welcomes the adoption of a Decision extending protection against psychological and sexual harassment to local staff in Union delegations, who now have access to the EEAS formal procedures in case of harassment allegations;

62. Notes with satisfaction the actions taken by the EEAS in 2024 in the framework of its Diversity and Inclusion Agenda for 2023-2025, in particular targeted actions for gender, ethnicity, disability, age, and LGBTIQ+ groups; notes in this context the EEAS incorporated Diversity and Inclusion topics into training, provided information to LGBTIQ+ staff on legal and cultural situations in posting countries and reinforced its diversity recruitment efforts; commends further the EEAS for updating its Roadmap for Action on Disability, doing a survey on disability matters, producing accessibility factsheets for Union delegations conducting an accessibility assessment of its website and providing financial aid for non-medical costs to 26 staff members with children with disabilities; calls on the EEAS to continue to regularly train managerial and non-managerial staff on issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging;

63. Notes from the Questionnaire that in 2024 the EEAS received 16 requests for assistance for allegations of psychological harassment, including several concerning the same member of staff, which led to the opening of four administrative inquiries, and that one alleged case involving a Commission member of staff was referred to the competent Commission authority; notes that four formal procedures were also initiated for local agents in Union delegation, but no prima facie evidence was found to justify the opening of an administrative inquiry; notes that six cases were concluded during the year and that disciplinary or corrective measures were applied where appropriate, including disciplinary sanctions in two cases and a non-disciplinary warning in another case;

64. Notes from the Questionnaire that, according to the definition applied by the Commission Medical Service, long-term sick leave refers to absences exceeding 20 consecutive days; notes that in 2023, 323 staff members were on long-term sick leave with an average duration of 83 days, while in 2024 this increased to 338 staff members, with a reduced average duration of 77 days; notes further that, while the exact number of burnout cases is unknown, a significant proportion of sick leave was linked to mental health concerns such as depression and burnout in 2024; welcomes the Commission’s initiative to develop a Mental Health Strategy in order to provide a structured and sustainable framework to address workplace mental health challenges, including the prevention of burnout and reintegration to work; encourages the EEAS to also establish a formal workload assessment mechanism;

65. Notes with appreciation from the EEAS 2024 report that the Roadmap for Action on Disability was updated in 2024 and a new decision was adopted in 2025 to extend EEAS provisions, such as reasonable accommodation for colleagues with disabilities, to local staff in Union delegations;

Ethical framework and transparency

67. Notes the EEAS’ reporting whereby the first full year of implementing the 2023 anti-fraud strategy led to a more robust and coherent anti-fraud architecture, strengthening the institution’s overall integrity and transparency; notes that that strategy was operationalised through enhanced fraud awareness training and prevention measures that are better aligned with the specific responsibilities of different staff groups at headquarters and delegations, dissemination of internal guidelines and reinforcement of secure reporting channels; notes that EEAS staff has access to a learning path on anti-fraud developed by European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), as part of the implementation of the Commission anti-fraud strategy action on developing a joint ethics and anti-fraud training plan with the EEAS; welcomes the continued promotion of the 16 ‘principles of professional behaviour’ during mandatory ‘Ethics and integrity’ and ‘Anti-harassment policy’ courses;

68. Notes from the Questionnaire that the EEAS registered two whistleblowing cases in 2024; notes that both cases were examined by OLAF and closed without recommendations, either following investigation or at the selection stage; notes with satisfaction from the EEAS 2024 report that the EEAS started working on developing its own whistleblower policy; asks that Parliament is updated on the progress made in this matter; insists that the EEAS whistleblower framework include confidential reporting, protection against retaliation for all categories of staff including local agents, and annual anonymised reporting on cases and outcomes;

69. Notes from the Questionnaire that, in 2024, the EEAS registered three declarations of conflicts of interest; observes that, in two cases related to procurement procedures, a potential risk of conflict of interest was identified and mitigated by relieving the members of staff concerned of some procurement-related duties; notes further that, in the third case concerning reimbursement of expenses, no conflict of interest was found, as the member of staff had no discretionary role in the reimbursement calculation; notes that the EEAS received 16 notifications of post-service activities, including five involving moves to the private sector, and prohibited two revolving-door cases while imposing no cooling-off periods to former members of staff;

70. Notes that, in 2024, 11 suspected cases were referred to OLAF, of which 7 were dismissed at the selection stage and one was closed without recommendations; notes further that 3 cases - on potential misconduct or irregularities in the context of procurement procedures, contract implementation and human resources matters - remained under investigation; further notes that, of the 13 OLAF investigations opened in 2023 relating to the EEAS, ten cases remain ongoing, one of which is linked to a reservation made by the Union delegation to Sierra Leone with regard to a suspicion of fraud related to the administrative budget of that Union delegation; invites the EEAS to remain fully committed to cooperating closely with OLAF on ongoing cases and follow-up on all pending OLAF recommendations;

71. Notes that, in 2024, the EEAS handled 19 inquiries from the European Ombudsman, of which 10 concerned administrative matters (including delayed replies), 5 related to access to documents and four to human resources issues, in addition to several informal requests for information mainly linked to missions, operations and access to documents; notes with satisfaction that the European Ombudsman found no cases of maladministration in any of the inquiries opened and concluded in 2024;

72. Deplores the fact that the EEAS has failed to carry out proper reviews of the implementation of cooperation agreements with third countries, including the assessment of compliance with their conditions and human rights clauses; stresses that this failure is particularly evident in the case of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) with Cuba, which, ten years after its signature, has failed across all areas, from respect for human rights, including the imprisonment of over one thousand political prisoners by the end of 2025, to Havana's harmful impact on European security, including close political and military cooperation with the regimes in Moscow and Minsk, as manifested in particular by the fact that Cubans have become the largest group of mercenaries supporting Russian forces in their aggression against Ukraine and by their involvement in acts of sabotage on EU territory, as recently demonstrated in Lithuania; notes that, despite blatant violations of numerous provisions of the Agreement, neither the suspension nor the termination clauses have been activated, while Union financial resources have continued to flow to Cuba, where the communist regime controls the entire economy, misuses those funds, and derives political legitimacy from the ongoing cooperation under the PDCA; considers that such regimes must not continue to benefit from privileged cooperation with the European Union and that Union taxpayers’ money must not serve such regimes; therefore calls for the activation of Article 86 of the Agreement and for its termination; calls on the Court to urgently examine all Union support granted to Cuba since 2016;

73. Notes that, in her capacity as Vice-President of the Commission, the Vice-President/High Representative is bound by the rules of the Transparency Register; stresses that while the EEAS is not an institution within the meaning of Article 13 of the Treaty on European Union and does not have a direct role in Union law, it does, however, have an important role in Union law with regard to decisions concerning sanctions and the negotiation of international trade agreements, which have a considerable regulatory impact; calls on the EEAS to adopt internal transparency measures aligned with the Transparency Register’s standards, including proactive publication of high-level meetings of relevant top management where this does not compromise security-sensitive diplomacy for the EEAS; notes with satisfaction from the Follow-up report that the Vice-President/High Representative initiated a broader discussion on addressing the matter in external dimension with recommendations expected by the end of 2025; invites the EEAS to keep Parliament updated on the progress made in this matter;

Digitalisation, cybersecurity and data protection

74. Notes from the Questionnaire that IT-related expenditures, including projects, equipment, and cybersecurity, decreased by 6,1 % from EUR 26,04 million in 2023 to EUR 24,45 million in 2024; observes that IT spending for headquarters rose by 37,2 % in 2024, mainly due to major investments supporting the migration of the EEAS’s applications, while spending in Union delegations was reduced significantly following substantial investments in hardware renewal and connectivity in Union delegations made in 2023;

75. Recalls that the EEAS began hosting and managing its own AI environment in 2023, which allowed to run proofs of concept such as briefings, minutes of meeting and an AI assistant; welcomes the adoption of the EEAS’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy in 2024, which promotes a human-centric approach to AI in line with Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council, ensuring ethical and trustworthy systems and the Guidelines on the use of third party generative AI; welcomes the fact that the EEAS expanded the collaborative and document-centred platform (HIVE) to external users e.g. from Member States and the management system (HR HUB) for local agents in Union delegations;

76. Stresses that the deployment of artificial intelligence tools in external action must be accompanied by strict safeguards on data protection, fundamental rights, transparency and human oversight, including in Union delegations and cooperation with third-country partners; calls for regular reporting to Parliament on implementation of the EEAS Artificial Intelligence Strategy;

77. Commends the EEAS for its actions to enhance cybersecurity preparedness, through regular security briefings covering a broad range of staff and affiliates, along with training sessions organised upon request from different user groups, including Regional Security Officers (RSOs) and Union Delegation Security Coordinators (DSCs) and phishing exercises; calls on the EEAS to provide regular mandatory cybersecurity training for all EEAS’ members of staff; notes with satisfaction from the Questionnaire the tools - such as the EEAS’ Security Operations Centre - with which the EEAS is equipped to monitor cyber threats and identify security vulnerabilities in real-time;

78. Commends the EEAS for the digital tools and systems it uses in the fight against FIMI, such as FIMI Information Sharing and Analysis Centre or the Rapid Alert System; further notes from the Questionnaire the launch of an e-learning course on countering disinformation, accessible to all Union institutions, and the completion of a CSDP handbook on disinformation designed to support field staff in Union military and civilian missions; welcomes the ongoing development of the EUvsDisinfo awareness-raising initiative and stresses the importance of further collaborations with Member States in order to tackle more efficiently hybrid threats on the ground;

79. Notes from the Questionnaire and the EEAS 2024 report that the EEAS detected approximately 27 000 alerts, of which 348 required further investigation; observes that 57 of the latter were confirmed as cyberattacks, and 5 had a significant impact on the EEAS operations; notes with satisfaction that the EEAS identified the attackers’ tactics, techniques and procedures and used this analysis to strengthen its countermeasures; asks for clarification regarding the extent to which these attacks affected the institution’s activities;

Buildings and security

80. Notes that in 2024 the EEAS had a global network of 328 Union delegation buildings used as offices and residences for Heads of Delegation and three office buildings at Headquarters in Brussels; notes that, by the end of 2024, the EEAS occupied three buildings in Brussels with a total surface area of 87 506 m² and made use of 175 office buildings for Union delegations in third countries, amounting to 287 000 m² of space; further notes that the Union owned 23 % of these Union delegation premises, while the remaining 77 % were rented; notes with concern from the Questionnaire a shortage in resources limiting the implementation of the EEAS buildings policy, whereas the EEAS would need more infrastructure experts to increase its capacity to conduct real estate projects;

81. Notes with appreciation that the EEAS reaffirmed its commitment to preserving the network of 145 Union delegations and reinforcing the One Delegation principle; observes that ongoing modernisation seeks to enhance efficiency and align the network with Union’s priorities while addressing budgetary constraints; underlines that, until financial conditions improve, strict savings measures, cost-sharing discussions with the Commission, and targeted reinforcement of key Union delegations will continue; calls on the EEAS to implement a periodic workload assessment and staffing-need methodology for delegations, linked to risk level and mandate expansion, to prevent burnout and improve retention; expresses concerns about the plan to implement new distinctions in terms of categories and resourcing among delegations; deplores that reducing the dimension of some Union delegations and cutting staff, in a shift from its original focus on development aid and economic cooperation to some strategic interests, risks undermining the operational activities and presence of the Union in third countries, and hampering the EEAS´ ability to fulfil its mandate and defend Union values, with particular incidence to Union relations with the Global South and the Southern Neighbourhood; calls on the EEAS to maintain its pivotal role and strategic priority in the Mediterranean region based on a comprehensive assessment of the Union’s geopolitical challenges, while continuing its ongoing engagement with the Eastern neighbouring countries;

82. Reiterates that budgetary constraints could lead to excessive closures of Union embassies and postponing security installations in a number of Union delegations hampering the EEAS’ ability to fulfil its mandate and defend Union values and properly ensure the duty of care to all staff in Union delegations; urges the Members States to provide enough financing to the EEAS and the Commission to ensure that the Union maintains its network of delegations untouched as a signal of its global engagement;

83. Calls on the EEAS to strengthen practical coordination mechanisms with the Member States’ diplomatic missions in third countries, including through shared services, joint logistical arrangements and enhanced information-sharing, in order to maximise efficiency and ensure optimal use of the Union and national resources;

84. Notes from the Questionnaire that, in 2024, the EEAS continued implementing its collaborative space and new-ways-of-working policy, including Union-wide branding for its headquarters and delegations; highlights that the approach replaces individual offices with multi-purpose areas to improve space efficiency, support teamwork, and reduce environmental impact; notes further that these projects are discussed with staff representatives through the EEAS Staff Committee and that a dedicated staff survey was launched for the Belmont building;

85. Notes from the EEAS 2024 report that the EEAS successfully achieved its key 2024 real estate priorities, including completing the NEO building refurbishment, relocating crisis management and intelligence divisions to a more secure and energy-efficient site and good progress made in renovating of the Schuman building;

86. Notes from the Questionnaire that due to the decline in the level of security in the world, the EEAS had to strengthen security structures in 2024; welcomes the EUR 10 million increase in the 2025 budget to strengthen security infrastructure in Union delegations; observes the EEAS’ objective of reducing the number of Union delegations that are non-compliant with security standards by approximately 15 % through new installations and the replacement of obsolete systems;

87. Notes from the EEAS 2024 report that by the end of 2024, co-location arrangements increased to 137 (45 with Member States and partner countries and 92 with other Union partners); observes that co-location has grown rapidly, more than doubling in the past six years and increasing more than six-fold since 2011; underlines that co-location now accounts for 8 % of Union delegation office space and involves 80 Union delegations, with sustainability principles consistently applied across all shared working environments;

88. Welcomes the fact that the EEAS is focused on ensuring that its buildings are accessible to people with disabilities and reduced mobility; notes from the Questionnaire that in 2024 there were regular meetings held with the EEAS real estate division, security division and other Commission services to exchange best practices on, among others, accessibility and evacuation of buildings;

Environment and sustainability

89. Highlights the EEAS’s energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives in 2024, including LED re-lamping and ‘New Ways of Working’ renovations in the Schuman building, insulation of water and heating pipes, optimisation of HVAC systems, and standardised temperature set points; notes the progressive installation of central waste sorting stations in the Schuman building and full deployment in the Belmont and NEO buildings, alongside ongoing energy-saving measures; acknowledges the procurement of 100 % renewable electricity (EUR 1,569 million) and on-site solar generation of 22,286 kWh, with the Schuman building’s decarbonisation path towards 2050 combining short-term management and insulation measures with long-term upgrades such as photovoltaic installations and replacement of gas heating with heat pumps;

90. Notes the EEAS’s first comprehensive assessment of its 2024 carbon footprint in the context of Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) registration; notes that that assessment covered headquarters buildings and centrally-managed Scope 3 activities, and showed zero market-based Scope 2 emissions due to 100 % renewable electricity purchases, reduction in carbon intensity from 4,6 tCO₂e/FTE in 2019 to 3,4 tCO₂e/FTE in 2024 (–28 %), with the footprint comprising approximately 20 % Scope 1 and 80 % Scope 3 emissions;

91. Welcomes the EEAS’s strengthened commitment to sustainable mobility, including the adoption of the new Commuting Policy for Headquarters at the end of 2024, which increases public transport reimbursement to 90 % as of January 2025; acknowledges the implementation of measures to reduce environmental impact, achieving 64 % of air travel distances in economy class in 2024 (exceeding the EMAS target of 60 % by 2030), prioritising rail for short trips, projecting a reduction in staff commuting by car from 17 % in 2024 to 13 % in 2027, and promoting cycling and walking initiatives through improved facilities and awareness campaigns;

92. Appreciates that sustainability considerations are embedded into procurement through green public procurement (GPP) clauses in tender templates; notes that 38 % of high-value Headquarters contracts and 87 % of procurement templates included GPP clauses in 2024; notes with satisfaction that Union delegations applied green criteria in procurements for vehicles, IT equipment, and cleaning services, and further efforts are planned for 2025, including a dedicated GPP info hub, for Union delegations, on the HIVE platform; notes that 16 high-value tenders concluded with environmental performance indicators and 6 contracts were signed with relevance to GPP in 2024;