What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

Changed:8. Notes that the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the exceptionally high level of inflation, which by the end of the year 2022 still stood at 10,4 % for the Union on an annual basis, had a profound influence on the 2022 financial year; acknowledges that all Directorates-General and the Secretary-GeneralParliament’s haveadministration has put considerable effort into the implementation of Parliament’sthe budget with a view to meeting urgent needs arising from the crisis situation; welcomes the donations of technical equipment by Parliament to support Ukraine in difficult times of war;

Changed:10. Notes that the Multiannual Financial Framework Heading 7 ‘European public administration’ accounts for EUR 11.611,6 billion or 5,9% of the Union budget in 2022, of which Parliament accounts for EUR 2.22,2 billion or 18,9 %; welcomes the fact that the Court found that the level of error in spending on ‘European public administration’ was not material; calls on the Parliament to check and identify which type of transactions had a high share of errors, although below the materiality threshold and explore the changes in procedure needed to avoid and detect similar errors in the future;

Changed:11. Notes that the Court’s annual report on the implementation of the budget concerning the financial year 2022 presents specific findings on Parliament; notes the Court’s recommendation that Parliament’s administration strengthens its guidance on the implementation of budget appropriations by the European political groups and that it keeps working to improve the internal rules and ensure compliance with procurement rules and procedures;

Added:15. The political groups receive assistance and advice from Parliament when they request; notes that in 2022 the financial departments of the political groups intensified their signatures with national delegations in order to ensure the sound management of the appropriations in line 400;

Changed:19.20. Notes that the 2022 follow-up process resulted in the closure of 38 of the 92 open actions and for which the agreed due dates for implementation had expired; is concerned by the fact that as of 31 December 2022, 29 open actions were overdue for more than 12 months; expects the different directorates-general to ensure that the remaining actions are closed without any further delay and that the agreed actions are implemented in accordance with the due dates set in the internal auditor’s annual report;

Changed:20.21. Acknowledges that, in accordance with Article 118(9) of the Financial Regulation, the reports and findings of the internal auditor, as well as the report of the Union institution concerned, shall be accessible to the public afteras soon as the internal auditor has validated the action taken for their implementation; notes that, in practice, the reports and findings are only published once all recommendations have been implemented; recalls that Members may only have access to confidential documents under the Bureau's rules on a need-to-know basis, ; recalls that all Members of the Committee on Budgetary Control have the right to request confidential access to the internal audit report with regard to the discharge procedure; welcomes the fact that the internal auditor reports to the Committee on Budgetary Control on the annual audit activities carried out;

Changed:21.22. Notes that as a consequence of a post that remained vacant throughout the year, envisaged for an information systems auditor, one planned audit in the field of IT (on cybersecurity staff awareness) could not be carried out in 2022; notes the difficulty in finding specific audit staff profiles, including in the field of IT, to perform audits as planned according to their requirements; calls the Internal Audit Service to address the issue in order to ensure the completion of the remaining audit in time for the next discharge cycle;

Changed:24.25. Recalls that pursuant to Rule 25 of and Annex V to the Rules of Procedure and Articles 6 and 262 of the Financial Regulation, once the Plenary calls for different rules or measures to be implemented by Parliament, the rules or measures proposed areshall be discussed and voted on by the Bureau; recalls, in light of Rule 25 of the Rules of Procedure, that the Bureau is responsible for taking decisions on financial, organisational and administrative matters concerning Members; recalls that the Bureau is composed of the President of the European Parliament, the 14 Vice-Presidents and the five Quaestors (non-voting members) democratically elected by Parliament; notes, that the members of the Bureau deliberate on Parliament’s draft estimates; recalls that the discharge is an exercise of democratic scrutiny and that the concrete demands adopted by Plenary in discharge resolutions shall be reflected in the discussions of the Bureau;

Changed:25.26. HighlightsIs aware of the fact that since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and until the gradual lifting of sanitary restrictions at the beginning of 2022, the Bureau’s deliberations were focused primarily on decisions aiming to protect the integrity of Members and staff while ensuring business continuity and implementing practical solidarity measures vis-à-vis the three host Member States of Parliament;

Changed:27.28. Notes that DG PRES’s final appropriations amounted to EUR 1 275 565 in 2022, representing 0.10,1 % of Parliament’s budget; highlights that, of that amount, a total of EUR 1 169 055.78 was committed; welcomes the high use of appropriations;

Changed:29.30. WelcomesStresses that transparency, accountability, and integrity are essential ethics principles within the Union institutions and in particular Parliament as the house of European democracy; welcomes the prompt actions taken by Parliament onregarding the events related to alleged corruption cases concerning Members and employees in December 2022; welcomes the contribution of DG PRES to the 14-point action plan proposed by the President and its efforts in implementing the new rules on integrity and transparency; further welcomes the efforts by Parliament’s political authorities to enhance transparency, integrity and accountability atin Parliament; calls on the administration to track the budgetary and financial impact of these measures; notes that Parliament reconfirms trust in the Union’s decision-making process by improving transparency, ethics and good conduct in the most representative Union institution through its actions;

Removed:30. Recalls that, in July 2021, Parliament, the Commission and the Council adopted an Interinstitutional Agreement (IIA) on a mandatory transparency register; notes that while introducing some principles to enhance a common culture of transparency, the IIA leaves the three signatories to implement the conditionality and subsequent complementary measures as they see fit;

Added:31. Recalls that these events are commonly known as the Qatargate;

Changed:31.32. Notes that 2022 wasmarked the first year of the full implementation of the mandatory transparency register under the revised IIAInterinstitutional agreement (IIA), adopted in July 2021 by Parliament, the Commission and the Council; notes that thewhile registerintroducing issome principles to enhance a keycommon toolculture forof promotingtransparency, transparentthe andIIA ethicalleaves interestit representationto atthe Unionthree levelsignatories becauseto registrationimplement isthe aconditionality preconditionand forsubsequent interestcomplementary representativesmeasures toas bethey ablesee tofit; carrypoints out certainthat activitiesParliament withhas improved conditionality while the Unioninstitutions,Council’s includingparticipation Parliament;remains limited;

Removed:32. Welcomes the increased use of the transparency register as an information and reference tool for interest representation activities at Union level; notes the continuous improvement in the quality of information on the public database resulting from eligibility and data quality checks of new applicants; welcomes the regular communication, helpdesk and awareness-raising activities undertaken by the Secretariat among stakeholders both within the institutions and outside, as well as the development of IT solutions to improve the transparency register;

Added:33. Recalls the significance of this register as a pivotal instrument in fostering transparent and ethical interest representation at Union level, establishing mandatory registration as a prerequisite for interest representatives to be able to engage in specific activities with the Union institutions, including Parliament; calls for the provision of all necessary resources to ensure that the internal rules related to the transparency register are effectively enforced, including, where appropriate, the imposition of adequate sanctions;

Removed:33. Calls, as a consequence of the events at the end of 2022, for the establishment of robust standards on transparency and access to institutions for entities listed in the transparency register, including NGOs; recalls that NGOs were allegedly used as vectors of foreign interference in European Parliamentarism; reiterates, in this context, the need for comprehensive financial pre-screening of entities before they are listed in the transparency register;

Added:34. Welcomes the increased use of the transparency register as an information and reference tool for interest representation activities at Union level, shown by the rise in applications for registration and increased number of visits to the website year-on-year; welcomes the regular communication, helpdesk and awareness-raising activities undertaken by the Secretariat among stakeholders both within the institutions and outside, as well as the development of IT solutions to improve the transparency register; recalls the necessity to keep strengthening data quality checks of new applicants; notes that the quality of entries in the transparency register has improved over recent years due to increased targeted quality monitoring and as a result of investigations based on complaints or own initiative investigations by the Secretariat, and commends, despite limited resources, the role of the Joint Secretariat in that improvement; notes that the Secretariat's targeted quality checks of 4 238 entries over the course of 2022 found that 44% provided satisfactory data quality from the outset, (a number similar to 2021, + 4%) while an additional 35,2% of interest representatives improved the information further to the targeted checks, and 13,6 % were removed following the checks as a result of ineligibility or a failure to update; stresses the need to allocate additional resources to the Secretariat to allow for scrutiny of the transparency register to ensure data quality; calls for an expansion of its scope to include representatives of non-EU countries; recommends that IT solutions are used to integrate the transparency register in all Parliament’s activities involving external entities to allow their participation to be recorded and tracked through the relevant databases;

Added:40. Recalls the changes in Parliament’s Rules of Procedure on 20 December 2020 allowing for remote voting and the fact that voting remotely in committee is currently not allowed unless the President establishes the existence of extraordinary circumstances; reiterates its request to the Bureau, adopted at Plenary level on several occasions, to enable Members to exercise their right to vote remotely while benefiting from maternity or paternity leave, during a long term illness or in cases of force majeure, thus capitalising on the great administrative effort and financial investment that Parliament has made in technical solutions to allow remote voting;

Added:42. Recalls that according to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Protocol No 6 annexed to the Treaties, Parliament shall have its seat in Strasbourg, where the 12 periods of monthly plenary sessions, including the budget session, shall be held; underlines that the suspension of sessions in Strasbourg and remote participation are linked to the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic; recalls that any change to the Treaties requires the unanimity of the Member States; recalls the support by the vast majority of Parliament for a single seat to ensure efficient spending of Union taxpayers’ money and to assume its institutional responsibility to reduce its carbon footprint; notes that permanent changes would require a Treaty change;

Added:43. Notes that the suspension of Strasbourg part-sessions during the Covid-19 pandemic contributed to total savings of EUR 26 260 608 according to Parliament’s Secretariat, while also significantly reducing Parliament’s carbon footprint; highlights that the Court estimates that “the end of moving from Strasbourg to Brussels could generate annual savings of EUR 114 million plus a one-off saving of EUR 616 million if the Strasbourg buildings are successfully divested, or a one-off cost of EUR 40 million if they are not”; considers that given the current climate crisis, retaining the Strasbourg seat is irresponsible; calls on the Council to take Parliament’s position into account and act on it as a matter of urgency;

Changed:38.45. Notes that DG COMM’s key tasks are to collaborate with the media, to inform, explain and enhance the visibility of Parliament’s work, to increase awareness of Parliament among citizens, stakeholders and opinion leaders through the European Parliament Liaison Offices (EPLOs) located in the Member States, to foster interaction with citizens through enhanced visitor projects, events and information campaigns and its presence on social media, and to provide expertise to Members and political groups on topics such as media intelligence and public opinion monitoring; and to combat disinformation by all means, particularly in the lead-up to elections;

Added:47. Notes the complexity of activities of the DG COMM; notes the need to increase the visibility of the work of Parliament and to increase citizens’ trust in institution of the Parliament, which would require an increase in the budget for DG COMM;

Changed:41.49. Notes that, on 10 March 2022, the President issued a revised decision on ‘Security measures to limit the spread of COVID-19’ which meant physical presence for several activities was restored, including re-admitting visitor groups; noteswelcomes the decision to increase the paid financial contributions for travel, accommodation, meals and minor local expenses by 10 % for the sponsored visitor groups in 2022; notescalls on the decisionBureau byto thereverse Bureauits decision to reduce the annual quota of sponsored visitors per member from 110 to 100 and from 55 to 50 for election years; highlights that the decision to carry over the unused quota from 2020 to 2022, 2023 and 2024 remained unchanged; insists to the Bureau that APAs be eliminated from the list of permitted heads of groups, leaving only a member of the sponsored group or a professional, such as paying agents or travel agencies, to take up the role, in order to prevent APAs from being compelled to take on the financial responsibility, which can amount to substantial sums of money;

Changed:44.52. Notes with satisfaction that Members were given the opportunity to take part in plenary debates from the EPLOs in their Member States of election,election as a result of the exceptional measures put in place during the pandemic, this beinghaving been facilitated by the actions of DG COMM; welcomes the increased efforts made by DG COMM to make use of new technologies to facilitate the work of Members during the COVID-19 pandemic; acknowledges that the remote access for national media to the communication activities of Parliament has opened up ways to interact with Union citizens;

Removed:47. Welcomes the actions taken on the fight against disinformation and information manipulation; highlights that one of the most powerful tools against disinformation is positive, factual communication about Parliament’s work;

Added:55. Recalls the ongoing struggle in which the Union is involved with regard to safeguarding European values and upholding the integrity of our democratic processes; welcomes the actions undertaken by Parliament in the pursuit of those objectives, fighting against disinformation and information manipulation; calls for the reinforcement of those actions in light of the upcoming European elections and, in particular, calls on DG COMM to keep developing and implementing effective strategies to counter disinformation and information manipulation, especially within an electoral context; highlights that one of the most powerful weapons against disinformation is positive, fact-based communication regarding Parliament’s activities;

Changed:49.57. Notes that DG PERS’s final appropriations amounted to EUR 1 090 141 584 in 2022, representing 50.4%50,4% of Parliament’s budget; highlights that, of that amount, a total of EUR 1 087 939 413 was committed; welcomes the high use of appropriations;

Changed:51.59. Highlights that ensuring a fair geographical balance is an important part of creating a truly European public service, remarks that over the years, Parliament has taken a number of measures in that respect; notes that there is still room for improvement; notes that the Bureau has created the legal framework for the organisation of nationality-specific competitions and decided to organise the first of such competitions; highlights that competitions should always be based on merit;professional training of the person, regardless of age, gender, faith;

Changed:52.60. Recalls that, on 13 January 2020, the Bureau approved new and more ambitious targets for gender balance at the senior and middle management levels of Parliament’s administration to be achieved by 2024, meaning that women should occupyhold 50% of head of units posts, 50% of director posts and 40% of director-general posts; recalls that a gender action plan for the years 2021-2022 aimed at facilitating the implementation of these targets, as well as comprehensively mainstreaming gender into all activities of Parliament, was subsequently developed and approved by the Bureau on 6 July 2020; notes that in 2022, women occupiedheld 28.628,6 % of director-general posts, 50.8welcomes the fact that 50,8 % of director posts, and 43.543,5 % of head of unit posts;posts were held by women;

Changed:54.62. Welcomes the work done by DG PERS with Accreditedaccredited Parliamentaryparliamentary Assistantsassistants (APAs); highlights that DG PERS’ Infodesk organised 85 information sessions for officials, temporary agents and contract agents as well as for APAs, in addition to six webinars on retirement, and 14 information sessions for new Members’ trainees; welcomes the work of the APA’s Front Office Unit in relation to recruitment and management of APA contracts and acting as point of contact for all related questions and procedures; notes that this unit replied to 12 405 information requests, including recruitments, contract modifications, renewals, resignations and terminations; notes with satisfaction that 100 % of contracts for APAs were produced within 10 working days;

Removed:55. Acknowledges that the work of APAs is an integral part of the work of Members and therefore of Parliament; notes that following the adoption of the APA statute in 2009, their status over the years has been recognised; notes the efforts made by Parliament to create a framework for providing support to APAs; calls for due adherence to the rules in place; notes, that since then, APAs participate in official missions to Parliament’s three places of work;

Added:63. Notes with satisfaction that, as requested in the 2021 discharge resolution, at its meeting of 10 July 2023, the Bureau requested to introduce the possibility for a negotiated termination of contract between a Member and their APA, for cases where it is necessary to terminate the contract of an APA for reasons other than a loss of trust;

Added:64. Acknowledges that the work of APAs is an integral part of the work of Members and that they play an important role in the legislative procedures of the Union; notes that following the adoption of the APA statute in 2009, the recognition of their has increased gradually over the years; notes the efforts made by Parliament to create a framework for providing support to APAs; calls for due adherence to the rules in place; calls on Parliament’s administration to explore the feasibility of introducing a notice period within APA's contracts in the event of the unexpected departure of an MEP, whether voluntary or involuntary.

Added:65. Notes, that APAs participate in official missions to Parliament’s three places of work; notes that on 11 December 2023 the Bureau adopted amendments to the ‘Implementing Measures for Title VII of the Conditions of Employment of other Servants of the European Union’, governing the employment of APAs; notes that according to this decision the rules applicable to missions undertaken by officials and other servants of Parliament will apply to APAs mutatis mutandis; notes that when APAs have a validated mission order to travel to Strasbourg during the European Parliament plenary sessions then they can travel there in charter train; notes that in the event of chartered Eurostar trains being full, APAs are offered considerably worse and more unreliable travel options than Parliament’s other members of staff; calls on Parliament to examine the need for an additional train; reiterates that APAs accompanying Members to the part sessions in Strasbourg, require a mission order and to be reimbursed in accordance with the applicable rules;

Changed:58.74. Recalls the decision of the Secretary-General of November 2022 on the new rules for teleworking in Parliament applicable to the ParliamentParliament’s Secretariat; recalls that Members and political groups may also decide to apply the teleworking rules as set out in this decision; remarks that a balanced use of a hybrid working environment could beis beneficial and productive;productive and therefore welcomes the decision to maintain teleworking possibilities; recalls that physical presence is always of crucial importance for the efficient and effective interaction of all actors in every parliamentary process;

Added:75. Suggests that in order to reconcile the needs of Parliament’s administration (including team cohesion, internal communication and on-boarding of newcomers) which would positively impact its performance as well as the attractiveness of Parliament as an employer, an analysis on the new ways of working continues to be carried out; notes the introduction of the possibility for staff to telework from abroad for five days per year; notes that some of the measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic have modified working conditions in specific services; calls for a proactive monitoring and evaluation of the new ways of working so the well-being and satisfaction of staff is not negatively impact;

Added:76. Notes that out of the 459 Members of the 8th parliamentary term, who were not re-elected in 2019, only a single notification of post-mandate employment was submitted to Parliament (Article 6 of the Code of Conduct); welcomes the prohibition for former Members to engage in lobbying activities during the six months after the end of their mandate and the introduction of a procedure in the event of non-compliance; applauds that it is no longer possible to issue a lobbyist badge to a former Member within the six-month period following the end of their mandate and that their former Member badge is deactivated if a lobbyist badge is issued to the former Member after this period; notes that in 2022, out of the 199 officials who left service, 65 requested permission for an activity after leaving the service (Article 16 of the Staff Regulations); calls on Parliament to establish stronger rules to regulate revolving doors for Members and civil servants;

Changed:59.77. Recalls that the Directorate-General for Infrastructure and Logistics (DG INLO) manages facilities covering 1.31,3 million m2 in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg, as well as the Liaison Offices and Europa Experience facilities in the Member States; notes that DG INLO also provides catering and transport, and manages and equips Parliament’s office and meeting spaces; notes that by 31 December 2022, there were 652 staff members, of which 267 were officials, 47 temporary staff and 338 contract staff;

Changed:60.78. Notes that DG INLO’s final appropriations amounted to EUR 271 191 093 in 2022, representing 12.512,5 % of Parliament’s budget; highlights that, of that amount, a total of EUR 269 189 287 was committed; welcomes the high use of appropriations; takes note that budget items where the consumption rate was lower than 95 % were in the areas of mobility, an unsuccessful call for tender for the purchase of vehicles, and lower than expected activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in lower internal meeting expenditure;

Changed:62.80. Emphasises the need for an effective and results-oriented facility management of Parliament’s buildings; expresses its satisfaction with the 2022 building assessment results, as communicated to the Bureau in June 2022 in the form of building passports, where the Energy Performance Indoor Environment Quality Retrofit (EPIQR) index score was only 0.1,0,1, thus testifying to their overall excellent condition and bearing witness to effective preventive and corrective maintenance and upkeep programming by Parliament’s competent services in the framework of the Integrated Facility Management Strategy focusing on the life cycle management of Parliament’s building portfolio, adopted by the Bureau on 8 March 2021;

Changed:63.81. Welcomes DG INLO’s commitment to putting in place environmentally sustainable solutions; notes that, in 2022, Parliament generated over 19 % of its own energy from renewable sources; noteswelcomes that,the atconduction of a study on on-site electricity production in Strasbourg in 2022 and the endsubsequent and ongoing implementation of 2022,1 400 m2 of photovoltaic panels on the PFLIMLIN, DE MADARIAGA, and CHURCHILL buildings. Stresses that Parliament terminatedcould share this energy with the leasecity of theStrasbourg Schumanwhen buildingParliament’s duepremises are mostly empty; calls on the Bureau to also consider renting the factroofs’ thatsurfaces itto wasexternal notusers energyfor efficientthe installation of solar panels and wasthereby nouse longerit needed;as an additional source of income for Parliament;

Changed:66.84. Welcomes Parliament’s efforts to encourage staff to use sustainable means of transport for commuting by putting an increased number of traditional and electric bicycles at their disposal free of charge and by reimbursing part of the cost of public transport tickets in exchange for limiting access to the car park; welcomes the new scheme offering a 90% price reduction for the Brussels seasonal public transport tickets which has led to an 26,57%increase of staff using a seasonal ticket co-funded by the Parliament;

Added:85. Welcomes the possibility for staff to use rent standard and electric bikes during the part-time sessions in Strasbourg; welcomes the expansion of the bicycle fleet; regrets that in practice the bikes are fully booked out days in advance; calls on Parliament to examine the possibility for offering more rental bikes in Strasbourg and extending the timeframes for their pick-up to meet the demand by Members and staff and contribute to enhancing sustainable mobility;

Added:86. Welcomes that the percentage of zero-emission or plug-in hybrid cars in the people transport service fleet has increased from 81% in 2021 to 97% in 2022;

Added:88. Recalls the Bureau decision of 23 October 2019 to approve the creation of an IDEA Lab with the aim of testing new, innovative solutions in the context of offices and facility management; points out that the IDEA Lab is supposed to be at the disposal of Members and thus, points out that Members have not been properly and proactively informed about the innovations to be tested nor their costs; notes the high annual maintenance cost of IT solutions that are not being implemented in Parliament; calls on the Bureau working group on buildings and Parliament’s administration to ensure greater transparency regarding the functioning and budget for the IDEA Lab and to regularly present to the Committee on Budgetary Control the list of innovative solutions, their cost and the feedback produced, as well as the potential saving if implemented;

Changed:70.91. Takes note of the measures implemented in order to lower Parliament’s energy consumption, such as reducing maximum heating temperatures in office areas and increasing minimum cooling temperatures, switching off the heating and cooling systems during the weekend and public holidays, reducing the lighting of building facades and decreasing indoor lighting levels; acknowledges that the measures are to be reassessed as the energy crisis evolves;evolves and should always grant the wellbeing of staff;

Changed:71.92. Acknowledges that the different measures put in place by the administration following the relevant Bureau decisions of May and October 2022 resulted in a significant energy consumption reduction amounting to savings of EUR 10.510,5 million from May 2022 until October 2023;

Changed:72.93. Acknowledges that throughout 2022 DG INLO continued the implementation of Parliament’s Building Strategy Beyond 2019; notes the contribution of the purchase of the Trèves II building with regard to the implementation of this strategy and to the consolidation of Parliament’s real estate;estate, in particular with the intention of allowing the interconnectivity of Parliament’s central buildings in Brussels; requests a timetable for the interconnection between the Trèves I and Trèves II to the main central buildings in Brussels;

Removed:73. Takes note of the Bureau minutes of the additional meeting of 6 July 2022 where the Bureau took note and endorsed the results of the International Architectural Design Competition for the Renewal of the SPAAK building; notes that 5 laureates were endorsed by the Bureau; notes that no other decision was taken during 2022 on this topic and there were thus no financial consequences;

Added:94. Is concerned that the tribune in the visitors’ area of the hemicycle in the SPAAK building is not accessible to people with reduced mobility; recalls that every European citizen should have equal access when visiting the EU institutions; recalls that the Union has been at the forefront of promoting inclusivity and equality for all its citizens; calls for an analysis of the needs of visitors with disabilities and for the appropriate measures to be implemented;

Added:95. Takes note of the Bureau minutes of the additional meeting of 6 July 2022 where the Bureau took note and endorsed the results of the International Architectural Design Competition for the Renewal of the SPAAK building; notes that 5 laureates were endorsed by the Bureau; notes that no other decision was taken during 2022 on this topic and there were thus no financial consequences while at the same time stresses the increasing urgency to start the renewal works as soon as possible; highlights that on 14 February 2024 the final plans to begin renovation works were swiftly approved at committee level, given the deteriorating condition of the building; stresses that the current building has a very low energy efficiency rating and lacks much needed flexibility to be fit for purpose; highlights that the European Parliament should be a forerunner with its own building portfolio in terms of energy efficiency and sustainability to safeguard citizen’s support for the objectives of the Green Deal; notes that the renovation would lead to significant cost savings of several million EUR per year and in addition help to comply with the requirements of the future European Energy Efficiency Directive and Building Performance Directive;

Added:96. Takes further note of the Bureau decision of 6th July 2022, on the building strategy for Strasbourg, focusing on improving hosting and accommodation capacity, optimising the use of Parliament premises, enhancing accessibility and consolidating staff functionality;

Changed:75.100. Notes that DG TRAD’s final appropriations amounted to EUR 17 105 500 in 2022, representing 0.80,8 % of Parliament’s budget; highlights that, of that amount, a total of EUR 16 834 967 was committed; welcomes the high use of appropriations;

Changed:76.101. Welcomes DG TRAD’s commitment to providing high-quality language services in a timely manner; notes with satisfaction that, in 2022, over 2.892,89 million gross pages were translated, representing a 26 % increase compared to 2021; notes with satisfaction that the vast majority of work was delivered on time (98.5(98,5 % in normal circumstances and 98.698,6 % when the requests were not in accordance with the rules);

Changed:79.104. Recalls that the official languages to be used by the Union institutions, bodies and agencies are established in Regulation No 1; acknowledges that DG TRAD ensures that Parliament’s procedural content is available in all 24 official and working languages of the Union,Union; therebywelcomes enablingthe Parliamentexceptional work done by interpreters in 2022, ensuring, as far as possible, that public debates are interpreted in all official Union languages; stresses that, under Rules of Procedure of the Parliament, Members have the right to fulfilspeak itsin commitmentany of the 24 official languages of the Union, which reflects European cultural and linguistic diversity and also makes the Union institutions more accessible and transparent to all Union citizens; notes that one working language in particular is often used widely in the policyParliament’s work; calls for multilingualism to be respected by ensuring, where necessary, an adequate number of multilingualism;translation and interpreting staff;

Changed:81.106. Recalls that the Directorate-General for Logistics and Interpretation for Conferences (DG LINC) is responsible for providing linguistic, technical and logistical support for meetings and conferences; notes that by 31 December 2022, there were 554 staff members, of which 443 were officials, 29 temporary agents and 82 contract agents; highlights that the quality of the interpretation provided has a direct impact on the message conveyed to the citizens of the Union;

Changed:82.107. Notes that DG LINC’s final appropriations amounted to EUR 79 569 347 in 2022 representing 3.73,7 % of Parliament’s budget; highlights that, of that amount, a total of EUR 79 282 501 was committed; welcomes the high use of appropriations;

Changed:83.108. Highlights that demand for DG LINC services started increasing considerably as from the beginning of 2022 while COVID-19 restrictions were still in place; acknowledges that this put pressure on resources as more interpreters, technical support and complex planning operations were needed due to social distancing and other restrictions; takes note that the effects of inflation had an impact on the remuneration of external conference interpreter agents; notes that the increased cost of interpretation was partially mitigated by remote interpretation of Strasbourg plenary sessions from Brussels; with the aim of improving working conditions, primarily better sound quality and a limitation on the number and duration of interpreting hours of remote speakers;

Changed:84.109. Takes note that interpreter representatives contested the working conditions applicable to interpreting for remote participants;participants due to the impact on the health and well-being of interpreters that resulted from remote interpretation for long periods of time, in particular the reported hearing problems; recalls the duty of care owed by the European institutions to their workers; highlights that the resulting industrial action in the summer and autumn of 2022 led to interpreting stoppages, affecting remote speakers; remarks that interim Interpreter Working Arrangements for meetings with remote participation entered into force on 17 October 2022; notes that they allowed for restoration of interpretation for remote speakers while maintaining the reduced weekly working hours for interpreters, thus resulting in a reduction of the service provision; notes that social dialogue aiming to establish a permanent framework and full restoration of interpretation services was ongoing at the end of 2022 and was concluded in 2023;

Added:111. Reiterates its long-standing request to the Secretary-General to analyse the feasibility of international sign language interpretation for all plenary debates and to implement without delay this request; believes moreover that plenary sessions retransmission in the sign languages used in each Member State would increase participation of persons with disabilities in the EU democratic process;

Changed:87.113. Notes that DG FINS’s final appropriations amounted to EUR 396 723 134 in 2022 representing 18.418,4 % of Parliament’s budget; highlights that, of that amount, a total of EUR 395 647 243 was committed; welcomes the high use of appropriations;

Changed:90.116. Notes with satisfaction that DG FINS was able to take advantage of the efficiency of its processes and the commitment of its staff to ensure the continuity of the services for which it is responsible and the achievement of the objectives set in its annual work programme; notes the concerns expressed by Members about undue and often significant delays in the processing of reimbursements;reimbursements, with an average time for reimbursement of travel and subsistence allowances of up to 40 days; welcomes that Parliament is continuously modernising its processes in order to offer Members better services by applying automation, simplification and digitisation; calls DG FINS for further speeding up of the workflows to provide more expedited procedures; notably by equipping its agents with the necessary tools and software to manage workloads efficiently, thereby reducing processing time;

Added:117. Acknowledges the work of local assistants as an essential part of member’s activities in their constituencies and as first contact point for citizens; stresses that the hiring and contract-signing process for local assistants has been increasingly challenging for some years now due to a myriad of administrational requests resulting in double checks and unclear requirements; stresses that DG FINS should recognise that local assistants are subject to national legislation and therefore requests country-specific desks to deal with the hiring process; further recalls that voluntary and political activities of local assistants, within the rules set by the European Parliament, are often regular occupations, which should not warrant unnecessary checks;

Added:120. Recalls that long-Covid requires long-term care and is still subject to intensive research activities; notes that there are long-term patients among EU Parliament members, staff and APAs, who require continuous assistance; regrets that the current JSIS rules do not foresee adequate reimbursements leaving those concerned with a huge financial burden; stresses that similar unfavourable conditions apply to many persons with auto-immune diseases, which are not appropriately recognised; calls on DG FINS and PMO to modify the reimbursement rules to better reflect their needs;

Added:123. Is concerned that in 2022, five cases of suspected fraud were found where allegedly Members claimed specific means of transport while in fact using a cheaper one; notes that two recovery orders totalling EUR 39 807 are expected to be issued and that the other cases are currently under further investigation, these covering several budgetary years, and could amount to EUR 801 000;

Added:125. Points out that in 2022 there were only 32 voluntary declarations on the use of the GEA submitted by 26 Members, of which 29 contained an auditor's report; welcomes efforts by the Secretariat to encourage MEP’s to make increased use of these options;

Removed:Directorate-General for Innovation and Technology Support

Added:127. Recalls that OLAF has the mandate to investigate suspicions of serious misconduct by Union staff and members of the Union institutions, including possible breaches of the Code of Conduct for Members of the European Parliament; notes that in 2022 there were no cases in which OLAF requested access to offices or email accounts of Members; notes that a procedure to strengthen the mandate of OLAF in Parliament in cases of substantiated suspicions regarding individual Members when it is strictly needed and proportionate for the investigation and fully respecting confidentiality in accordance with the principle of immunities as laid down in Protocol No 7 on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Union could be completed; reiterates its call on the Bureau to set up such a procedure without delay;

Added:128. Notes that, in 2022, OLAF investigated 32 cases involving Parliament on issues related to, in particular, Members’ financial and social entitlements, the financing of political structures and the discharge of professional obligations by staff; highlights that OLAF issued 14 reports, some of which had more than one recommendation, of which 5 included financial recommendations, 5 included disciplinary recommendations, 1 included an administrative recommendations, and 7 did not include any recommendations; takes note that in 2022 the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) investigated 4 cases involving Parliament on issues related to Members’ financial and social entitlements, and the financing of political structures; notes that none of the investigations conducted by EPPO in 2022 was concluded on the same year; asks the administration to the extent legally possible whether the recommendations made by OLAF have been fully implemented and the amounts at risk have been recovered, as well as to provide a summary, without any sensitive data, of the typology of cases investigated in order to be able to draw conclusions and make improvements;

Added:129. Notes that Parliament has systematically rejected OLAF’s requests to conduct inspections of MEPs’ offices and access their electronic servers and devices;

Changed:98.133. Notes that DG ITEC’s final appropriations amounted to EUR 134 808 679 in 2022 representing 6.26,2 % of Parliament’s budget; highlights that, of that amount, a total of EUR 134 439 573 was committed; welcomes the high use of appropriations;

Added:135. Recalls the added-value of free and open source software in improving security since they make it possible for Parliament to identify and fix weaknesses, keep control over the data by hosting in its servers and designing solutions according to its own specifications, while being able to avoid vendor lock-in effects;

Added:141. Welcomes the fact that the Digital Signature Portal (DiSP) allows Members to digitally sign documents, which improves efficiency, traceability and transparency to the procedures, notes that, regardless of the possibility to send signed plenary AMs to the plenary services by email or via the EP Transfer portal, signing plenary amendments is still an outdated and burdensome procedure; calls on the Bureau to take the necessary steps for introducing the possibility for Members to sign plenary amendments digitally in the future;

Changed:106.143. Notes that DG SAFE’s final appropriations amounted to EUR 29 507 334 in 2022, representing 1.41,4 % of Parliament’s budget; highlights that, of that amount, a total of EUR 28 370 796 was committed; welcomes the high use of appropriations;

Changed:107. Recalls144. thatWelcomes the internalisation of general security services in Luxembourg which entered into force on 1 January 2022; confirms the difficulty of attracting and recruiting specialised staff from all Member States in the security field with the conditions offered under function group I; recalls the particular situation in Luxembourg, where the salary offered in this function group is lower than the national minimum inter-professional wage, forcing Parliament to resort to social compensation;

Changed:111.148. Welcomes Parliament’s zero tolerance policy on harassment and the awareness-raising campaigns carried out; stresses that the Code of Appropriate Behaviour for Members of the European Parliament seeks to ensure that Members behave towards everyone working in Parliament with dignity, courtesy and respect and without prejudice or discrimination; recalls that in 2022, 56 MEPs participated in the training session; notes that, since November 2018, when the first sessions were offered, a total of 324 current MEPs (46%) had participated in the training session, plus 56 former Members whose mandate has ended; notes that in 2022, 106 members of staff and APAs had participated in anti-harassment training courses; notes with concern that cases of harassment are still occurring regardless of the activities being carried out to eliminate harassment in the work place;

Added:149. Recalls that in previous discharges the implementation of mandatory anti-harassment training courses for all Members and APAs, as well as staff, including persons in managerial roles in the different Directorates-General and political groups was requested; acknowledges that to help build a better working environment in the European Parliament and avoid any abuse of power, on 10 July 2023, the Bureau further approved a training concept on successful team management as well as harassment prevention; welcomes the Bureau’s efforts to make the anti-harassment training session mandatory for all members as well as Heads of Unit, Directors and Directors-General;

Added:150. Highlights that there should be mandatory anti-harassment training for members, APAs and members of staff;

Added:154. Considers that harassment of the parliamentary assistant by other parliamentary assistants or Parliament officials should also be taken into account;

Changed:115.155. Recalls that staff members of the Union institutions have an obligation to report any information pointing to corruption, fraud and other serious irregularities that they discover in the line of duty; notes that Parliament recorded one case of whistleblowing in 2022; welcomes the ongoing work in 2022 to update the Internal Rules Implementing Article 22(c) of the Staff Regulations of 4 December 2015 with more comprehensive and detailed internal rules; noteswelcome that a Bureau decision regarding the internal rules on whistleblowing was adopted on 20 November 2023 and will applyapplies from 1 December 2023; including provisions for the protection of whistleblowers, transmission of evidence to OLAF and, if appropriate, EPPO as well as deadlines for the handling of complaints; regrets, however, that these rules are still not aligned to Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council;

Added:156. Following Bureau Notice n° 18/2023 on the Internal rules on whistleblowing and the obligations placed upon APAs and staff members to report any violations, it is imperative that all services within the Parliament also be obligated to report any information they have of fraud, violations of financial rules, or any conduct that breaches the Parliament's ethical code. This obligation applies to all such information, regardless of its confidentiality, and should be reported to the relevant service within the Parliament;

Changed:117.158. Welcomes the latest decisions taken by the Bureau; recalls that the problem will still need to be addressed in the future;future as the fund is expected to exhaust its assets by 2027 at the latest; acknowledges that Parliament is not involved in the management of the VPF’s investment portfolio; but calls on the Fund’s manager to carry out a proper assessment of the potential reputational risk of its investments; notes that the legal assessment of the latest judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union and their consequences for future Bureau decisions were also made available to the Members of the Bureau in order to allow them to take an informed decision; notes that there are ongoing appeals in the Court of Justice of the European Union and the matter will need to be addressed again after the judgments are handed down;

Added:159. Asks the administration and the Bureau to explore every legal option that would guarantee that no taxpayer money is used for any future bail-out of the VPF’s investment portfolio;

Changed:118.160. Recalls that the Financial Regulation specifies the information to be provided to the budgetary authority and to the public concerning the award of contracts by Parliament; notes that the Financial Regulation requires publication of contracts awarded with a value greater than EUR 15 000, a value that corresponds to the threshold above which a competitive tendering procedure becomes compulsory; notes that, of a total of 194 contracts awarded in 2022, 63 were based on an open procedure, with a value of EUR 359.3359,3 million, and 1 on a restricted procedure, with a value of EUR 460 000; notes that there 126 contracts were awarded by negotiated procedures, with a value of EUR 48 million;

Changed:125.167. Notes that, in 2022, the Authority gave European political parties and European political foundations the right to be heard as well as the opportunity for corrective measures in 9 cases; further notes that these were cases relating to reporting requirements, rules concerning revenue and joint activities; highlights that the Authority’s early scrutiny indicates that the immediately relevant corrective measures were implemented by the European political parties and foundations concerned in all these cases; takes note that the Authority will continue to monitor that corrective measures with a long-lasting effect will ensure sustained compliance in the areas concerned; welcomes the fact that no sanctions werehad to be adopted in 2022;

Changed:128.170. Recalls the key role of a lively and resilient European democracy underpinned by pluralism of political parties at Union level; emphasises therefore that a level playing field has to be ensured and compliance has to be controlled with full respect for procedural rights; welcomes, in this respect, the essential work of the Authority, which independently and in close cooperation with Parliament ensurescomplianceensures compliance of European political parties and foundations with the legal framework, provides transparency to citizens and contributes to the integrity of Parliament elections;