What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

32. Notes that the Committee hired 52 trainees long-term (5 months) and two trainees short-term, all of whom received a monthly allowance in 2024, in compliance with the Parliament resolution of 14 June 2023 on quality traineeships in the Union (2020/2005(INL)), which calls for all internships in Europe to be paid;

Change 18

Added:33. Welcomes the strong and structured social dialogue in organisational change processes throughout 2024; encourages the Committee to maintain and further strengthen the systematic involvement of staff representatives in reforms related, inter alia, to digitalisation, internal reorganisation and new working methods;

Ethical framework and transparency

34. Recalls that in the framework of a reinforced ethical framework the Committee and the internal auditor have agreed on an action plan relating to the audit on the Committee’s ethics and integrity, with ten recommendations, eight of which were closed by March 2025; notes from the Follow-up report that the Committee addressed the two remaining open recommendations by revising and updating the guide regarding the obligations of officials of the Committee the content of which will be reflected also on Committee’s intranet;

35. Notes that the Committee continued to train staff and raise awareness about ethics related topics in 2024; notes with satisfaction that the Committee offers trainings on ethics and integrity that are compulsory for all staff, whereas nine such trainings were attended by 54 participants in 2024; notes further that 40 out of 47 managers attended sessions on respect at work and the role of managers and 25 staff attended trainings offered by the Investigation and Disciplinary Office of the Commission on potential temptations that carry disciplinary consequences throughout 2024; welcomes the fact that surveys show a high rate of awareness among Committee’s staff with regard to its strong values and ethical standards, procedures for reporting wrongdoing and network of confidential counsellors, among other;

Change 19

Changed:31.36. Notes from the Questionnaire that two cases of alleged harassment were reported in 2024, and investigated and closed in 2025, whereas in one case there wase no finding of harassment and in the other a formal apology was accepted for inappropriate behaviour of the concerned person; notes further that a decision was taken on another case, submitted before 2024, on harassment linked to a disciplinary procedure; notes further that no sexual harassment was reported in 2024; reiterates the need for a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment to ensure the protection of staff well-being and recalls that this is an obligation incumbent on any employer;

Change 20

Changed:32.37. Takes note from the Follow-up report of the development regarding legal proceedings initiated by the Belgian authorities against a former Committee member accused of misconduct linked to a harassment complaint within the Committee which was open and closed by the Committee in 2023; notes that those proceedings are suspended as the relevant Belgian court asked the Court of Justice of the European Union for clarification on the interpretation of Article 10 of Protocol Nr.(No 77) on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Union; invites the Committee to keep the discharge authority updated on subsequent developments on this matter;

Change 21

Changed:33.38. Notes with satisfaction that the Committee is a frontrunner with regard to transparency, as the first body, beyond the initial signatories, to have joined the Union’s Transparency Register; welcomes the transparency measures adopted by the Committee, including the recommendation for the Committee’s members to meet only with registered stakeholders, the obligation for its members to publish their meetings online and the possibility for the Committee’s rapporteurs, including through a pilot project initiated in 2025, to attach a “legislative footprint” to their opinions; notes that by now Committee’s opinions are visible as milestones within legislative files in the EULT; notes further with satisfaction from the Questionnaire the Committee’s transparency actions with regard to its core administrative operations in areas such as finance, procurement, HR and access to documents;

39. Notes that the Committee has a solid framework to prevent conflicts of interest and avoid cases of revolving doors; notes with regard to its staff, that the Committee ensures that conflict-of-interest considerations are embedded in all recruitment and selection procedures; notes that staff are obliged to proactively declare any situation that could give rise to a conflict of interest; notes with regard to Committee members, that in the event of a change in the information declared by them, they shall submit a new declaration at the latest within two months of the change in question; notes with regard to its members that the Committee’s Ethical committee handled one request for guidance regarding a possible conflict of interest; notes with regard to the Committee’s staff that no cases of conflict of interest or whistleblowing were reported in 2024;

Change 22

Changed:35.40. Notes with concern a suspected case of fraud involving an external service provider which was dismissed by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and subsequently referred to the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) for potentially criminal offences in 2024; notes with satisfaction from the Questionnaire that the Committee is fully cooperatescooperating with the EPPO in this case; notes further that that service provider has paid the agreed liquidated damages to the Committee; welcomes in thisthat context the measures taken by the Committee to better prevent such cases in the future by doing more rigorous compliance checks during procurement and contract execution and reinforcing guidance and training on that matter; notes that one OLAF case from 2023 was referred back to the Committee for an internal simplified administrative inquiry which was launched in 2024 and led to a final report addressed to the Appointing Authority in July 2025; invites the Committee to inform the discharge authority on whether a final decision has been taken in this case; notes further that an enquiry opened by the Ombudsman in 2023 was closed in 2024 with the finding that there was no maladministration on the side of the Committee;

Change 23

Changed:36.41. Notes with satisfaction from the Questionnaire that the CommitteeCommittee, following Parliament’s previous calls, drafted an anti-fraud strategy that includes the accompanying action plan with concrete measures to be implemented covering training policies, as well as awareness campaigns and revised cooperation agreements with OLAF and EPPO, which has been submitted to interservice consultation and adoption process; invites the Committee to inform the discharge authority on the follow-up thereto; welcomes the fact that the Committee organised two training sessions delivered by OLAF staff on fraud awareness and prevention in public procurementprocurement, which were attended by 21 participants and one awareness-raising session organised together with the EPPOEPPO, to familiarise the Committee’s staff with the EPPO’s mandate and provide guidance on how to report potential cases to the EPPO; invites the Committee to strengthen its procedures on risk assessment, prevention, detection and follow-up in the implementation of the anti-fraud strategy;

Digitalisation, cybersecurity and data protection

Change 24

Changed:37.42. Notes that the combined IT budget of the Committee and the CoR was EUR 13 700 000 in 2022,2024, compared to EUR 12 700 000 in 2023, i.e. an increase of 7,87 %, whereas EUR 760 000 of that budget (or approx.(approximately 6 % thereof)%) was paid for cybersecurity in 2024; notes from the Questionnaire that IT project funding increased by EUR 109 000 compared to 2023, representing a 4 % rise, primarily supporting the M365 Workplace Programme and the Cybersecurity Transformation Programme; further notes that equipment expenditure grew by EUR 117 000 (i.e. a 20 % increase), mainly due to price adjustments and strategic investments in telephony infrastructure; acknowledges the Committee’s concern that it is structurally underfunded in the areas of digitalisation and cybersecurity;cybersecurity and warns that persistent underinvestment in cybersecurity poses a structural risk to the integrity of the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies; calls on the Committee to adapt a structured roadmap to progressively reach the 10% cybersecurity spending benchmark, including annual milestones, risk-based prioritisation and regular reporting to the discharge authority; stress the need for strengthened cooperation with Cybersecurity Service for the Union Institutions, Bodies, Offices and Agencies (CERT-EU) and Union institutions, bodies offices and agencies to ensure a coherent and resilient cybersecurity posture ; regrets in this context that the budgetary authority did not include in the Union’sUnion budget for 2026 the amount of EUR 1 176 000 necessary for the Committee (and the CoR) to operate a major cybersecurity upgrade, thereby rendering unachievable the target referred to in Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2023/2841 of dedicating around 10 % of its total IT expenditure to cybersecurity; calls for appropriate funds to allow the Committee and the CoR to operate a major cybersecurity upgrade;

Change 25

Changed:38.43. Notes key improvements with regard to digitalisation and IT governance in 2024 such an extension of Wi-Fi coverage, deployment of Microsoft 365 and AI pilots, cloud migration and awareness-raising through Cybersecurity Days, among other; welcomes the multiannual digital strategy (DS 2024-2026), launched by the DIIT, which is built around four flagship programmes: M365 (digital workplace programme), ARES (the Commission’s document management system), EdiT (shared tool among Union institutions for drafting legislative documents), and Cybersecurity; notes from the Committee’s report and the Questionnaire that the Committee’s DSDigital Strategy 2024-2026 introduces a revised digital governance model aimed enhancing institutional collaboration, streamlining workflows, automating processes, improving legislative drafting and strengthening resilience;

44. Notes from the Questionnaire the implementation of the HAN (HERMES-ARES-NOMCOM) system for secure document management and compliance with data protection rules and the adoption of the EdiT XML editor for legislative drafting; welcomes the progress made in records management, with a full rollout expected by 2026; acknowledges improvements in IT infrastructure, including automation, cloud migration, and the deployment of a new HR management tool (HRT replacing Sysper) in 2024;

Change 26

Changed:40.45. Notes that the Committee uses eTranslation, the Commission’s neural machine translation platform to generate translations automatically, as an additional aid to translators’ work; notes that in parallel the Committee successfully conducted a pilot project on AI-based speech-to-text transcription using software developed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2024; further notes that the Directorate for Translation launched a one-year pilot project in June 2024 to assess the use of DeepL as an alternative translation tool which was deemed as not providingto provide added value in comparison to the already deployed systems for the translation of Committee documents;

Change 27

Changed:41.46. Notes from the Questionnaire that the Committee maintains close cooperation with Cybersecurity Service for the Union Institutions, Bodies, Offices and Agencies (CERT-EU)CERT-EU and uses various tools and continuous monitoring to detect and address system vulnerabilities; further notes that DIIT began implementing the “Essentials 8”, the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), and OWASP as reference models to strengthen risk management, improve governance, and integrate security across identification, protection, detection, response, and recovery processes; acknowledges that the work to achieve full alignment with operational and regulatory requirements is ongoing; notes from the Follow-up report that cybersecurity has been reframed by the Committee as a shared responsibility across all staff, supported by a multiannual plan, continuous training, and awareness campaigns;

Change 28

Changed:42.47. Notes with satisfaction that itsthe Committee’s communication channels are also accessible by persons with disabilities; notes that the Committee applies Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and for most its applications, comprehensive accessibility is conducted; notes in this context that Committee’s website is regularly audited by accessibility specialists who issue recommendations that are then implemented, whereas the next audit is set to take place in 2026;

Change 29

Changed:43.48. Commends Committee’s efforts in 2024 to ensure that staff acquire the digital skills needed for an increasingly digitalised work environment and for implementing targeted information campaigns, offering a comprehensive training and coaching programme, and maintaining an up-to-date IT Knowledgeknowledge Basebase with an AI-powered interface to support staff development; encourages trainings on cybersecurity and safe, ethical and efficient use of AI;

Change 30

Changed:44.49. Notes from the Follow-up report that in 2024 no investigations were initiated by the EDPS regarding the application of data protection rules at the Committee; notes however that an enquiry concerning the management of an external audit, launched in 2023, is still pending; asks the Committee to keep the discharge authority informed on the follow-up onto this matter;

6 unchanged paragraphs

Buildings

50. Notes from the Follow-up report that the Committee is working on a long-term building strategy given the upcoming renovation of the SPAAK building and the fact that the B-100 building will be vacated in August 2026; notes further that the outcome of the ongoing technical and environmental audits of Committee’s buildings will be included in that strategy; invites the Committee to keep the discharge authority updated on these matters;

51. Appreciates that the Committee completed modernisation and accessibility upgrades for all six elevators on the west side of the JDE building, including one specifically designed for persons with reduced mobility in 2024; welcomes the significant improvements introduced for wheelchair users, blind and visually impaired persons, deaf persons, and people with reduced mobility or other physical limitations, including enhanced audio and visual signalling, adapted controls, extended door times, mirrors and safety features, and handrails;

52. Notes form the Committee’s report that, in 2024, a new shared communication space was created in the JDE building in collaboration with the CoR; highlights that the facility, located in the former library area, includes a state-of-the-art recording studio, a ‘stand-up’ interview room, and a dedicated conference space;

Environment and sustainability

53. Notes from the Questionnaire that, in 2024, the Committee earmarked EUR 198 894 for greening its operations, with 55 % dedicated to consultancy and expert services in energy management and efficiency and 45 % to infrastructure improvements such as LED lighting, bicycle parking, and energy metering; welcomes that these investments, together with continued initiatives in innovative building installations, 100 % green electricity, smart energy-saving technologies, and digitalisation, contributed to reducing energy consumption and emissions;

Change 31

Changed:49.54. Notes from the Questionnaire a decrease in consumption of electricity (-19 %), gas (- 13 %) and water (- 12 %), andas anwell increaseas ina paperdecrease consumptionin (waste +1volumes (–12 %) and wastean volumesincrease (-in 12paper consumption (+1 %) in 2024 compared to 2023; welcomes further a decrease in carbon emissions per FTE by 4,30 % (emissions from Committee members’ travel not included) during that same period; notes from the Questionnaire the Committee’s actions to promote more sustainable travel options among its staff and members and the ongoing revision of the mission guide for staff which will include environmental footprint as key component; welcomes further the Committee’s focus on waste management and recycling to foster a culture of waste reduction and resource efficiency;

Change 32

Changed:5055 Notes with satisfaction that all of the Committee’s calls for tenders above EUR 60 000 and those above EUR 25 000 managed jointly with the CoR include sustainability clauses in line with standards of the Energy Union, European Green Deal and circular economy principles; notes that the Committee’s new framework contract for catering service entered into force in August 2024 has requirements for ecological and locally produced products, food donations and seasonal fruits and vegetables;

56. Notes with satisfaction from the Questionnaire the Committee’s continued efforts to promote sustainable mobility among its staff; notes in particular that the Committee offers financial contributions for public transport travel passes, for staff using a bike to commute, and, as of 2024, contributions to Flex SNCB subscriptions to reflect considerations around hybrid working arrangements; notes the plan of the Committee to participate jointly with the CoR in a call for tender (to be relaunched in 2026) led by the Commission, to purchase and maintain electric bikes; welcomes the continued cooperation with the Brussels-Capital Region on mobility planning and the Committee’s participation in interinstitutional initiatives, which contribute to a culture of sustainable commuting;

Interinstitutional cooperation

57. Commends the close cooperation established by the Committee with the CoR at administrative level, whereas the two committees share premises and joint services in the areas of translation, infrastructure, logistics, security, procurement, financial management and IT, while maintaining full institutional autonomy; notes that the two committees, in order to expand cooperation in other areas and given budgetary constraints, have jointly launched two key projects 2024, i.e. the SPaCES project for the transformation of the office environment and a strategic reform of the Directorate for Translation through structural reorganisation, improved use of language technologies and a gradual reduction in human translation capacity for increased efficiency and cost-effectiveness;

Change 33

Changed:53.58. Welcomes the positive results achieved during the first year of implementing the agreement of the Committee and the CoR in the audio-visual area, such as budgetary savings of approx.approximately EUR 140 000 compared to an independently run project and an increased production capacity, with 85 videos produced already by June 2025 compared to around 90 for the whole yearof 2024;

Change 34

Changed:54.59. Commends the Committee for the significant savings made thanks to the implementation of its Cooperation Agreement with the CoR, which has established Joint Services covering tasks mainly in the fields of IT, logistics and public procurement; notes with satisfaction from the Questionnaire the Committee’s estimated savings in 2024 in the fields of IT (approx.(approximately EUR 16 million), infrastructure (approx.(approximately 8 million), printing services (approx.(approximately EUR 125 000) and security services (approx.(approximately EUR 800 000); notes further that should the Committee and the CoR have separate translation and procurement services, overall staffing costs would increase by at least 30 %; reiterates its call to expand as much as possible this cooperation, to the level of setting up a single administration for the joint services, and keeping separate the services and unit in charge of their core independent mandates;

Change 35

Changed:55.60. Notes with satisfaction the significant budgetary and administrative savings achieved by the Committee through Service level agreements, in particular with the Commission for the use of financial and key HR management IT tools; welcomes further the Committee’s participation in interinstitutional procurement procedures led by other institutions such as the Parliament and the Commission in areas such as corporate travel, insurance, travel, IT, translation and audiovisual equipment; notes from the Questionnaire that the total cost incurred by the Committee for the outsourcing of specific services to the Commission increased from EUR 793 000 in 2023 to EUR 893 000 in 2024;

Change 36

Changed:56.61. Notes some developments and data with regard to the cooperation between the Committee and the Parliament in 2024: the adoption of a new cooperation agreement, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in preparation for the the European elections, the participation of 55 Members in 38 Committee events, the participation of the Committee in 32 events of the Parliament events, as well as attendance at various bilateral and political group meetings;

62. Notes some developments and data with regard to the cooperation between the Committee and the Commission in 2024: attendance by commissioners of 10 Committee plenary sessions and other events organised by the Committee, over 30 joint communication projects to engage civil society, 20 specific joint activities, Committee contributions to 17 Commission expert groups, six exploratory opinions and three evaluation reports delivered by the Committee at the request of the Commission;

63. Notes some developments and data with regard to the cooperation between the Committee and the Council/European Council in 2024: three high-levels meetings with presidents of the European Council and 21 exploratory opinions delivered by the Committee at the request of the Belgian Presidency and the Hungarian Presidency;

Change 37

Changed:59.64. Observes that budgetary savings and efficiency gains continued to be realised through active cooperation between the Committee and other Union institutions in 2024, including by organising the Committee’s plenary sessions on Commission and Parliament premises, where the venues and associated services are provided either free of charge or at rates below external market prices;

Change 38

Changed:60.65. Notes that the Committee plays a pivotal role in reinforcing the links with and between the national economic and social councils (NESCs) of the Member States; notes in this context the launch of a new thematic working group composed of 13 NECS, the publication of 32 news articles and 26 executive summaries of NESC-adopted reports, the organisation of the annual meeting of presidents and secretaries-general of NESC in Brussels and a jointly organised seminar with 100 participants from European social partners, civil society organisations, representatives of Union institutions and academics in 2024; calls for continued cooperation on topics of common interest and the exchange of good practices, emphasising the vital role of civil society in addressing the Union’s current challenges;

Communication

Change 39

Changed:61.66. Notes from the Questionnaire that the Committee’s overall budget for communication, publications and acquisitions of documentation was approx.approximately EUR 2,5 million in 2024 (about the same as in 2023), representing 1,4 % of the Committee’s overall budget after transfers for 2024; welcomes the fact that the Committee focused its resources in 2024 on a limited number of communication priorities linked to the legislative priorities of the Union institutionsinstitutions, (suchsuch as energy affordability, AI, mental health, strategic autonomy, economic reform, gender equality, youth, and enlargement),enlargement, in line with the Committee’s impact-driven communication;

67. Notes from the Questionnaire and the Committee’s report that in 2024 the Committee implemented a comprehensive communication plan in the framework of the European elections campaign through local events outreach events and the Civil Society Week; appreciates in this context that 104 Committee members attended 122 outreach events directly involving some 350 000 citizens on top of the social media outreach; commends further the Committee’s reported performance with regard to the organisation of the Civil Society Week, i.e. 800 participants, more than 8 000 interactions, more than 1 million impressions and about 96 000 video view, thus marking a strong social media presence;

Change 40

Changed:63.68. AppreciatesWelcomes the efforts made by the Committee to increase the visibility of its work; considers, however, that further efforts are needed to ensure that communication activities clearly explain the Committee’s role and concrete contributions to Union’s presence on the ground, in a manner that is accessible and meaningful to citizens; appreciates the launch of the NaviGate platform in May 2024; notes that this platform, which feeds with weblinks the Union Publications Office’s EULT, has significantly increased the visibility of the Committee’s work and enhanced the user experience for Members, staff, visitors from other institutions, and the public, reaching 4 600 unique visitors in 2024;

69. Notes from the Committee’s report that its social media presence continued to expand, with the Committee’s four main accounts achieving an overall increase in the number of followers of more than 18 % compared to 2023; highlights that engagement grew significantly, rising by 45 % and surpassing 416 000 interactions across platforms; further notes that by the end of 2024 the Committee had reached 62 868 followers on X, 79 647 on LinkedIn, 49,494 on Facebook and 29,987 on Instagram, reflecting strong platform-specific growth compared to 2023; notes that the highest increase in the number of followers was recorded on the Instagram account in 2024 (+ 72 %); notes that, in line with the common approach of Union institutions, the Committee opened its first Bluesky account in 2024 to secure its official presence, with activities beginning in January 2025;