What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

Changed:8. Notes that impact of Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine continued to create budgetary pressure for the Ombudsman in 2024; notes that the Ombudsman was most affected by the increase in energy costs; notes in this context that, in order to alignaddress itthe withimpact of this increase on the actualOmbudsman’s costs,budget, the lump sum paid by the Ombudsman to Parliament for rental charges had to be recalculated; notes that, as a result, the Ombudsman’s actual energy expenditure in 2024 increased by 75 %, rising from EUR 168 900 in 2023 to EUR 295 400 in 2024; notesnotes, from the QuestionnaireQuestionnaire, that the Ombudsman’sOmbudsman is of the view that the cumulative effect of the inflationary pressure and the limitation of the non-salary related expenditure to maximum 2 % compared to the previous year will affect the long-term sustainability of the Ombudsman’s budget; stresses that such pressures, if not adequately addressed, risk undermining the cost-efficiency, predictability and sustainability of the Ombudsman’s operations; acknowledges the need of all EUUnion institutionsinstitutions, offices, bodies or agencies to improve their budget management by also taking into account price volatility, especially in the energy sector, when concluding contracts with service providers; stresses that budgetary discipline must be reconciled with realistic cost assessments in order to safeguard taxpayers’ money while maintaining operational continuity;

Changed:9. Notes that the budget for staff missions was EUR 120 000 in 2024 (same amount as for 2023); notes nevertheless, that during 2024 a reinforcement of the budget article for missions of +38,60%+38,60 % was carried out by means of internal transfer(s); notes the Ombudsman’s explanation, wherebyexplanation that reinforcement was necessary due to inflation and an increase in accommodation costs, an increase in the number of necessary missions of the Ombudsman and budgetary estimations based on the onesthose of previous yearsyears, during which travel was limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic; notes that the initial missions budget for the Ombudsman remained the same in 2023 as in the previous years (2022 and 2023), i.e. EUR 35 000; notes that, after reinforcement of that budget via internal transfer(s),transfers, the expenses actually incurred with the herOmbudsman’s missions were in total EUR 41 326 in 2024; calls for more realistic initial budgetary forecasting for travel to minimise reliance on large mid-year transfers and ensure stable financial planning;

Changed:12. Commends the Ombudsman for having reduced the time needed to process files at different levels of the procedure, such as the average time for dealing with a complaint (from 39 days in 2023 to 36 days in 2024) and for dealing with a complaint within the mandate (from 91 days in 2023 to 86 days in 2024); notes nevertheless a significant increase in the average time taken to close cases in the area of public access to documents from 42 days in 2023 to 85 working days in 2024; notes that the Ombudsman surpassed its target (100 %) for the rate of clearance (i.e. cases closed compared to new cases registered during the year); regrets however that the average time (168 days) for dealing with an inquiry remained high in 2024 (up from 165 days in 2023), which is well above the target set of 150 days; notesrecommends that the Ombudsman further refine the key performance indicators related to case-handling duration by better reflecting the varying complexity of cases, in thisorder contextto ensure a more realistic, meaningful and efficiency-oriented performance assessment; recognises that complex cases, particularly those involving several institutions, offices, bodies or agencies, might require longer processing times; stresses, however, that excessive delays in handling access-to-documents cases undermine citizens’ rights and public trust in the Union's administration overall; calls for a plan to address these delays and suggests redirecting part of the savings achieved through AI translation to reinforce inquiry teams, particularly for public access cases; notes with satisfaction from the Ombudsman’s report to Parliament on the follow-up to the discharge for the financial year 2023 (the ’Follow-up report’) that one of the newly elected Ombudsman’s key strategic objectives is to reinforce cooperation and dialogue with the Union institutions, offices, bodies and agencies, with a view to ultimately reducing the time needed to process inquiries;

Changed:13. Notes, as regards findings, that in 2024 the Ombudsman made a proposal for a solution in 14 cases and recommendations in three cases concerning public access to documents; notes an improvement with regard to positive replies by the Union institutionsinstitutions, offices, bodies or agencies to the Ombudsman’s proposals to improve their administration, with an overall acceptance rate of 82 % in 2024 (compared to 81 % in 2023), whereas that rate includes cases closed in 2023; invites the Ombudsman to develop a targeted action plan aimed at identifying and addressing the most common reasons underlying the remaining non-accepted proposals and asks the Ombudsman to continue working towards generating a high level of compliance with its findings, recommendations and suggestions;

Changed:14. Appreciates that that the Ombudsman continued to make efforts in 2024 to enhance citizens’ awareness and understanding of its mandate; observes with satisfaction in this context an increase in the share of complaints within the mandate, from 33 % in 2022 and 37 % in 2023 to 39 % in 2024; notes further from the Follow-up report that one of the Ombudsman’s new strategic objectives is to launch targeted communication activities to ensure that citizens who need the Ombudsman are aware of their right and use of its services; notes in this context that, as a result, a rise in the number of complaints is expected, which will prompt the need to review and adapt the working methods, and enhance the use of digital tools, in particular AI, in order to further streamline the complaints handling process; invites the Ombudsman to assess the potential budgetary and human resources impact of the expected increase in complaints and to keep the discharge authority informed of the progress made in this matter;

Changed:18. Notes from the Follow-up report that the Ombudsman continued to monitor transparency and accountability related issues linked to the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), in the framework of handling complaints in the area of public access to documents, mostly regarding negotiations on the national recovery and resilience plans (RRP); notes with concern among such issues the significant delays encountered by the Commission in replying to requests for access to information, and the level of access granted;granted, which are likely to erode citizen’s trust in the Union administration; appreciates that the Commission, in a case regarding the Dutch RRP, following Ombudsman’s proposal for a solution, granted wider access to 172 documents; strongly condemns, however, the Commission for having taken 21 months to reply to the complainant’s (journalist) confirmatory application, i.e. in July 2024 when the granted access to documents was no longer useful for the purpose intended; agrees that in matters of significant public interest, such as the RRF, there should be no substantial delays in providing access to documents;documents and considers that such delays amount to a denial of transparency and weaken democratic scrutiny; echoes the Ombudsman’s view that the Commission should carefully consider the existence of overriding public interest when applying the exceptions to public access under Regulation 1049/2001; calls on the Ombudsman to inform Parliament’s relevant committees as soon as a Commission delay on RRF-related documents is too lengthy to allow for timely political scrutiny; calls furthermore on the Ombudsman to continue prioritising systemic work on undue delays in access-to-documents procedures, including by identifying recurring administrative bottlenecks and good practices across institutions, offices, bodies or agencies; supports the Ombudsman in promoting a consistent application of the ‘overriding public interest’ test, particularly for high-impact files, so that access is provided in time to be meaningful for the purposes of public scrutiny;

Changed:19. Recalls that, according to the Ombudsman, restrictions on access to documents, particularly legislative documents, should be exceptional and limited to what is absolutely necessary; also recalls that any decision denying public access to documents must be based on clearly and strictly defined legal exemptions, accompanied by a reasoned and specific justification, to enable citizens to understand the denial of access and make effective use of the legal remedies available; considers that a more proactive approach would help ensure effective transparency and prevent costly and burdensome legal disputes between citizens and institutions; encourages the Ombudsman to further promote proactive publication practices, notably for legislative and policy-shaping documents, in order to strengthen transparency by design and to reduce the administrative burden and litigation risk associated with repetitive access-to-documents requests;

Changed:21. Notes a decrease of 4,90 % in the total number of the Ombudsman’s staff from 82 in 2023 to 78 in 2024; notes further that, in 2024, 46 officials were employed by the Ombudsman, compared to 40 in 2023 respectively, and 9 contract agents, same as in 2023; notes a slight decrease in the share of staff working on the core-business of the Ombudsman (complaints and inquiries), from 42,68 % in 2023 to 42,30 % in 2024; notes further that the staff occupation rate increased from 95 % in 2023 to 97 % in 2024 and the turnover rate increased from 5,20 % in 2023 to 6,40 % in 2024; reminds the importance of providing permanent contracts in order to maintain skills, continuity and productive working environment; underlines that the declining staff numbers in core operational areas and the significant reliance on temporary contracts may reduce institutional memory and the efficiency of the Ombudsman;

Changed:22. Recalls that the post of the Secretary-General of the Ombudsman has been vacant for more than two years, since 1 September 2022; notes thatthat, following several calls by Parliament to fill this vacant post, the Ombudsman launched an interinstitutional procedure for the recruitment of its new Secretary-General by publishing a call for expression of interest (n° OMB/2/2025) on 30 June 2025, which resulted in 14 eligible applications; notes further that the selection procedure was finalised in 2025 and a new Secretary-General has been selected, to take up his post on 1 January 2026; notes that in this case the Selection Board was made of three persons, onethe ofOmbudsman whichherself wasand thetwo Ombudsmanexternal herself,independent members, who waswere involved in the assessment of the applications’ eligibility and interviews; believesnotes that the Ombudsman is of the view that the appointment of those two members and the involvement of senior members of staff constituted significant safeguards in the entire process ensuring the integrity and lawfulness of the selection process; believes, without prejudice to his experience as Union official for 30 years with 10 years of management experience, that the fact that the selected Secretary-General previously served as head of cabinet to the current Ombudsman, whocould chairedgive therise Selectionto Board,perceptions raisesof concernsa aboutconflict possibleof favouritisminterest even if that process was conducted in full compliance with the selectionapplicable process,framework; evencalls ifon the latterOmbudsman, waswith conducteda lawfully;view to future procedures, to continue reflecting on ways to strengthen safeguards in selection procedures and appointing decisions against any perceived conflicts of interest or favouritism, ensuring full guarantees of fairness and transparency;

Changed:23. Notes that, following the hearing of the Ombudsman in the meeting of Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control of 6 November 2025, Members of Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control submitted a series of written follow-up questions on the selection of the new Secretary-General (OMB/2/2025) on 18 November 2025, to which the Ombudsman replied on 21 November 2025; disagrees in this context with the Ombudsman’s view that the Meroni case-law (C-9/56 and C-10/56) is of application, becauseapplicable, thatas case-lawit does not concern the delegation of powers on staff matters (such as the selection of a staff member), but concernsrather the delegation of discretionary powers to external/private bodies; stresses further that Parliament does not require the Ombudsman to delegate her rights and obligations as the Appointing Authority, while questioning her presence in the Selection Board, since Article 3 of Annex III of the Staff Regulations explicitly states that “The Selection Board shall consist of a chairman designated by the Appointing Authority and of members designated by the Appointing Authority and the Staff Committee, each designating the same number”, which means that Union law does not require the Appointing Authority to be a member of the SB; underlines that by taking a final decision, which is a task of the Appointing Authority, the latter also confirms that the whole selection procedure has been lawful, including the compliance of the candidate with all admissibility and eligibility criteria,criteria; whereasnotes, suchhowever, taskthat wouldthis becomerole merelymay superficialappear ifless distinct where the Appointing Authority has also been the Chair ofchaired the Selection Board at thein previouscertain stages of the procedure/competition, which isselection whatprocedure, happenedas withwas the current procedure; notescase in addition the Ombudsman’scurrent refusalprocess; tounderstands, providenevertheless, thethat dischargethe authorityOmbudsman, withas alloffice-holder, documentsmight relatedneed to the eligibility check, assessmentbe ofinvolved applications,in the actuallatest interviewsstages of shortlisted candidates with the Selection Boardcertain andselection theprocedures; bilateraltakes interviewnote withof the Ombudsman, citing among arguments “limitsOmbudsman’s ofexplanation thethat legal framework governingconstrains confidentiality”related to avoid “theconfidentiality, riskaimed ofat underminingsafeguarding the independence and integrity of the selection process”process, iflimit suchthe documentsextent wouldto bewhich disclosed;documents recallsrelated thatto Parliamentthe haseligibility thecheck rightcan tobe requestshared anywith necessarythe informationdischarge underauthority; Articlenevertheless 319(2)recalls ofParliament’s theright Treatyto onobtain the Functioninginformation ofnecessary thefor Europeandischarge Union;and underlines that forwarding information to Parliament forproviding dischargesuch purposesinformation does not equalamount to making thatit informationpublic, public;and stresses further that Parliament has putadequate safeguards in place a comprehensive set of Security Rules, which comply with the same principles and standards as other Union institutions, including security clearance, need-to-know principle, secure area and reading rooms,to penaltieshandle forsensitive breachesmaterial etc.;securely; urges, in light of the above, the Ombudsman to further consider Parliament’s request and provide the discharge authority with all documents regarding the eligibility checks, assessment of applications, the actual interviews of shortlisted candidates with the Selection Board and the bilateral interview with the Ombudsman in connection with the procedure for the selection of the Secretary-General of the Ombudsman(OMB/2/2025);Ombudsman (OMB/2/2025); encourages the Ombudsman to consider conducting an internal ex post reflection on highly scrutinised appointment procedures, with a view to identifying lessons learned and possible improvements for future processes, and to inform the discharge authority of the outcomes;

Changed:24. Underlines that the Ombudsman has the role toof promotepromoting good administrationadministration, including by making sureensuring that the ethical framework of all Union institutions, bodiesoffices, bodies, and agencies is solidrobust and ablecapable toof ensureguaranteeing transparency and accountability; firmly believes that the Ombudsman must meet the highest standards of independence, impartiality, and integrity, and that any perception of favouritism or conflicts of interest is tomust be avoidedavoided, bysince allsuch Unionperceptions institutions,could bodiesundermine andthe agenciesOmbudsman’s ,credibility, inmission, particularand the Ombudsman,trust asof evenUnion citizens; recalls that, since the appearanceOmbudsman ofis suchentrusted issuesby wouldthe undermineUnion theirwith integritypromoting ethical standards and missiongood administration, the Ombudsman is expected to apply particularly stringent standards to its own governance and couldsenior negativelyappointments, affectsetting thea trustbenchmark offor Unionother citizens;institutions, offices, bodies and agencies;

Changed:25. Notes that, despite being a small Union institution, office, body or agency, the Ombudsman managed to have 19 nationalities represented in its staff in 2024, same as in 2023; observes, however, an overrepresentation of some nationalities (one of them accounting for more than 30 % of the staff of the Ombudsman); urges thestresses Ombudsmanthat toin stepview upof its effortsrelatively tosmall achievesize, such a morehigh balancedconcentration geographicalof distributiona single nationality could impact the interinstitutional perception of nationalsthe fromoffice's asdiversity; manycalls on the Ombudsman to adopt targeted recruitment and outreach measures specifically aimed at underrepresented Member States asto possibleensure withinthe itsoffice staff;remains a reflection of the Union's diversity;

Changed:26. Notes that, in terms of gender balance, the Ombudsman employs more women than men in all categories of staff, in particular at management level where all posts are held by women; notes an overall staff representation of 68 % women and 32 % men, compared to 67 % women and 33 % men in 2023; invites the Ombudsman to strive for a more balanced gender representation of its staff; urges the Ombudsman to develop a strategy to address the fact that men are currently entirely absent from management roles; believes that ensuring that the Ombudsman better reflects the diverse composition of the Union's citizens is essential for maintaining a balanced and inclusive working environment across all levels of the hierarchy;

Changed:29. Notes that the Ombudsman welcomed 18 paid trainees in 2024 (the same number as in 2023), one of which was selected under the Ombudsman’s commendable traineeship programme for persons with disabilities; renews its emphasis that traineeships should be remunerated 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 the Union to be paid; stresses that paid traineeships are essential to ensure equal opportunities;

Changed:37. Welcomes the positive impact of Ombudsman’s use of automatic translations, which enhanced the accessibility of the Ombudsman’s website, streamlined case allocation and accelerated the processing of complaints, leading to a reduction in translation costs by over 65 % (from 2022 to 2024) and in administrative burden; encourages the Ombudsman to continue testing and evaluating AI tools and use cases, while taking a prudent approach to their development and deployment; calls in this context on the Ombudsman to take into account the medium-term budgetary implications related to maintenance, scalability, staff skills and potential dependencies on digital tools and service providers and ensure that deployment remains secure and subject to appropriate human oversight;

Changed:38. Notes with satisfaction from the Questionnaire that the Ombudsman has put in place internal guidelines on the use of third-party generative AI tools which should provide clarity and direction on the safe and effective integration of AI tools into the Ombudsman’s workflows; looks forward to the planned expansion of AI use beyond translation, for example for the integration of the “ombudsprudence” within a Large Language Model of the Commission and to leverage historical case law that will feed in future inquiries; recommends neverthelessencourages the Ombudsman,Ombudsman withto regardcontinue totesting interpretationand services,deploying toAI prioritisetools human-providedwhere interpretationthey overdemonstrably AI-basedimprove solutions;accessibility takesand noteefficiency; thatstresses, however, the Ombudsmanneed acquiredfor severalclear governance, human oversight, transparency towards users, and robust data-protection safeguards, including documented risk assessments and quality controls for automated outputs, in particular where AI toolsmay influence case handling, allocation or external communications; calls on the Ombudsman to supportensure internalthat all AI-generated legal insights are verified by human inquiry officers and externalprioritise communicationhuman-provided activities,interpretation particularlyover videoAI-based production,solutions; therebyfurther enhancingrequests efficiencyreporting on the technical measures adopted to eliminate algorithmic bias and qualitysafeguard inthe contentobjectivity creationof inthe 2024;Ombudsman's findings;

Changed:39. Notes with appreciation from the Questionnaire that in 2024, with appreciation, that one staff member completed an intensive two-month training in data science and artificial intelligence with a view to strengthenstrengthening the Ombudsman’s expertise in this field and that that staff member now represents the Ombudsman in the AI Correspondents Network established by the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) following the entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (the ‘Artificial Intelligence Act’); takes note further note the Ombudsman’s commitment to develop a training on the safe and ethical use of AI tools for all its staff; notes further that the Ombudsman held monthly a targeted mandatory training to enhance staff awareness and skills in cybersecurity best practices throughout 2024; notes with satisfaction that the Ombudsman requires all its staff to complete regular cybersecurity trainings; encourages the Ombudsman to continue developing its digitalisation strategy, ensuring that the deployment of artificial intelligence tools remains fully compliant with principles of ethical use, transparency, data protection, human oversight, and protection against algorithmic bias or misuse;

Added:40. Stresses the importance of procurement as a tool to advance policy objectives such as environmental and social agenda; calls on the Ombudsman to strengthen in its procurement procedures the inclusion of strategic criteria on social responsibility and environmental sustainability;

Changed:46.47. Welcomes the financial and administrative savings achieved through inter-institutional cooperation, in particular the wide-range of service-level agreements concluded by the Ombudsman with Parliament and the Commission in a variety of areas and the participation in interinstitutional procurement procedures; welcomes the formalisation of the collaboration between Parliament and the Ombudsman in October 2024 in the field of cybersecurity through a revised inter-institutional agreement which provides a framework for Parliament to continue providing solid cybersecurity support to the Ombudsman; stresses that such cooperation is essential to avoid duplication of structures and to ensure efficient use of Union resources; encourages the Ombudsman to ensure that regular and up-to-date cybersecurity training is provided to all staff, in order to maintain a high level of awareness and resilience against evolving cyber threats;

Changed:50.51. Notes from the Questionnaire that the overall budget for communication and promotional activities (publications, event organisation, digital communicationcommunication, etc.) decreased by approx.approximately 38 % from EUR 155 200 in 2023 to EUR 96 515 in 2024; stresses that, while budgetary allocations must be strategic and results-oriented, the Ombudsman should remain focused on informing citizens about the Ombudsman’s mandate and retain sufficient communication capacity in particular for citizens turning to the Ombudsman to address concerns at the Union level; invites the Ombudsman to consider reallocating savings to ensure the Ombudsman maintains necessary visibility and outreach;

Changed:55.56. Welcomes the sustained level of media attention, with roughly 5 000 articles referencing the Ombudsman’s work in 2024; notes that the Ombudsman primarily gauges public engagement through social media growth and website traffic, whereas follower numbers increased steadily during the year; observes that the Ombudsman’s Instagram, LinkedIn and X accounts gained a total of 9 186 additional followers, surpassing its targets for social media activities in 2024, as well as with regard to the number of unique visitors to its website.website; stresses the importance of continuing to prioritise external communication in order to enhance public awareness of the Ombudsman’s mandate and the services it provides to Union citizens.

Changed:B. whereas Article 228 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union provides for the election of a European Ombudsman (the ‘Ombudsman’) by the European Parliament who shall be empowered to receive complaints from any citizen of the Union or any natural or legal person residing or having its registered office in a Member State concerning instances of maladministration in the activities of the Union institutions, bodies, offices or agencies, with the exception of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) acting in its judicial role, and to examine such complaints and report on them;

Changed:15. Recognises the efforts made by and the positive impact of the Ombudsman in the areas of ethics, transparency and accountability in 2024, especially as a result of inquiries concerning various Union institutions, offices, bodies and agencies; notes that the vast majority of those inquiries (65 %) concerned the Commission in 2025;

Changed:17. Welcomes the Ombudsman’s inquiries carried out in 2024 in the area of ethics; notes in particular a revolving doors case concerning two former staff members of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation,Cooperation (Europol), an inquiry based on an infringement complaint concerning an alleged conflict of interest involving the Commissioner for Agriculture and an inquiry into how the Commission ensures there are no conflicts of interest with the experts who assist it in evaluating proposals to be financed under the European Defence Fund;

Changed:27. Notes that the Ombudsman makes efforts to ensure the physical and mental well-being of its staff at work and focuses on reinforcing team spirit; notes in this context that the Ombudsman organised trainings, with some of them being mandatory, on conflict resolution, giving and receiving feedback, disability and inclusion as well as on first aid in 2024; takes note that the Ombudsman adopted a policy on parental leave in 2024, which, in conjunction with its policy on working time and hybrid adopted in 2021, provides flexible working arrangements which are used and appreciated by the staff; notes that in 2024 the medical service of the Parliament did not alert the Ombudsman to any long-term sickness that originated in burnout;

Changed:33. Notes from the Questionnaire that the Ombudsman did not formally join the EUUnion transparency register (set up by the Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the Parliament, the Council and the Commission on a mandatory transparency register) in order to ensure that the Ombudsman can also look into potential complaints concerning the secretariat of that transparency register; notes, however, that the Ombudsman has aligned its practices on the principles of the transparency register, checking that speakers or interlocutors in events or meetings organised by the Ombudsman are registered therein; welcomes the high degree of transparency achieved by the Ombudsman by the publication on its website of information on inquiries, missions (and related expenses), meetings and events in which the Ombudsman takes part, as well as the assessment on requests from senior managers or cabinet members to engage in a professional activity after having left the Ombudsman;

Changed:41.42. Notes from the Questionnaire that in December 2024, following a complaint from a data subject, the EDPS opened a case against the Ombudsman under Article 57(e)57(1), point (e), of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725; takes note that after the Ombudsman provided the requested clarifications, the EDPS closed the case in 2025, concluding that the data subject had received sufficient information;

Changed:47.48. Commends the Ombudsman for its good collaboration with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the Court which in 2024 took the form of meetings and exchanges of views between the Ombudsman, Court’sthe Membersmembers of the Court and OLAF’s Director General; notes that the Ombudsman also spoke at a conference of the Court on the transparency of recovery of Union funds; notes further that in 2024 the Ombudsman presented the findings of key investigations to the relevant committees of Parliament and continued its good cooperation with the national and regional ombudsmen through the query procedure, whereby members of the European Network of Ombudsmen (ENO) can ask questions about Union law that arise during their inquiries and the Ombudsman obtains expert replies from the Union institutions; notes in this context that the Ombudsman organised an ENO webinar in 2024 on various topics, including the implementation of the Union’s Whistleblower Directive and issues linked to free movement;

Changed:48.49. Notes from the Questionnaire that the Ombudsman and the EDPS cooperate mainly on an ad-hoc and informal basis aiming for a quick and efficient collaboration when needed; notes further with satisfaction that the Ombudsman and the EDPS have a memorandumMemorandum of understandingUnderstanding in place to regulate their respective competences in complaint handling and avoid duplication of procedures;

Changed:49.50. Welcomes the fact that the Ombudsman in 20232024 continued its close cooperation with relevant Parliament’s Committees (Committee on Petitions, Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Subcommittee on Human Rights) on important inquiries either by presenting the work directly in Committee meetings or through information being sent to the Committee Chairs; underlines that the strategic initiatives and inquiries conducted by the Ombudsman are key to improving the transparency and accountability of the Union’s administration;

Changed:A. whereas in the context of the discharge procedure, the discharge authority wishes to stress the particular importance of further strengthening the democratic legitimacy of the Union institutions by improving transparency and accountability, and by implementing the concept of performance-based budgetingbudgeting, ensuring sound, efficient and results-oriented financial management and good governance of human resources;

Changed:D. whereas, following her election by Parliament on 17 December 2024, the new Ombudsman was sworn in on 27 February 2025, thereby ensuring continuity and effective fulfilment of the Ombudsman’s mandate in promoting transparency, good administration and citizens’ rights within the Union institutions;

Changed:2. Notes that the Court of Auditors (the ‘Court’), in its Annual Report for the financial year 2024 (the ‘Court’s report’) examined a sample of 70 transactions under the heading ‘Administration’, the same number as in 2023; whereastakes note that the Court further states that administrative expenditure comprises expenditure on human resources, including expenditure on pensions, which in 2024 accounted for approximately 69 % of the total administrative expenditure, and expenditure on buildings, equipment, energy, communications and information technology (IT), and that its work over many years indicates that, overall, this spending is low risk;

Changed:3. Notes that 16 (23 %) of the 70 transactions (i.e. 23 %) contained errors but that the Court, based on the three errors which were quantified, estimates the level of error to be below the materiality threshold; notes that the Court’s report did not identify any specific issues concerning the Ombudsman;

Changed:4. Notes that the budget of the Ombudsman amounted to EUR 13 843 160 in 2024, which represents an increase of EUR 630 713 (i.e. +4,77 %) compared to 2023; takes note, from the Ombudsman’s replies to the questionnaire submitted by the Committee on Budgetary Control for the 2024 budgetary discharge (hereafter the(the ‘Questionnaire’), that this increase is mainly due to salary adjustments;

Changed:6. Notes that in the course of 2024, the Ombudsman made four budgetary transfers pursuant to Article 29 of the Financial Regulation, representing a total of EUR 280 500 or 2,02 % of the appropriations for that financial year, compared to 1,8 % in 2023; notes that those transfers were needed for the reinforcement of various budget lines on, for example, cleaning, maintenance and energy consumption (+41 %), mission expenses (+38,60 %) and informatics (+24,80 %) among other;%); notes that in 2024 the Ombudsman significantly reduced its expenditure for translation, following the successful integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the translation processes for the Ombudsman’s website; notes that the hence resultedresulting savings were used to reinforce other areas via budgetary transfers;

Changed:10. Notes that the Ombudsman has linked to the high level objectives of its strategy ‘Towards 2024’ nine key performance indicators (KPIs) consisting of 17 components, as set out in the Ombudsman’s Annual Management Plan for 2024; observes that 13 of those KPI components have been reached or were exceeded in 2024;

Changed:16. Notes in particular the Ombudsman’s inquiries:inquiries (i)into: into(i) how the Council and the Commission handle public access requests for legislative documents (notably on exceptions to withhold access), whereas the Ombudsman concluded that in many instances the two institutions applied the exceptions under the Union law on access to documents too broadly, using reasoning that has already been dismissed by the Court of Justice of the European Union,CJEU, (ii) into the Commission’s refusals to grant access to documents concerning the revision of Union rules on food information to consumers, and to provide access to stakeholders’ and Member States’ input concerning the Union’s ‘Nature Restoration Law’, and (iii) into the Commission’s failure to identify any documents covering exchanges with Member States or internal exchanges concerning the preparation of high level meetings on the EU-Tunisia Memorandum of Understanding;Understanding on a strategic and global partnership between the Union and Tunisia;

Changed:30. Welcomes the Ombudsman’s continued efforts to strengthen and raise awareness about theits ethical framework of the institution;framework; notes that the Ombudsman organised trainings on ethical matters for the Ombudsman’s newly appointed confidential counsellors and the members of the conciliation committee, as well as mandatory tailor-made trainings on conflict resolution for all staff; notes that the Ombudsman reworked in 2024 and adopted in 2025 a revised policy on ethics and good conduct to clarify the approval and authorisation workflows and address gaps in the implementation of ethics related rules; appreciates that an IT solution was deployed allowing each inquiry officer to confirm the absence of conflicts of interest in cases assigned to them; notes further that all Ombudsman’s staff, including senior ones, are asked to revise annually their declarations of their spouses/partners’ professional activities, as well as their own conflicts of interest declarations;

Changed:34. Notes that the Ombudsman’s final (after transfers) budget for buildings and associated costs increased by approx.approximately 13,60 %, from EUR 1 373 000 in 2023 to EUR 1 560 709 in 2024; notes that the appropriations for rent increased by approx.approximately 7 %, from EUR 866 100 in 2023 to EUR 926 620 in 2024; notes a payment execution rate in both years of close to 100 %;

Changed:53.54. Welcomes the Ombudsman’s regular newsletter “EO(EO Express”express) which keeps subscribers updated through promotion across platforms; highlights that the Ombudsman participated in a wide range of events organised by the Union and international bodies and gave frequent media interviews to clarify the Ombudsman’s mandate, explain which types of complaints it can handle, and inform citizens about when they may seek support from the Ombudsman;