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EU Parl Watch

Where the law stands, Dossier 2024/2019(DEC)

2023 discharge: General budget of the EU - Commission

Discharge procedure · First reading

Parliament checks how an EU institution or agency spent a past year’s budget and signs it off — or refuses to.

Where it stands

Parliament’s position

Completed: published in the Official Journal on 8 October 2025 and now EU law.

  1. Referred to committee(done) 17 September 2024
  2. Committee work(done) Report adopted 8 April 2025
  3. Tabled for plenary(done) 23 April 2025
  4. Plenary vote(done) Adopted 7 May 2025
  5. Parliament’s position(done) Final

Decided in plenary

7 May 2025 · decision 3

EU budget & funds, Budget decision

Discharge 2023: EU general budget – Commission, executive agencies and European Development Funds

Discharge decision adopted On the proposal for a discharge decision: 412 for · 245 against · 5 abstained by a large majority

AI summary:The decision will be forwarded to the Council, the Commission, and other bodies.

What changed

  • Latest Tabled for plenary → Adopted by Parliament

    AI summary:Parliament adds new provisions on institutional integrity, foreign interference, and the European Public Prosecutor's Office, and on the 'Rearm EU' initiative and Russia as a State sponsor of terrorism. It adds new paragraphs on transparency of EU funding, including calls for additional resources for the Transparency Register secretariat and for implementing Court of Auditors recommendations on NGOs. It adds a paragraph on an investigation involving the former Commissioner for Justice and calls for cooperation with Belgian authorities. It adds 'anti-Christian' to the list of movements whose views are opposed to EU fundamental values. The other changes are formal or wording: updated titles and citations, expanded abbreviations, corrected punctuation and decimal separators, and rephrased passages.

    See the changes →

  • Committee draft → Tabled for plenary

    AI summary:The main change is that Parliament postpones discharge decisions for the Commission, agencies, and EDFs for 2023 instead of granting them. The resolution adds strong concerns about error rates, debt, and rule of law, and calls for action plans and stricter controls. The resolution adds new sections on RRF transparency, double funding, and fraud detection, with calls for automated cross-checking and public databases. The resolution adds paragraphs on external action, including IPA III, UNRWA, and Global Gateway, with calls for transparency and conditionality. The other changes are formal or wording updates, such as renumbering and minor rephrasing.

    See the changes →

Who works on it

Lead committee
Budgetary Control
Niclas Herbst (EPP)
José Cepeda (S&D), Tamás Deutsch (Patriots), Joachim Stanisław Brudziński (ECR), Olivier Chastel (Renew), Daniel Freund (Greens), Pasquale Tridico (The Left), Alexander Jungbluth (ESN)
Committees giving an opinion
  • Industry, Research and Energy
  • Legal Affairs
  • Public Health
  • Internal Market and Consumer Protection
  • Foreign Affairs· rapporteurMichael Gahler (EPP)
  • Economic and Monetary Affairs
  • Security and Defence
  • Budgets
  • Environment, Climate and Food Safety· rapporteurMep #257122 (S&D)
  • Development· rapporteurCharles Goerens (Renew)
  • International Trade
  • Employment and Social Affairs· rapporteurRomana Tomc (EPP)
  • Fisheries
  • Women’s Rights and Gender Equality· rapporteurLina Gálvez (S&D)
  • Constitutional Affairs
  • Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs· rapporteurTomáš Zdechovský (EPP)
  • Transport and Tourism· rapporteurGheorghe Falcă (EPP)
  • Regional Development· rapporteurĽubica Karvašová (Renew)
  • Agriculture and Rural Development· rapporteurVeronika Vrecionová (ECR)
  • Culture and Education· rapporteurNela Riehl (Greens)

The text, version by version

Newest first.

  1. Adopted by Parliament· 7 May 2025

    Adopted text TA10-0077/2025

    AI summary:Parliament grants discharge to the Commission, six executive agencies, and the ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the 2023 budget, and approves the closure of the accounts. It also adopts a resolution with observations on budget implementation.

    What changed since Report A10-0074/2025 →

  2. Tabled for plenary· 23 Apr 2025

    Report A10-0074/2025

    AI summary:The committee report proposes granting discharge to the Commission and executive agencies for the 2023 EU budget, and approving closure of accounts. It also includes a resolution with observations on budget management, error rates, and the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

    What changed since Draft report (CONT) →

  3. Committee draft· 16 Jan 2025

    Draft report (CONT)

    AI summary:This draft report proposes that Parliament grant discharge to the Commission and six executive agencies for the 2023 budget, and approve closure of accounts for the general budget and the 9th, 10th, and 11th European Development Funds.

Committee opinions: Draft opinion (CULT), Opinion (REGI), Opinion (ENVI), Draft opinion (REGI), Draft opinion (AFET), Draft opinion (EMPL), Opinion (AFET), Draft opinion (LIBE), Opinion (CULT), Opinion (DEVE), Draft opinion (FEMM), Opinion (FEMM), Draft opinion (TRAN), Draft opinion (DEVE), Draft opinion (ENVI), Opinion (TRAN), Opinion (EMPL), Opinion (LIBE)

Timeline

Newest first.

Outcome 1 step

  1. 8 October 2025

    Published in the Official Journal

    The act is now EU law.

Plenary stage 4 steps

  1. 7 May 2025

    Plenary vote

    Sitting of 7 May 2025 Adopted text TA10-0077/2025Report A10-0074/2025

  2. 6 May 2025

    Debated in plenary

    MEPs debated the text in the chamber ahead of the vote.

    Sitting of 6 May 2025 Council / Commission text C10-0067/2024Council / Commission text C10-0068/2024Council / Commission text C10-0069/2024Council / Commission text C10-0070/2024Council / Commission text C10-0071/2024Council / Commission text C10-0072/2024Council / Commission text C10-0073/2024Council / Commission text C10-0074/2024Council / Commission text C10-0075/2024Council / Commission text C10-0076/2024Council / Commission text C10-0077/2024Council / Commission text C10-0078/2024Council / Commission text C10-0079/2024Report A10-0046/2025Report A10-0047/2025Report A10-0050/2025Report A10-0051/2025Report A10-0052/2025Report A10-0053/2025Report A10-0054/2025Report A10-0055/2025Report A10-0056/2025Report A10-0062/2025Report A10-0065/2025Report A10-0069/2025Report A10-0074/2025

  3. 29 April – 30 April 2025

    91 amendments tabled for the plenary vote

    Groups propose changes to the tabled text; each is voted on before the final vote.

    Amendments 1–3Amendments 4–9Amendments 10–11Amendments 12–13Amendments 14–23Amendments 24–33Amendments 34–36Amendment 37Amendments 38–41Amendments 42–47Amendments 48–52Amendments 53–62Amendments 63–72Amendments 73–82Amendments 83–90Amendment 91

  4. 23 April 2025

    Report tabled for plenary

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

    Report A10-0074/2025

Committee stage 23 steps

  1. 8 April 2025

    Committee vote: report adopted

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

  2. 27 February 2025

    Amendments tabled in committee (2 batches)

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

    Amendments in committee (CONT)Amendments in committee (CONT)

  3. 18 February 2025

    ENVI (Environment, Climate and Food Safety) adopted its opinion

    The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.

    Opinion (ENVI)

  4. 18 February 2025

    FEMM (Women’s Rights and Gender Equality) adopted its opinion

    The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.

    Opinion (FEMM)

  5. 18 February 2025

    DEVE (Development) adopted its opinion

    The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.

    Opinion (DEVE)

  6. 6 February 2025

    LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs) adopted its opinion

    The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.

    Opinion (LIBE)

  7. 30 January 2025

    CULT (Culture and Education) adopted its opinion

    The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.

    Opinion (CULT)

  8. 30 January 2025

    AFET (Foreign Affairs) adopted its opinion

    The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.

    Opinion (AFET)

  9. 29 January 2025

    TRAN (Transport and Tourism) adopted its opinion

    The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.

    Opinion (TRAN)

  10. 29 January 2025

    Committee opinion adopted

    The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.

    AGRI-AL-766592

  11. 28 January 2025

    REGI (Regional Development) adopted its opinion

    The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.

    Opinion (REGI)

  12. 28 January 2025

    EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs) adopted its opinion

    The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.

    Opinion (EMPL)

  13. 16 January 2025

    Draft report published

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

    Draft report (CONT)

  14. 12 December 2024

    Draft opinion from DEVE (Development)

    An associated committee gives its view to the lead committee.

    Draft opinion (DEVE)

  15. 22 November 2024

    Draft opinion from AFET (Foreign Affairs)

    An associated committee gives its view to the lead committee.

    Draft opinion (AFET)

  16. 15 November 2024

    Draft opinion from CULT (Culture and Education)

    An associated committee gives its view to the lead committee.

    Draft opinion (CULT)

  17. 14 November 2024

    Draft opinion from FEMM (Women’s Rights and Gender Equality)

    An associated committee gives its view to the lead committee.

    Draft opinion (FEMM)

  18. 14 November 2024

    Draft opinion from TRAN (Transport and Tourism)

    An associated committee gives its view to the lead committee.

    Draft opinion (TRAN)

  19. 13 November 2024

    Draft opinion from LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs)

    An associated committee gives its view to the lead committee.

    Draft opinion (LIBE)

  20. 12 November 2024

    Draft opinion from REGI (Regional Development)

    An associated committee gives its view to the lead committee.

    Draft opinion (REGI)

  21. 7 November 2024

    Draft opinion from ENVI (Environment, Climate and Food Safety)

    An associated committee gives its view to the lead committee.

    Draft opinion (ENVI)

  22. 24 October 2024

    Draft opinion from EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs)

    An associated committee gives its view to the lead committee.

    Draft opinion (EMPL)

  23. 17 September 2024

    Referred to the CONT (Budgetary Control) committee

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

Official record: Legislative Observatory, 2024/2019(DEC)