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EU Parl Watch

Where the law stands, Dossier 2024/2025(DEC)

2023 discharge: General budget of the EU - European Economic and Social Committee

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 18 March 2025
  3. Tabled for plenary(done) 1 April 2025
  4. Plenary vote(done) Adopted 7 May 2025
  5. Parliament’s position(done) Final

Decided in plenary

7 May 2025 · decision 8

EU budget & funds, Budget decision

Discharge 2023: EU general budget – European Economic and Social Committee

Discharge decision adopted On the proposal for a discharge decision: 538 for · 96 against · 27 abstained by an overwhelming majority

AI summary:Parliament forwards the decision to the Committee, Council, Commission, and Court of Auditors for publication.

What changed

  • Latest Tabled for plenary → Adopted by Parliament

    AI summary:The versions differ only in formal points: typographical corrections, punctuation, capitalization, and expansion of acronyms.

    See the changes →

  • Committee draft → Tabled for plenary

    AI summary:The main change is postponing the discharge decision for 2023, indicating unresolved issues. Adds several calls for action on cybersecurity, transparency, anti-fraud, and staff well-being. Adds new paragraphs on youth engagement, AI guidelines, and cooperation with other bodies. Removes or rephrases some existing paragraphs, including on solar panels and internal audit. Other changes are formal or wording: renumbering and minor rephrasing.

    See the changes →

Who works on it

Lead committee
Budgetary Control
Joachim Stanisław Brudziński (ECR)
Caterina Chinnici (EPP), Csaba Molnár (S&D), Virginie Joron (Patriots), Michal Wiezik (Renew), Damian Boeselager (Greens), Pasquale Tridico (The Left)
Committees giving an opinion
  • Budgets
  • Development
  • Employment and Social Affairs
  • Transport and Tourism
  • Foreign Affairs
  • International Trade
  • Internal Market and Consumer Protection
  • Culture and Education
  • Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
  • Regional Development
  • Environment, Climate and Food Safety
  • Economic and Monetary Affairs
  • Fisheries
  • Public Health
  • Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
  • Constitutional Affairs
  • Legal Affairs
  • Agriculture and Rural Development
  • Industry, Research and Energy
  • Security and Defence

The text, version by version

Newest first.

  1. Adopted by Parliament· 7 May 2025

    Adopted text TA10-0082/2025

    AI summary:Parliament grants discharge to the European Economic and Social Committee for the 2023 budget and adopts a resolution with observations. It notes the Committee's budget implementation, internal controls, HR, ethics, digitalisation, buildings, environment, and interinstitutional cooperation, and makes recommendations for improvements.

    What changed since Report A10-0054/2025 →

  2. Tabled for plenary· 1 Apr 2025

    Report A10-0054/2025

    AI summary:Parliament grants discharge to the European Economic and Social Committee for the 2023 budget and adopts a resolution with observations.

    What changed since Draft report (CONT) →

  3. Committee draft· 17 Jan 2025

    Draft report (CONT)

    AI summary:This draft report concerns granting discharge to the European Economic and Social Committee for the 2023 budget. It proposes granting discharge and includes observations on budget management, internal control, HR, ethics, digitalisation, buildings, environment, and cooperation.

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 TA10-0082/2025Report A10-0054/2025

  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. 30 April 2025

    3 amendments tabled for the plenary vote

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

    Amendments 1–3

  4. 1 April 2025

    Report tabled for plenary

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

    Report A10-0054/2025

Committee stage 4 steps

  1. 18 March 2025

    Committee vote: report adopted

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

  2. 10 February 2025

    Amendments tabled in committee

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

    Amendments in committee (CONT)

  3. 17 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)

  4. 17 September 2024

    Referred to the CONT (Budgetary Control) committee

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

Official record: Legislative Observatory, 2024/2025(DEC)