Where the law stands, Dossier 2024/2027(DEC)
2023 discharge: General budget of the EU - European Ombudsman
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.
- Referred to committee(done) 17 September 2024
- Committee work(done) Report adopted 18 March 2025
- Tabled for plenary(done) 2 April 2025
- Plenary vote(done) Adopted 7 May 2025
- Parliament’s position(done) Final
Decided in plenary
7 May 2025 · decision 10
EU budget & funds, Budget decision
Discharge 2023: EU general budget – European Ombudsman
Discharge decision adopted On the proposal for a discharge decision: 568 for · 54 against · 43 abstained by an overwhelming majority
AI summary:Parliament decided to grant discharge to the European Ombudsman for the implementation of its 2023 budget, approving the spending.
What changed
Latest Tabled for plenary → Adopted by Parliament
AI summary:The versions differ only in formal points: the title is updated, acronyms are expanded, and punctuation and capitalization are corrected.
Committee draft → Tabled for plenary
AI summary:The main change is postponing the discharge decision for the Ombudsman's 2023 budget. Adds calls for improved transparency, including on RRF recipients, high-level meetings, and financial interests. Adds calls for better communication, training, and cooperation with committees and agencies. Adds paragraphs on gender balance, workload, and accessibility, and moves staff well-being text. Other changes are wording or formal, including rephrasing and correcting years.
Who works on it
- Lead committee
- Budgetary Control
- The MEP who drafts the report and negotiates it on behalf of the committee.
- Joachim Stanisław Brudziński (ECR)
- An MEP who follows a report on behalf of their own group when another group holds the rapporteur.
- Kinga Kollár (EPP), Csaba Molnár (S&D), Virginie Joron (Patriots), Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu (Renew), Damian Boeselager (Greens), Pasquale Tridico (The Left)
- Committees giving an opinion
- Environment, Climate and Food Safety
- Fisheries
- Foreign Affairs
- Development
- Security and Defence
- Culture and Education
- Economic and Monetary Affairs
- Transport and Tourism
- Employment and Social Affairs
- Budgets
- Internal Market and Consumer Protection
- Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
- Industry, Research and Energy
- Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
- Constitutional Affairs
- Legal Affairs
- International Trade
- Public Health
- Regional Development
- Agriculture and Rural Development
The text, version by version
Newest first.
Adopted by Parliament· 7 May 2025
AI summary:Parliament grants the European Ombudsman discharge for the 2023 budget and adopts a resolution with observations on budget management, performance, ethics, and transparency.
Tabled for plenary· 2 Apr 2025
AI summary:Parliament grants the European Ombudsman discharge for the 2023 budget and adopts a resolution with observations on the Ombudsman's financial management, performance, staff, ethics, buildings, digitalisation, environment, cooperation and communication.
Committee draft· 16 Dec 2024
AI summary:This draft report proposes granting discharge to the European Ombudsman for the 2023 budget and includes a resolution with observations on budget management, performance, staffing, ethics, and other areas.
Timeline
Newest first.
Outcome 1 step
8 October 2025
Published in the Official Journal
The act is now EU law.
Plenary stage 4 steps
7 May 2025
Plenary vote
Sitting of 7 May 2025 Adopted text TA10-0084/2025Report A10-0055/2025
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
30 April 2025
2 amendments tabled for the plenary vote
Groups propose changes to the tabled text; each is voted on before the final vote.
2 April 2025
Report tabled for plenary
This is the text all MEPs vote on. Political groups can still table amendments to it.
Committee stage 4 steps
18 March 2025
Committee vote: report adopted
CONT (Budgetary Control) voted on the amendments and adopted the report that goes to plenary.
10 February 2025
Amendments tabled in committee
Members of CONT (Budgetary Control) proposed changes to the draft.
16 December 2024
Draft report published
The rapporteur’s first text in CONT (Budgetary Control). Members can table amendments before the committee votes.
17 September 2024
Referred to the CONT (Budgetary Control) committee
The lead committee prepares the report; ENVI (Environment, Climate and Food Safety), PECH (Fisheries), AFET (Foreign Affairs), DEVE (Development), SEDE (Security and Defence), CULT (Culture and Education), ECON (Economic and Monetary Affairs), TRAN (Transport and Tourism), EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs), BUDG (Budgets), IMCO (Internal Market and Consumer Protection), FEMM (Women’s Rights and Gender Equality), ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy), LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs), AFCO (Constitutional Affairs), JURI (Legal Affairs), INTA (International Trade), SANT (Public Health), REGI (Regional Development), AGRI (Agriculture and Rural Development) give an opinion.
Official record: Legislative Observatory, 2024/2027(DEC)