opinion parliamentary committee draft, 22 November 2024
On discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023, Section X - European External Action Service
Document AFET-PA-765237 · (2024/2024(DEC))
Committee on Foreign Affairs · Rapporteur: Michael Gahler
AI:In short
The Committee on Foreign Affairs calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control to incorporate its opinion into the resolution on discharge for the EEAS for 2023, highlighting the EEAS's central role in EU foreign policy and noting audit findings on procurement errors. It welcomes the Court of Auditors' Special Report on EEAS coordination, notes remaining weaknesses, and calls for implementation of recommendations by 2025. It acknowledges EEAS cost-cutting measures under budgetary constraints in 2023.
Position. The Committee on Foreign Affairs proposes that the Committee on Budgetary Control incorporate this opinion into its motion for a resolution, highlighting the EEAS's role and audit findings.
Key points
- Highlights the EEAS's central role in conducting EU external policy, especially after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
- Regrets audit findings of quantifiable error in one of 13 payments and six non-quantifiable findings on procurement at EU Delegations.
- Welcomes the Special Report's conclusion that EEAS coordination is mostly effective, but notes weaknesses in information management, staffing, and reporting.
- Calls on the EEAS to implement the Special Report's recommendations by the 2025 deadline.
- Notes EEAS's commitment to cost-effectiveness despite budgetary constraints, including cuts to mission and representation budgets and freezing maintenance and IT projects.
Who is affected
- The European External Action Service (EEAS) and its delegations, which are subject to audit findings and recommendations.
Figures and deadlines
Written by AI from the full text · every figure comes from the text · ¶ opens the paragraph · 4 Sept 2026 · Report a problem
Full text
Opinion 5 paragraphs
The Committee on Foreign Affairs calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:
1.Highlights that recent events, notably Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have brought EU foreign policy and its implementation to the forefront of concerns among the EU Member States and institutions; underlines the central role played by the European External Action Service (EEAS) and its delegations in conducting the Union’s external policy;
2.Regrets that the European Court of Auditors in its Annual Report for the financial year 2023 observes that they found quantifiable error in one of the 13 payments examined, concerning the absence of a valid procurement procedure and six non-quantifiable findings concerning procurement at EU Delegations, including weaknesses in the methodology for selecting tenderers and evaluating tenders, as well as entering into a legal commitment before making the budgetary commitment;
3.Welcomes the Court of Auditors’ Special Report regarding the coordination role of the EEAS and its conclusions that coordination is mostly effective, allowing the service to properly support the High Representative/Vice-President to deliver their mandate; notes that nevertheless some weaknesses in information management, staffing and reporting remain; calls on the EEAS to implement the recommendations of the Special Report by the deadline in 2025;
4.Notes that that the EEAS is committed to make itself more cost-effective while continuing to face significant budgetary constraints in 2023; acknowledges that the EAAS has substantially cut mission and representation budget, reducing non-compulsory expenditure and freezing and postponing building maintenance, infrastructure and IT projects;