opinion parliamentary committee draft, 11 November 2025
On 2024 discharge: General budget of the EU - European External Action Service
Document AFET-PA-779394 · (2025/2150(DEC))
Committee on Foreign Affairs · Rapporteur: Evin Incir
AI:In short
The Committee on Foreign Affairs calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control to incorporate its opinion into the resolution on the 2024 discharge for the European External Action Service (EEAS). It stresses the EEAS's central role in diplomacy and peace efforts, notes concern over budgetary constraints hindering EU external action, and calls for sustainable funding. It welcomes the European Court of Auditors' finding that coordination was mostly effective and measures taken on procurement, but notes weaknesses in information management, staffing and reporting. It welcomes the strengthened capacity to counter disinformation and hybrid threats, including the full operationalisation of the Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Toolbox, and supports continued investment in strategic communication, independent media and civil society partnerships.
Position. The Committee on Foreign Affairs proposes that the Committee on Budgetary Control incorporate this opinion into its motion for a resolution on the 2024 discharge for the EEAS.
Key points
- Stresses the EEAS's central role in diplomatic engagement and coordinating peace efforts and humanitarian aid.
- Acknowledges EEAS efforts to address lack of funds by cutting non-compulsory expenditure, freezing and postponing building maintenance, infrastructure and IT projects.
- Notes with concern that financial constraints pose a major obstacle to increasing visibility and impact of EU external action, with serious negative consequences.
- Underlines the need for sustainable funding solutions to support EEAS operations and uphold the EU's global standing.
- Welcomes the European Court of Auditors' finding that EEAS coordination, internally and with the Commission and Council, was mostly effective.
- Welcomes measures to ensure application of procurement rules and corrective actions, but notes remaining weaknesses in information management, staffing and reporting.
- Welcomes the strengthened capacity to counter disinformation and hybrid threats, including full operationalisation of the Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Toolbox.
- Supports continued investment in strategic communication, independent media and civil society partnerships, particularly in Ukraine, the Middle East including Israel and Palestine, and neighbouring regions.
Who is affected
- The European External Action Service (EEAS) is the main subject, facing budgetary constraints and needing sustainable funding.
- The Commission and Council are involved in coordination with the EEAS.
- Civil society and independent media in Ukraine, the Middle East and neighbouring regions benefit from continued investment.
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Full text
Opinion 4 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. Stresses the central role of the EEAS in diplomatic engagement and in coordinating peace efforts and humanitarian aid in an increasingly unstable international environment; acknowledges that EEAS has made strong and sustained efforts to address the lack of sufficient funds granted in the last budget exercises e.g. by cutting non-compulsory expenditure to the minimum, freezing and postponing building maintenance, infrastructure and IT projects; notes with concern that the financial situation and the budgetary constraints of the EEAS pose a major obstacle to increasing the visibility and impact of EU's external action and is deeply concerned by its serious negative consequences for the EU’s external action; underlines the need for sustainable funding solutions to support the EEAS' operations to uphold the EU's global standing;
2. Welcomes ECA's finding that EEAS’s coordination, both internally and with the Commission and Council, was mostly effective; further welcomes that EEAS has undertaken measures to ensure the application of procurement rules and has applied corrective actions; notes the remaining weaknesses in information management, staffing and reporting;
3. Welcomes the EEAS’s strengthened capacity to counter disinformation and hybrid threats, including the full operationalisation of the Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) Toolbox e.g. through Information Sharing and Analysis Centre and the EU Rapid Alert System; supports continued investment in strategic communication, independent media, and civil society partnerships, particularly in Ukraine, the Middle East, including Israel and Palestine, and neighbouring regions;
Annex: declaration of input 1 paragraph
The rapporteur declares under her exclusive responsibility that she did not include in her opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.