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opinion parliamentary committee draft, 14 October 2025

On discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Data Protection Supervisor for the financial year 2024

Document LIBE-PA-778330 · (2025/2154(DEC))

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs · Rapporteur: Evin Incir

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AI:In short

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs gives its opinion on the discharge for the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) for 2024, noting budget and implementation, and making recommendations. It welcomes the EDPS's increased role under new laws like the Artificial Intelligence Act, but stresses the need for adequate resources. It expresses concern about complaint handling delays, citing an Ombudsman finding of maladministration, and calls for transparency and improved KPIs. It welcomes reduced mission costs and numbers, but calls for more transparency on third-party funded missions. It notes a decrease in opinions and audits, and urges a clear distinction between audits and visits in KPIs.

Position. The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control to incorporate its recommendations into the motion for a resolution on discharge for the EDPS for 2024.

Key points

  1. Notes the 2024 EDPS operating budget was EUR 24 329 460, up 7% from 2023, with a 96% implementation rate of commitment appropriations.
  2. Emphasizes that additional responsibilities delegated to the EDPS under new legislative acts, including the Artificial Intelligence Act, require adequate resources.
  3. Expresses concern about the time taken to handle complaints, recalling the Ombudsman's finding that six years is unreasonable and constitutes maladministration.
  4. Welcomes the finalization of 77 admissible complaints in 2024, up 33% from 2023, but calls for publishing data on complaints received, investigation times, and reasons for delays.
  5. Urges the EDPS to set targets for complaint handling and inquiries, similar to the European Ombudsman's practice.
  6. Welcomes the decrease in staff missions from 246 in 2023 to 218 in 2024, but calls for assessing if mission resources are used appropriately.
  7. Stresses that the EDPS does not provide information on missions funded by organizers or third parties, reducing transparency.
  8. Notes that in 2024 the EDPS concluded one investigation, issued 25 opinions (down from 54 in 2023), and carried out three audits (down from five in 2023).
  9. Urges the EDPS to make a clear distinction between actual audits and visits in its key performance indicators.

Who is affected

  • The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) is subject to recommendations on budget, complaint handling, missions, and reporting.
  • EU institutions, bodies, and agencies (EUIBA) are affected by the EDPS's supervision and complaint handling.
  • Complainants to the EDPS may benefit from improved transparency and faster handling.

Figures and deadlines

  • EUR 24 329 460: 2024 EDPS operating budget.
  • 7%: increase in budget compared to 2023.
  • 96%: implementation rate of commitment appropriations in 2024.
  • 77: admissible complaints finalized in 2024.
  • 33%: increase in finalized complaints compared to 2023.
  • 246 to 218: staff missions in 2023 and 2024.
  • 25 opinions issued in 2024, down from 54 in 2023.
  • Three audits in 2024, down from five in 2023.

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 7 paragraphs

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:

1.Notes that the 2024 European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) operating budget amounted to EUR 24 329 460, reflecting an increase of 7% compared to the final budget for 2023; welcomes that, in 2024, the implementation rate of the commitment appropriations by the EDPS was 96%;

2.Notes the increased role of the EDPS in multiple new legislative acts, including the Artificial Intelligence Act, under which EDPS becomes the competent authority for the Union institutions, agencies, offices and bodies, where the EDPS has been delegated further tasks; emphasizes that these additional responsibilities, delegated by the co-legislators, require adequate resources to ensure the EDPS can effectively fulfil its obligations;

3.Emphasises the role of the EDPS in supervising the personal data processing operations of European Union institutions, bodies, and agencies (EUIBA); expresses concern about the time it takes the EDPS to handle complaints; recalls the European Ombudsman’s Decision of 7 November 2024 in case 1888/2023/TM, in which the EO found that six years for the EDPS to complete its assessment of a complaint does not constitute a reasonable timeframe and that the EDPS’s approach constituted maladministration; notes that the Ombudsman found that the EDPS also failed to keep the complainant informed on the progress of the case;

4.Welcomes that in 2024, the EDPS finalised 77 admissible complaint cases, which represents an increase of 33% compared to 2023; notes that it is not clear when these complaints were submitted, therefore calls on the EDPS to improve procedural transparency and to publish data on the number of admissible complaints received each year, average time taken to investigate and resolve them, and reasons for significant delays; urges the EDPS to reflect on its KPIs and ensure that they cover complaint handling as well as set targets for handling complaints and inquiries, similarly to the practice of the European Ombudsman;

5.Welcomes the decrease in EDPS staff mission costs and the number of staff missions from 246 in 2023 to 218 in 2024; calls on the EDPS to keep assessing whether the resources spent on missions are being used appropriately and contribute to protection of personal data in EUIBA; notes that in 2024 the EDPS engaged in a number of events, including commercial events and that in line with EDPS speaking engagement policy, the EDPS “would normally expect the organisers to cover the cost of travel and accommodation”, stresses that the EDPS still does not provide information about the number of missions funded by organisers or other third parties, thus reducing transparency regarding EDPS mission expenses;

6.Notes that in 2024, the EDPS concluded a single investigation, in comparison to no investigations concluded in 2023, issued 25 opinions, a decrease in comparison to 54 opinions issued in 2023 and carried out three audits, a drop in comparison to five audits in 2023; urges the EDPS, to make a clear distinction between actual audits and visits in its KPI;