European Parliament legislative resolution of 22 October 2024 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and providing exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine (COM(2024)0426 – C10-0106/2024 – 2024/0234(COD))

P10_TA(2024)0021 A10-0006/2024

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2024)0426),

–  having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 212 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C10‑0106/2024),

–  having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to the budgetary assessment by the Committee on Budgets,

–  having regard to the undertaking given by the Council representative by letter of 9 October 2024 to approve Parliament’s position, in accordance with Article 294(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to Rules 60 and 58 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the letter from the Committee on Foreign Affairs,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on International Trade (A10-0006/2024),

1.  Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

2.  Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

3.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading on 22 October 2024 with a view to the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2024/… of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and providing exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine

(As an agreement was reached between Parliament and Council, Parliament's position corresponds to the final legislative act, Regulation (EU) 2024/2773.)

European Parliament legislative resolution of 22 October 2024 on the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the implementation of the Single European Sky (recast) (08311/2024 – C10-0114/2024 – 2013/0186(COD))

P10_TA(2024)0022 A10-0010/2024

(Ordinary legislative procedure: second reading)

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Council position at first reading (08311/2024 – C10‑0114/2024),

–  having regard to its position at first reading(1) on the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2013)0410),

–  having regard to the amended Commission proposal (COM(2020)0579),

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2020)0577 – 2020/0264(COD)),

–  having regard to Article 294(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to Rule 68 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the recommendation for second reading of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (A10-0010/2024),

1.  Approves the Council position at first reading;

2.  Considers that, due to the incorporation of the content of Commission proposal COM(2020)0577 into that position, legislative procedure 2020/0264(COD) has lapsed;

3.  Approves the joint statement by Parliament and the Council annexed to this resolution;

4.  Notes that the act is adopted in accordance with the Council position;

5.  Instructs its President to sign the act with the President of the Council, in accordance with Article 297(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;

6.  Instructs its Secretary-General to sign the act, once it has been verified that all the procedures have been duly completed, and, in agreement with the Secretary-General of the Council, to arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

7.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

ANNEX TO THE LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

JOINT STATEMENT BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Without prejudice to the prerogatives of the budgetary authority in the framework of the annual budgetary procedure and to the Commission’s powers to establish the draft budget, the European Parliament and the Council invite the Commission to propose in the framework of the annual budgetary procedure the creation of an additional administrative support budget line under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), financed from CEF available appropriations as identified in the Legislative Financial Statement provided by the Commission. This new budget line would cover the cost of contractual agents and other administrative expenditures for the Secretariat of the Performance Review Board, Performance Review Board and National Supervisory Authorities Cooperation Board such as technical assistance, expert costs, contracts for data provision, external studies and for additional consultancy services, while establishment plan posts will be financed from the administrative budget line under Heading 7, with full respect of the current Multiannual Financial Framework Regulation. To the extent possible, such a financing under CEF should be without prejudice to the funds already earmarked in the latest CEF Transport Work Programme.

The financing under CEF of contractual agents and other administrative expenditures for the Secretariat of the Performance Review Board, Performance Review Board and National Supervisory Authorities Cooperation Board should not set a precedent for the financing of the Secretariat of other boards. It should not prejudge in any way the financing arrangements to be agreed upon in the framework of the next Multiannual Financial Framework Regulation.

(1) OJ C 378, 9.11.2017, p. 546.

European Parliament resolution of 22 October 2024 on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 2/2024 of the European Union for the financial year 2024 entering the surplus of the financial year 2023 (12081/2024 – C10-0107/2024 – 2024/0089(BUD))

P10_TA(2024)0023 A10-0005/2024

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to Article 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to Article 106a of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community,

–  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012(1), and in particular Article 44 thereof,

–  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union(2), and in particular Article 44 thereof,

–  having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024, as definitively adopted on 22 November 2023(3),

–  having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027(4),

–  having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources(5),

–  having regard to Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2020/2053 of 14 December 2020 on the system of own resources of the European Union and repealing Decision 2014/335/EU, Euratom(6),

–  having regard to Draft amending budget No 2/2024, which the Commission adopted on 9 April 2024 (COM(2024)0920),

–  having regard to the position on Draft amending budget No 2/2024, which the Council adopted on 13 September 2024 and forwarded to Parliament on 16 September 2024 (12081/2024 – C10‑0107/2024),

–  having regard to Rules 96 and 98 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A10-0005/2024),

A.  whereas Draft amending budget No 2/2024 is designed to enter in the 2024 budget the surplus from the financial year 2023, which amounts to EUR 633 million;

B.  whereas the main components of that surplus are a positive outturn on revenue of EUR 238,7 million and an under-spend of EUR 393,9 million;

C.  whereas, on the revenue side, the primary drivers for the volume of the surplus are an amount of EUR 1 766 million in financial revenue, default interest and fines, set against customs duties amounting to EUR 1 649 million below the expected figure; whereas the EUR 107 million surplus in administrative revenue is principally attributable to a higher-than-forecast pension contribution rate and the application of an intermediate salary update in January 2023, which increased the level of tax and levies and pension contributions;

D.  whereas, on the expenditure side, under-implementation in payments by the Commission totalled EUR 70 million (0,1% of authorised payment appropriations); whereas the other institutions cancelled EUR 48 million in payments, thereby maintaining the low under-implementation rate from the 2022 budget;

E.  whereas, with Draft amending budget No 2/2024, the annual GNI lump-sum reductions enjoyed by Germany, The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Austria amount to around EUR 5,4 billion net;

F.  whereas margins and flexibility in the Union budget remain very tight despite the revision of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) and the introduction of the new EURI Instrument to underwrite increased borrowing costs for the European Union Recovery Instrument, which are inherently volatile, causing uncertainty for the budget; whereas, in this challenging context, budgetary needs are increasing;

1.  Takes note of Draft amending budget No 2/2024 as submitted by the Commission, which is designed to budget the 2023 surplus, for an amount of EUR 633 million, in accordance with Article 18(3) of the Financial Regulation;

2.  Welcomes the fact that the 2023 surplus is considerably lower than the 2022 surplus, pointing to improved budgetary forecasting and management by the Commission;

3.  Underlines that the surplus reduces the total contribution of Member States to the financing of the 2024 budget at a time when financing needs remain high and space within the Union budget extremely limited; underlines that the budget must retain sufficient flexibility to enable the Union to cope with unforeseen events and new emerging priorities;

4.  Recalls its long-standing position that fines and fees should be used as supplementary revenue for the Union budget and should not lead a corresponding decrease in GNI-based contributions;

5.  Takes note of the calculation of the adjusted annual GNI lump-sum reductions for the five beneficiary Member States, which amount to around EUR 5,4 billion net; highlights the fact that these rebates are inflation-linked and have therefore increased at a higher rate than the MFF ceilings, which are adjusted annually on the basis of the 2 % deflator; stresses that this anomaly increases the burden on the other Member States;

6.  Emphasises the need for sustainable revenue for the Union budget; deplores, therefore, the absence of progress in the Council on the reform of the own resources system in line with the roadmap in the Interinstitutional Agreement; recalls its position in support of the amended Commission proposals and urges the Council to adopt those proposals swiftly in order to increase the own resources available to the Union budget;

7.  Approves the Council position on Draft amending budget No 2/2024;

8.  Instructs its President to declare that Amending budget No 3/2024 has been definitively adopted and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

9.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the other institutions and bodies concerned and the national parliaments.

(1) OJ L 193, 30.7.2018, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/1046/oj. (2) OJ L, 2024/2509, 26.9.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2509/oj. (3) OJ L, 2024/207, 22.2.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/budget/2024/207/oj. (4) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 11, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/2093/oj. (5) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 28, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2020/1222/oj. (6) OJ L 424, 15.12.2020, p. 1.

European Parliament resolution of 22 October 2024 on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 4/2024 of the European Union for the financial year 2024 - update of revenue (own resources) and adjustments to some decentralised agencies (13195/2024 – C10-0109/2024 – 2024/0185(BUD))

P10_TA(2024)0024 A10-0007/2024

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to Article 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to Article 106a of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community,

–  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012(1), and in particular Article 44 thereof,

–  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union(2), and in particular Article 44 thereof,

–  having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024, as definitively adopted on 22 November 2023(3),

–  having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027(4),

–  having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources(5),

–  having regard to Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2020/2053 EU of 14 December 2020 on the system of own resources of the European Union and repealing Decision 2014/335/EU, Euratom(6),

–  having regard to Draft amending budget No 4/2024, which the Commission adopted on 19 July 2024 (COM(2024)0931),

–  having regard to the position on Draft amending budget No 4/2024, which the Council adopted on 23 September 2024 and forwarded to Parliament on 24 September 2024 (13195/2024 – C10‑0109/2024),

–  having regard to Rules 96 and 98 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A10-0007/2024),

A.  whereas the primary purpose of Draft amending budget No 4/2024 is to update the revenue side of the budget to take account of the latest developments and, additionally, to adjust the expenditure side of the budget in relation to a number of decentralised agencies,

B.  whereas Draft amending budget No 4/2024 entails a revision of the own resources forecasts in relation to customs duties, which are 18,3 % below the May 2023 forecast, in the uncapped VAT base, which is 0,6 % below the May 2023 forecast, in non-recycled plastic packaging waste, which is up 0,6 % compared to the May 2023 forecast, and in the total EU GNI base, which is 0,3 % higher than the May 2023 forecast,

C.  whereas Draft amending budget No 4/2024 also updates the 2024 United Kingdom contribution pursuant to the withdrawal agreement, which stands at EUR 2,38 billion, a significant reduction of EUR 1,52 billion compared to the estimate included in the 2024 budget; whereas Draft amending budget No 4/2024 also takes into account the fines and penalties cashed up to the end of May 2024, which increases the initial forecast for fines and penalties in the 2024 budget by EUR 513 million,

D.  whereas Draft amending budget No 4/2024 proposes a number of adjustments to the financing of decentralised agencies, with a net increase of EUR 12 million overall and a proposal to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument for an amount of EUR 13,2 million to cover increases for the European Medicines Agency and Eurojust in the absence of any available margin under Heading 2b of the multiannual financial framework (the “MFF”),

1.  Welcomes Draft amending budget No 4/2024 as submitted by the Commission;

2.  Takes note that the decrease in the amount of own resources other than GNI (in particular with respect to customs duties) and in the size of the United Kingdom contribution to the budget results in an increase in GNI contributions of EUR 5,63 billion; notes that there is a significant divergence from the initial forecasting of customs duties and the United Kingdom contribution and calls on the Commission to examine scope for improving its forecasting, which is vital for the predictability of budgetary planning;

3.  Underlines that, with Draft amending budget No 4/2024, GNI lump-sum reductions for the five beneficiary Member States amount to just under EUR 5,4 billion net; stresses that these rebates are inflation-linked and have therefore increased at a higher rate than the MFF ceilings, which are adjusted annually on the basis of the 2 % deflator; underlines that this anomaly increases the burden on the other Member States;

4.  Emphasises the need for sustainable revenue for the Union budget, which has been severely stretched to respond to various crises in recent years; deplores, therefore, the absence of progress in the Council on the reform of the own resources system in line with the roadmap in the Interinstitutional Agreement; recalls its position in support of the amended Commission proposals and urges the Council and the Member States to adopt those proposals swiftly in order to increase the own resources available to the Union budget; recalls its long-standing position that fines and fees should be used as supplementary revenue for the Union budget;

5.  Reiterates its long-standing position that new priorities require fresh financing; notes the series of adjustments to the budgets of decentralised agencies, primarily in accordance with tasks assigned to them under recently adopted legislation; recalls that agencies must have the necessary staff and budget to properly fulfil their mandates; deplores that, in several cases, additional resources for a decentralised agency entail a corresponding reduction in the programme envelope;

6.  Regrets that, in the current MFF, a total of EUR 1,5 billion has so far been, or is proposed to be, redeployed from programmes to decentralised agencies; underlines that the magnitude of the redeployments is symptomatic of the stretched resources available to the Union budget and stresses the need for budgetary flexibility to adjust agencies’ resources in line with changes to their mandates and tasks during the MFF;

7.  Notes that Draft amending budget No 4/2024 entails an increase of EUR 2 million for Eurojust owing to inflationary pressure; underlines that inflationary pressure is clearly a challenge for all decentralised agencies, with inflation running above the annual 2 % deflator by which the MFF ceilings increase and staff and operating costs for decentralised agencies under substantial pressure as a result, considers that the current treatment of decentralised agencies’ budgets as separate from administrative spending under Heading 7 of the MFF requires further reflection as part of the Commission’s preparations for the post-2027 MFF;

8.  Approves the Council position on Draft amending budget No 4/2024;

9.  Instructs its President to declare that Amending budget No 4/2024 has been definitively adopted and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

10.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the other institutions and bodies concerned and the national parliaments.

(1) OJ L 193, 30.7.2018, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/1046/oj. (2) OJ L, 2024/2509, 26.9.2024, http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2509/oj. (3) OJ L, 2024/207, 22.2.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/budget/2024/207/oj. (4) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 11, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/2093/oj. (5) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 28, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2020/1222/oj. (6) OJ L 424, 15.12.2020, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2020/2053/oj.

European Parliament resolution of 22 October 2024 on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (application from Belgium – EGF/2024/001 BE/Match-Smatch) (COM(2024)0275 – C10-0101/2024 – 2024/0226(BUD))

P10_TA(2024)0025 A10-0009/2024

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2024)0275 – C10‑0101/2024),

–  having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/691 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013(1)(’EGF Regulation’),

–  having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021-2027(2) as amended by Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765(3), and in particular Article 8 thereof,

–  having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources(4), and in particular point 9 thereof,

–  having regard to the letter from the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A10-0009/2024),

A.  whereas the Union has set up legislative and budgetary instruments to provide additional support to workers who are suffering from the consequences of major structural changes in world trade patterns or of the global financial and economic crisis, and to assist their reintegration into the labour market; whereas this assistance is made through a financial support given to workers and the companies for which they worked;

B.  whereas Belgium submitted application EGF/2024/001 BE/Match-Smatch for a financial contribution from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), following a total number of 513 displacements(5) in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 division 47 (Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles) in the provinces of Hainaut (BE32), Liège (BE33), and Namur (BE35) with 444 displacements within a reference period for the application from 11 December 2023 to 11 April 2024, and 69 displacements before or after the reference period;

C.  whereas the application relates to 444 displacements within the reference period for the application whose activity has ceased in Match-Smatch;

D.  whereas the application relates to 69 displacements whose activity ceased before or after the reference period of four months, where a clear causal link can be established with the event that triggered the cessations of activity of the displaced workers during the reference period as required by Article 6, second paragraph of the EGF Regulation;

E.  whereas the application is based on the intervention criteria of Article 4(2), point (a), of the EGF Regulation, which requires the cessation of activity of at least 200 displaced workers over a reference period of four months in an enterprise in a Member State, including workers displaced in suppliers and downstream producers and/or self-employed persons whose activity has ceased;

F.  whereas the Belgian food retail sector recorded a significant decline in volumes sold in 2023, due to the energy and inflationary crisis, and increased cross-border shopping and e-commerce;

G.  whereas Match-Smatch faced a difficult economic situation for several years and eventually reported a gross operating loss of EUR 36,5 million in 2022,and in order to prevent a further accumulation of losses, Match-Smatch accepted the Colruyt Group’s offer to acquire 57 of the 84 stores in September 2023, also taking over the stores' staff (1 069 people); whereas eight additional stores went to Carrefour, Delhaize, Intermarche and Delfood;

H.  whereas as a result a total of 513 employees were subject to a collective redundancy procedure; 339 employees of the 19 stores for which no buyer could be found, as well as the 174 employees of the Match-Smatch headquarters;

I.  whereas the requirements laid down in national and Union legislation concerning collective redundancies have been complied with;

J.  whereas the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the demand for more qualified workers in the Belgian labour market, making it more difficult for the former Match-Smatch workers to reintegrate into employment;

K.  whereas financial contributions from the EGF should be primarily directed at active labour market policy measures and personalised services that aim to reintegrate beneficiaries rapidly into decent and sustainable employment within or outside their initial sector of activity, while preparing them for a greener and more digital European economy;

L.  whereas the multiannual financial framework (MFF) revision reduces the maximum annual amount of the EGF from EUR 186 million to EUR 30 million (in 2018 prices), as laid down in Article 8 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 as amended by Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765; whereas the Commission should closely monitor the implementation of the EGF and all institutions should take any and all necessary measures to ensure that, despite these cuts, workers made redundant can count on Union solidarity via support of the EGF;

1.  Agrees with the Commission that the conditions set out in Article 4(2), point (a), of the EGF Regulation are met and that Belgium is entitled to a financial contribution of EUR 2 661 564 under that Regulation, which represents 85 % of the total cost of EUR 3 131 252, comprising expenditure for personalised services of EUR 3 009 752 and expenditure for preparatory, management, information and publicity, control and reporting activities of EUR 121 500;

2.  Notes that the Belgian authorities submitted the application on 3 June 2024, and that, following the provision of additional information by Belgium, the Commission finalised its assessment on 16 September 2024 and notified it to Parliament on the same day;

3.  Notes that the application relates to 513 displaced workers whose activity has ceased in Match-Smatch; notes further that 365 displaced workers in total will be targeted beneficiaries and are expected to participate in the measures;

4.  Notes that Belgium applied for EGF co-financing solely to support former Match-Smatch workers living in Wallonia given the situation on the regional labour market (2023 unemployment rate of 8,2 %) and because more than 70 % of the layoffs are concentrated in Wallonia;

5.  Notes that half of the Match-Smatch redundant workers (46 %) are aged fifty or older, an age group that faces more barriers to employment, and that in the last quarter of 2023 there was a difference of 18,3 percentage points between the employment rate for the 20-54 age group (76,8 %) and the employment rate for the 55+ age group (58,5 %) at national level(6); stresses that reskilling and upskilling the workers in line with labour-market demand for qualified jobs will thus pose a challenge, all the more considering the large number of people dismissed at the same time;

6.  Welcomes the fact that the co-ordinated package of personalised services has been drawn up by Belgium in consultation with targeted beneficiaries, their representatives and the social partners to make the affected areas, and the overall labour market, more sustainable and resilient in the future;

7.  Recalls that personalised services to be provided to the workers and self-employed persons consist of the following actions: information services, occupational guidance and outplacement assistance, training, retraining and vocational training, support and contribution towards business creation, as well as incentives and allowances;

8.  Recalls that the Belgian authorities shall ensure that equality between men and women and the integration of the gender perspective are an integral part of and are promoted throughout the implementation period;

9.  Recalls that the Belgian authorities shall acknowledge the origin and ensure the visibility of the Union funding and highlight the Union added value of the intervention, by providing coherent, effective and targeted information to multiple audiences, including targeted information to beneficiaries, local and regional authorities, the social partners, the media and the public;

10.  Welcomes the fact that aiming to prepare a sound package of tailored measures to support the Match-Smatch workers’ efforts to return to work, the Regional Public Employment and Vocational Training Service of Wallonia (Le Forem), trade unions (FGTB and CSC), and other partners met on several occasion in 2024 to better understand workers' retraining needs, that the social counsellors who accompanied the workers after their dismissal were also consulted, and that these meetings resulted in a coordinated package of EGF measures that complies with Article 7(4) of the EGF Regulation;

11.  Welcomes the inclusion of a module on circular economy and efficient use of resources that was developed for former Swissport workers (EGF/2020/005 BE/Swissport) as part of the Regional Public Employment and Vocational Training Service (Forem) standard training offer, which will be co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+); reiterates in this context the important role the Union should play in providing the necessary qualifications for the twin transformation; strongly supports the fact that, during the 2021-2027 MFF period, the EGF will continue to show solidarity with persons affected and maintain the focus on the impact of restructuring on workers; calls for future applications to maximise policy coherence;

12.  Considers it a social responsibility of the Union to provide these workers made redundant with the necessary qualifications for the digital and green transformation of the Union industry and economy, which will also have an effect on the labour market; calls, therefore, for special attention to be paid to qualified and relevant education, including vocational training;

13.  Notes that Belgium started providing the personalised services to the targeted beneficiaries on 1 January 2024 and that expenditure on the measures will therefore be eligible for a financial contribution from the EGF from 1 January 2024 until 24 months after the date of the entry into force of the financing decision;

14.  Notes that Belgium started incurring the administrative expenditure to implement the EGF on 22 September 2023 and that expenditure for preparatory, management, information and publicity, control and reporting activities shall therefore be eligible for a financial contribution from the EGF from 22 September 2023 until 31 months after the date of the entry into force of the financing decision;

15.  Stresses that the Belgian authorities have confirmed that the eligible actions do not receive assistance from other Union funds or financial instruments, and that the principles of equality of treatment and non-discrimination will be respected in the access to the proposed actions and their implementation;

16.  Reiterates that assistance from the EGF must not replace actions which are the responsibility of companies by virtue of national law or collective agreements, or any allowances or rights of the displaced workers, to ensure full additionality of the allocation; recalls that the Member States applying for funding support from the EGF must ensure that the requirements laid down in national and Union law concerning collective redundancies have been complied with and that the company concerned has provided for its workers accordingly;

17.  Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

18.  Instructs its President to sign the decision with the President of the Council and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

19.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution, including its annex, to the Council and the Commission.

ANNEX

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers following an application from Belgium – EGF/2024/001 BE/Match-Smatch

(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision (EU) 2024/2854.)

(1) OJ L 153, 3.5.2021, p. 48, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/691/oj. (2) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 11, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/2093/oj. (3) Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765 of 29 February 2024 amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 (OJ L, 2024/765, 29.2.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/765/oj). (4) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 28, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2020/1222/oj. (5) Within the meaning of Article 3 of the EGF Regulation. (6) Statbel. Emploi et chômage (13.6.2024). Chiffres.

1. European Parliament decision of 22 October 2024 on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022, Section II – European Council and Council (2023/2131(DEC))

P10_TA(2024)0026 A10-0003/2024

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022(1),

–  having regard to the consolidated annual accounts of the European Union for the financial year 2022 (COM(2023)0391 – C9‑0250/2023)(2),

–  having regard to the Council’s annual report to the discharge authority on internal audits carried out in 2022,

–  having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on the implementation of the budget concerning the financial year 2022, together with the institutions’ replies(3),

–  having regard to the statement of assurance(4) as to the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions provided by the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2022, pursuant to Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to its decision of 23 April 2024(5) postponing the discharge decision for the financial year 2022, and the accompanying resolution,

–  having regard to Article 314(10) and Articles 317, 318 and 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012(6), and in particular Articles 59, 118, 260, 261 and 262 thereof,

–  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union(7), and in particular Articles 59, 118, 266, 267 and 268 thereof,

–  having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the second report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A10-0003/2024),

1.  Refuses to grant the Secretary-General of the Council discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Council and of the Council for the financial year 2022;

2.  Sets out its observations in the resolution below;

3.  Instructs its President to forward this decision and the resolution forming an integral part of it to the European Council, the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors, and to arrange for their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (L series).

2. European Parliament resolution of 22 October 2024 with observations forming an integral part of the decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022, Section II – European Council and Council (2023/2131(DEC))

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022, Section II – European Council and Council,

–  having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the second report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A10-0003/2024),

A.  whereas in the context of the discharge procedure, the discharge authority wishes to stress the particular importance of further strengthening the democratic legitimacy of the Union institutions by improving transparency and accountability, and implementing the concept of performance-based budgeting and good governance of human resources;

B.  whereas, under Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the Parliament has the sole responsibility of granting discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the Union, and whereas the budget of the European Council and of the Council is a section of the Union budget;

C.  whereas, pursuant to Article 15(1) of the Treaty on European Union, the European Council is not to exercise legislative functions;

D.  whereas, under Article 317 TFEU, the Commission is to implement the Union budget on its own responsibility, having regard to the principles of sound financial management, and whereas, under the framework in place, the Commission is to confer on the other Union institutions the requisite powers for the implementation of the sections of the budget relating to them;

E.  whereas, under Articles 235(4) and 240(2) TFEU, the European Council and the Council (the ‘Council’) are assisted by the General Secretariat of the Council, and whereas the Secretary-General of the Council is wholly responsible for the sound management of the appropriations entered in Section II of the Union budget;

F.  whereas, over the course of almost twenty years, Parliament has been implementing the well-established and respected practice of granting discharge to all Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, and whereas the Commission supports that the practice of giving discharge to each Union institution, body, office and agency for its administrative expenditure should continue to be pursued;

G.  whereas, according to Article 59(1) of the Financial Regulation, the Commission shall confer on the other Union Institutions the requisite powers for the implementation of the sections of the budget relating to them;

H.  whereas, since 2009, the Council’s lack of cooperation in the discharge procedure has compelled Parliament to refuse to grant discharge to the Secretary-General of the Council;

I.  whereas the European Council and the Council, as Union institutions and as recipients of the general budget of the Union, should be transparent and democratically accountable to the citizens of the Union and subject to democratic scrutiny of the spending of public funds;

J.  whereas the recommendation of the European Ombudsman (the ‘Ombudsman’) in strategic inquiry OI/2/2017/TE on the transparency of the Council legislative process indicated that the Council’s practice with regard to transparency in the legislative process constituted maladministration and should be addressed in order to enable citizens to follow the Union legislative process;

K.  whereas the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union confirms the right of taxpayers and of the public to be kept informed about the use of public revenue and that the General Court in in its judgment of 25 January 2023 in Case T-163/21(8), De Capitani v Council, stated on transparency within the Union legislative process that documents produced by the Council in its working groups are not of technical nature but legislative and are therefore subject to access to documents requests;

1.  Deeply regrets that since 2009, and again for the financial year 2022, Council continues to refuse to cooperate with Parliament on the discharge procedure, preventing Parliament from taking an informed decision based on a serious and thorough scrutiny of the implementation of the Council’s budget and thereby compelling Parliament to refuse discharge;

2.  Notes that on 28 September 2023 the relevant Parliament services, on behalf of the rapporteur for the discharge procedure, forwarded a questionnaire to the Secretariat of the Council containing 74 important questions from Parliament in order to enable a thorough scrutiny of the implementation of the Council budget and of the management of the Council; further notes that similar questionnaires were sent to all other institutions, all of which have provided Parliament with thorough answers to all questions;

3.  Regrets that, on 12 October 2023, the General Secretariat of the Council informed Parliament once again that it would not be answering Parliament’s questionnaire and that the Council would not be participating in the hearing which was arranged for 25 October 2023 as part of the discharge procedure and in which all other invited institutions participated;

4.  Emphasises Parliament’s prerogative to grant discharge pursuant to Article 319 TFEU, as well as the applicable provisions of the Financial Regulation and Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, in line with current interpretation and practice, namely the power to grant discharge in order to maintain transparency and to ensure democratic accountability towards Union taxpayers;

5.  Underlines that Article 59(1) of the Financial Regulation states that the Commission shall confer the requisite powers on the other Union Institutions for the implementation of the sections of the budget relating to them and, therefore, finds it incomprehensible that the Council believes it appropriate that discharge should be granted to the Commission for the implementation of the Council budget;

6.  Stresses the well-established and respected practice followed by Parliament over the course of almost twenty years of granting discharge to all Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies; recalls that the Commission has declared its inability to oversee the implementation of the budgets of the other Union institutions; stresses the reiterated view of the Commission that the practice of giving discharge to each Union institution for their administrative expenditure should continue to be pursued by Parliament;

7.  Stresses that the current situation allows the Parliament to check only the reports of the Court of Auditors and of the Ombudsman as well as the publicly available information on the Council’s website, because the Council continues its malpractice of non-cooperation with the Parliament which makes it impossible for Parliament to carry out its duties properly and make an informed decision on granting discharge;

8.  Deplores that the Council, for more than a decade, has shown that it does not have any political willingness to collaborate with Parliament in the context of the annual discharge procedure; underlines that this attitude has had a lasting negative effect on both institutions, has discredited the management and democratic scrutiny of the Union budget and has damaged the trust of citizens in the Union as a transparent entity;

9.  Reaffirms its deep frustration regarding the Council's attitude towards the discharge procedure, which conveys an inappropriate message to Union citizens at a time when greater transparency is essential; underlines that the Council must adhere to the same standards of accountability it expects from other Union institutions;

10.  Emphasises that all other Union institutions acknowledge and comprehend the principle that, given the delegation of power concerning budget implementation, Parliament holds both the right and the obligation to scrutinise their budgets and their execution as part of the discharge procedure; in light of this, expresses its strong disapproval that the Council persists in its refusal to cooperate with Parliament in this regard;

11.  Recalls that the case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union supports the right of taxpayers and the public to be kept informed about the use of public revenues; demands, therefore, full respect for Parliament’s prerogative and role as guarantor of the democratic accountability principle; calls on the Council to duly follow up on the recommendations adopted by Parliament in the context of the discharge procedure;

12.  Stresses that a revision of the Treaties could render the discharge procedure clearer and more transparent by giving Parliament the explicit competence to grant discharge to all Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies individually; underlines, however, that pending such a revision, the current situation must be improved through better interinstitutional cooperation within the current framework of the Treaties and urges the Council to actively engage with the Parliament in addressing the current situation;

13.  Calls on the Council to resume negotiations with Parliament at the highest level as soon as possible, involving the Secretary-Generals and the Presidents of both institutions, in order to break the deadlock and find a solution while respecting the respective roles of Parliament and the Council in the discharge procedure and ensuring transparency and proper democratic control of budget implementation;

14.  Regrets that the Council did not prepare to avoid a Council Presidency led by a Member State subject to an Article 7 procedure, with the consequence that the Council Presidency is being abused by the Hungarian government, and the principle of sincere cooperation violated;

15.  Stresses that Parliament’s observations concerning political priorities - included the lack of binding guidelines regarding corporate sponsorships of the rotating Council presidencies -, budgetary and financial management, internal management, performance and internal control, human resources, equality - such as gender imbalance - and staff well-being, ethical framework and transparency, digitalisation, cybersecurity and data protection, buildings, environment and sustainability, interinstitutional cooperation and communication from its discharge resolution of 23 April 2024 are still valid;

16.  Reiterates that the use of the unanimity voting procedure in the Council in certain policy areas is paralysing the Union’s decision-making process and therefore making it prone to blackmailing by Member States, especially those who fail to respect the rule of law.

(1) OJ L 45, 24.2.2022. (2) OJ C, C/2023/2, 12.10.2023. (3) OJ C, C/2023/103, 4.10.2023. (4) OJ C, C/2023/112, 12.10.2023. (5) Text adopted, P9_TA(2024)0288. (6) OJ L 193, 30.7.2018, p. 1. (7) OJ L, 2024/2509, 26.9.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2509/oj. (8) Judgment of the General Court of 25 January 2023, De Capitani v Council, T-163/21, CLI:EU:T:2023:15.