Changes from plenary report to adopted text

142. Notes with satisfaction that the Authority has been proactively reaching out and raising awareness among a network of bodies and institutions relevant to the common defence of European democracy; highlights that, in particular, the Authority worked with Parliament, which is responsible for the secretariat of the Committee of Independent Eminent Persons, to maximise procedural efficiency; notes that cooperation on the operational aspects was also strengthened with several other Union stakeholders, including the European External Action Service and the European Data Protection Board; notes that the Authority has strengthened its cooperation with Europol by signing a Memorandum of Understanding on strategic information exchange concerning cyber-enabled unlawful interference in Union democracy;

143. Notes that, in 2024, the Authority issued several preventive compliance recommendations to European political parties and foundations to address compliance risks before they materialise, especially to improve their internal processes in the area of donations, contributions and the activities they plan to organise; welcomes that the Authority also provided guidance upon request in 11 instances;

144. Notes that the Authority has, in eight cases, given the European political parties and European political foundations the opportunity for corrective measures related to financial compliance controls concerning prohibited donations, and cases of funding other entities in the context of joint activities; welcomes that the Authority continues to monitor if corrective measures with long-term effects are ensuring sustained compliance in the areas concerned; notes that the Authority adopted one sanction decision in the course of 2024;

145. Welcomes that the Authority also continued publishing extensive guidance on its website referring to the most commonly identified risk areas and potentially problematic structures in the governance of European political parties and European political foundations; welcomes that it also communicated its findings and guidance of general interest to all European political parties and European political foundations;

146. Welcomes the publication of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2025/2445 of the European Parliament and of the Council, which introduces new requirements for European political parties and European political foundations with the aim of strengthening democratic integrity and resilience; underlines in particular that European political parties now also have to ensure compliance of their member parties, and European political foundations of their member organisations, with the values on which the Union is founded as enshrined in Article 2 of the TEU; further notes that safeguards against foreign interference have been reinforced, and that the revised sanctions system requires sanctions for quantifiable infringements – such as breaches of donation rules or the prohibition on providing funding to national parties – to be imposed without offering an opportunity for corrective measures; positively notes in this context the comprehensive preventive guidance offered by the Authority with its Regulatory Compliance Action Plan ('R-CAP') so as to facilitate smooth and effective implementation; encourages the decision to introduce eligibility checks also within member organisations, in order to ensure full coherence of also the member organisations with the values of Article 2 TEU and to uphold democratic integrity in Parliament’s funding of European Political parties;

147. Notes that the Authority can initiate a verification of compliance with the values upon which the Union is founded only upon a request lodged by Parliament, Council or the Commission;

148. Stresses, that in light of the widened scope of the values verification procedure, which now also applies to member parties and member organisation, and other novelties in Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2025/2445, including the welcome updates for the protection of European democracy against foreign interference, it is essential to enhance appropriately the human resources of the Authority;

149. Notes that, in 2024, the appropriations entered under budget item 402 were used as follows:

150. Notes that, in 2024, the appropriations entered under budget item 403 were used as follows: