Changes from plenary report to adopted text

Change 1

Added11. Recalls that the duty to protect the Union’s financial interests applies equally to all beneficiaries of Union funds, including political groups operating within Parliament; notes that investigations and recovery actions concerning the suspected misuse of Union funds by the former Identity and Democracy group, reconfigured today as the Patriots for Europe Group, highlight the importance of robust internal controls, effective ex-post verification and swift recovery mechanisms within Parliament’s administration; calls on Parliament’s administration to complete all outstanding recovery proceedings without delay and to refer any evidence of irregular expenditure to OLAF and the EPPO; stresses that the credibility of the Union’s anti-fraud architecture depends on its consistent application to all beneficiaries, including those within Parliament itself;

Change 2

Removed28. Takes note of the early termination of the contract with the previous provider of the Crèche Wayenberg after a number of serious allegations against the former contractor; reiterates that decent working conditions for external staff, such as training, skills development, and investment in staff wellbeing should, where relevant, be a priority consideration in public procurement of Parliament as a matter of principle;

Added29. Welcomes the recent initiatives endorsed by the Conference of Presidents and the Bureau to allow Members in the perinatal period to vote by proxy, recognising this as a positive step towards greater inclusiveness in parliamentary work, and calls on all parties to swiftly implement the measure; insists, however, that the measure falls short of Parliament’s repeated calls to ensure voting rights not just for Members in the perinatal period, but also for Members on parental or paternity leave or facing certified long-term illness;

Added30. Expresses concern that the quality and continuity of services provided by Parliament’s Wayenberg Crèche have been affected by frequent changes of service providers since 2020, alongside challenges related to staff shortages, high staff absenteeism and staff turnover at the crèche; takes note of the award of the current contract for Parliament’s childcare services in Brussels to a new company established shortly after the publication of the tender and reportedly linked to the former provider, Esedra; recalls the early termination by Parliament of the contract with the previous provider of the Crèche Wayenberg, Esedra, after a number of serious allegations against that contractor; reiterates that decent working conditions and adequate pay for external staff, including training, skills development, measures against violence and harassment, meaningful social dialogue and investment in staff wellbeing should, where relevant, be a priority consideration in public procurement of Parliament as a matter of principle; calls for an independent external audit of the tender procedure and of the implementation of the current contract, including an independent external assessment of working conditions and staff wellbeing;