Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

41. Notes that DG PRES managed to address needs that arose after the establishment of the 2022 estimates, despite the volatile sanitary situation and its impact on the level of parliamentary activity; remarks that it also generated a surplus that could be used to finance the needs of other Directorates-General arising from the high inflation in 2022;

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Added42. Recalls that according to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Protocol No 6 annexed to the Treaties, Parliament shall have its seat in Strasbourg, where the 12 periods of monthly plenary sessions, including the budget session, shall be held; underlines that the suspension of sessions in Strasbourg and remote participation are linked to the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic; recalls that any change to the Treaties requires the unanimity of the Member States; recalls the support by the vast majority of Parliament for a single seat to ensure efficient spending of Union taxpayers’ money and to assume its institutional responsibility to reduce its carbon footprint; notes that permanent changes would require a Treaty change;

Added43. Notes that the suspension of Strasbourg part-sessions during the Covid-19 pandemic contributed to total savings of EUR 26 260 608 according to Parliament’s Secretariat, while also significantly reducing Parliament’s carbon footprint; highlights that the Court estimates that “the end of moving from Strasbourg to Brussels could generate annual savings of EUR 114 million plus a one-off saving of EUR 616 million if the Strasbourg buildings are successfully divested, or a one-off cost of EUR 40 million if they are not”; considers that given the current climate crisis, retaining the Strasbourg seat is irresponsible; calls on the Council to take Parliament’s position into account and act on it as a matter of urgency;

Directorate-General for Communication

44. Recalls that the Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM) is a multi-site Directorate-General, with staff located in Brussels, Strasbourg and the Liaison Offices in each of the 27 Member States, as well as in London, Washington D.C. (until 1 November 2022 when the two EPLOs were transferred to the new Directorate-General for Parliamentary Democracy Partnerships), and the Jean Monnet House in Bazoches (France);

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Changed38.45. Notes that DG COMM’s key tasks are to collaborate with the media, to inform, explain and enhance the visibility of Parliament’s work, to increase awareness of Parliament among citizens, stakeholders and opinion leaders through the European Parliament Liaison Offices (EPLOs) located in the Member States, to foster interaction with citizens through enhanced visitor projects, events and information campaigns and its presence on social media, and to provide expertise to Members and political groups on topics such as media intelligence and public opinion monitoring; and to combat disinformation by all means, particularly in the lead-up to elections;

46. Notes that DG COMM’s final appropriations amounted to EUR 121 235 650 in 2022, representing 5,6 % of Parliament’s budget; highlights that, of that amount, a total of EUR 121 146 177 was committed; welcomes the high use of appropriations;

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Added47. Notes the complexity of activities of the DG COMM; notes the need to increase the visibility of the work of Parliament and to increase citizens’ trust in institution of the Parliament, which would require an increase in the budget for DG COMM;

48. Highlights that during the first four months of 2022, DG COMM’s budgetary implementation was still impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular with respect to the visitor groups and visitor facilities; remarks that a large part of the surpluses caused by the suspension of activities was re-allocated to other Parliament services to fund other priorities and to tackle the effect of inflation on staff expenditure; notes that several activities of DG COMM, such as audio-visual services, were also severely impacted by substantial price increases;

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Changed41.49. Notes that, on 10 March 2022, the President issued a revised decision on ‘Security measures to limit the spread of COVID-19’ which meant physical presence for several activities was restored, including re-admitting visitor groups; noteswelcomes the decision to increase the paid financial contributions for travel, accommodation, meals and minor local expenses by 10 % for the sponsored visitor groups in 2022; notescalls on the decisionBureau byto thereverse Bureauits decision to reduce the annual quota of sponsored visitors per member from 110 to 100 and from 55 to 50 for election years; highlights that the decision to carry over the unused quota from 2020 to 2022, 2023 and 2024 remained unchanged; insists to the Bureau that APAs be eliminated from the list of permitted heads of groups, leaving only a member of the sponsored group or a professional, such as paying agents or travel agencies, to take up the role, in order to prevent APAs from being compelled to take on the financial responsibility, which can amount to substantial sums of money;

50. Notes that following the energy crisis in the Union, prices for travel and meals have increased considerably; takes note of the planned revision of the rules with regard to the payment of subsidies to sponsored visitors groups;

51. Takes note that the progressive withdrawal of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in Member States enabled EPLOs to resume operating under normal conditions with the systematic addition of hybrid elements; highlights that a series of activities connected to the European Year of Youth were organised in EPLOs; notes that in Member States, Members are systematically invited to events and activities with media, stakeholders, civil society organisations and the youth community; notes that Liaison Offices also promote the involvement of Members in third party events and activities;

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Changed44.52. Notes with satisfaction that Members were given the opportunity to take part in plenary debates from the EPLOs in their Member States of election,election as a result of the exceptional measures put in place during the pandemic, this beinghaving been facilitated by the actions of DG COMM; welcomes the increased efforts made by DG COMM to make use of new technologies to facilitate the work of Members during the COVID-19 pandemic; acknowledges that the remote access for national media to the communication activities of Parliament has opened up ways to interact with Union citizens;

53. Takes note that, in 2022, DG COMM finished most of its preparatory work ahead of the 2024 European elections; notes that, in 2022, Parliament’s Bureau approved the communication strategy for the 2024 elections; notes that a pan-European call for proposals was launched in mid-2022 and resulted in the award of 19 grants, financing capacity building actions and/or citizen-engagement activities in support of the European elections;

54. Notes that Europa Experiences are positive actions that promote the work of the Union and that explain Union policies to citizens; notes with satisfaction the increased number of visits to Europa Experiences over the last two years; notes that thousands of visitors per month enjoy Europa Experiences every year; takes note that despite the ongoing inflation crisis in 2022, two new Europa Experience facilities (Paris and Rome) were opened, which allowed the Liaison Offices to benefit from different outreach opportunities and to expand their networks; notes that at the end of 2022, over 80% of the Europa Experience roll-out objectives had been met;

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Removed47. Welcomes the actions taken on the fight against disinformation and information manipulation; highlights that one of the most powerful tools against disinformation is positive, factual communication about Parliament’s work;

Added55. Recalls the ongoing struggle in which the Union is involved with regard to safeguarding European values and upholding the integrity of our democratic processes; welcomes the actions undertaken by Parliament in the pursuit of those objectives, fighting against disinformation and information manipulation; calls for the reinforcement of those actions in light of the upcoming European elections and, in particular, calls on DG COMM to keep developing and implementing effective strategies to counter disinformation and information manipulation, especially within an electoral context; highlights that one of the most powerful weapons against disinformation is positive, fact-based communication regarding Parliament’s activities;

Directorate-General for Personnel

56. Recalls that the Directorate-General for Personnel (DG PERS) is responsible for the appropriate and efficient management of human resources within Parliament and ensures that Members are supported by a highly skilled workforce to enable them to duly fulfil their mandate;

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Changed49.57. Notes that DG PERS’s final appropriations amounted to EUR 1 090 141 584 in 2022, representing 50.4%50,4% of Parliament’s budget; highlights that, of that amount, a total of EUR 1 087 939 413 was committed; welcomes the high use of appropriations;

58. Notes that, in 2022, Parliament recruited fewer officials from competitions organised by the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) (48 officials) than from Parliament-run internal and open competitions (139 officials); regrets that EPSO encountered various problems with the proctoring of online tests and the language regime of competitions; acknowledges the general difficulties encountered by DG PERS and other DGs in attracting and retaining talent, which has an impact on the performance of Parliament’s workforce; calls for more efficient, better targeted and shorter selection procedures that would result in increasing the attractiveness of Parliament as an employer and allow the Directorates-General to speedily recruit the specialist profiles needed to support their work;

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Changed51.59. Highlights that ensuring a fair geographical balance is an important part of creating a truly European public service, remarks that over the years, Parliament has taken a number of measures in that respect; notes that there is still room for improvement; notes that the Bureau has created the legal framework for the organisation of nationality-specific competitions and decided to organise the first of such competitions; highlights that competitions should always be based on merit;professional training of the person, regardless of age, gender, faith;

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Changed52.60. Recalls that, on 13 January 2020, the Bureau approved new and more ambitious targets for gender balance at the senior and middle management levels of Parliament’s administration to be achieved by 2024, meaning that women should occupyhold 50% of head of units posts, 50% of director posts and 40% of director-general posts; recalls that a gender action plan for the years 2021-2022 aimed at facilitating the implementation of these targets, as well as comprehensively mainstreaming gender into all activities of Parliament, was subsequently developed and approved by the Bureau on 6 July 2020; notes that in 2022, women occupiedheld 28.628,6 % of director-general posts, 50.8welcomes the fact that 50,8 % of director posts, and 43.543,5 % of head of unit posts;posts were held by women;

61. Acknowledges that several Directorates-General have expressed their concerns about attracting talent and specialised profiles that are essential to carry out Parliament’s core business; notes that only services that are essential may be considered for a potential internalisation exercise; highlights that some services are carried out by external service providers due to their specific nature which does not meet the conditions for internalisation; is therefore of the opinion that the services not meeting these conditions should not be considered for internalisation by the governing bodies;

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Changed54.62. Welcomes the work done by DG PERS with Accreditedaccredited Parliamentaryparliamentary Assistantsassistants (APAs); highlights that DG PERS’ Infodesk organised 85 information sessions for officials, temporary agents and contract agents as well as for APAs, in addition to six webinars on retirement, and 14 information sessions for new Members’ trainees; welcomes the work of the APA’s Front Office Unit in relation to recruitment and management of APA contracts and acting as point of contact for all related questions and procedures; notes that this unit replied to 12 405 information requests, including recruitments, contract modifications, renewals, resignations and terminations; notes with satisfaction that 100 % of contracts for APAs were produced within 10 working days;

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Removed55. Acknowledges that the work of APAs is an integral part of the work of Members and therefore of Parliament; notes that following the adoption of the APA statute in 2009, their status over the years has been recognised; notes the efforts made by Parliament to create a framework for providing support to APAs; calls for due adherence to the rules in place; notes, that since then, APAs participate in official missions to Parliament’s three places of work;

Added63. Notes with satisfaction that, as requested in the 2021 discharge resolution, at its meeting of 10 July 2023, the Bureau requested to introduce the possibility for a negotiated termination of contract between a Member and their APA, for cases where it is necessary to terminate the contract of an APA for reasons other than a loss of trust;

Added64. Acknowledges that the work of APAs is an integral part of the work of Members and that they play an important role in the legislative procedures of the Union; notes that following the adoption of the APA statute in 2009, the recognition of their has increased gradually over the years; notes the efforts made by Parliament to create a framework for providing support to APAs; calls for due adherence to the rules in place; calls on Parliament’s administration to explore the feasibility of introducing a notice period within APA's contracts in the event of the unexpected departure of an MEP, whether voluntary or involuntary.

Added65. Notes, that APAs participate in official missions to Parliament’s three places of work; notes that on 11 December 2023 the Bureau adopted amendments to the ‘Implementing Measures for Title VII of the Conditions of Employment of other Servants of the European Union’, governing the employment of APAs; notes that according to this decision the rules applicable to missions undertaken by officials and other servants of Parliament will apply to APAs mutatis mutandis; notes that when APAs have a validated mission order to travel to Strasbourg during the European Parliament plenary sessions then they can travel there in charter train; notes that in the event of chartered Eurostar trains being full, APAs are offered considerably worse and more unreliable travel options than Parliament’s other members of staff; calls on Parliament to examine the need for an additional train; reiterates that APAs accompanying Members to the part sessions in Strasbourg, require a mission order and to be reimbursed in accordance with the applicable rules;

Added66. Observes that the Bureau Decision on applicable rules on Committee missions outside of the three places of work as amended in November 2011, following discussions in the Conference of Presidents in April 2011 and in the Bureau in November 2011, currently prohibits APAs to accompany Members on official Parliament delegations and committee missions; notes that allowing APAs to participate to EP missions unofficially puts the Parliament in a serious reputational risk and imposes specific challenges with regards to their insurance coverage; reminds that MEPs are already accompanied by representatives of political groups on these missions;

Added67. Recalls, that APAs, regardless of their experience and qualifications are excluded from participating in the internal competitions of the European Parliament; invites the Bureau to explore the possibility to grant the same opportunities to APAs, on fair basis and according to set criteria by the relevant DGs, to allow for APAs, under yet to be determined conditions to participate in internal competitions on equal footing with the staff of the European Parliament; notes that APAs through years of experience attain a thorough understanding of the political and technical nuances associated with the exercise of MEPs’ mandate as well as the various legal procedures of the union; stresses that stronger involvement of APAs in the internal structures of the Parliament could lead to more inclusive, diverse and geographically balanced workforce; highlights the importance of knowledge retention and transfer within the European Parliament in relation to the internal working methods;

Added68. Notes that Members of the European Parliament are free to choose their own assistants within a budget set by Parliament; further notes that days of missions for local assistant should be limited to 10 days per annum;

Added69. Notes that the cooling off period applicable to APAs is at least twice as long as the cooling off period applicable to MEPs; invites a discussion on harmonising cooling off period for employees of the European Parliament;

Added70. Welcomes the progress made on the revision of the rules governing the employment of accredited parliamentary assistants; welcomes the positive harmonisation that the decision brings for the staff; welcomes the agreement reached on the mutual termination of contract between APAs and MEPs; welcomes the aligning of rules on mission allowances between APAs and staff; welcomes the revision of mandatory training for APAs upon taking up of duties; welcomes the revision of maternity rules for APAs in order to improve efficient use of resources by MEPs; commends the Bureau of the European Parliament for accommodating the requests of the plenary of the European Parliament and the input from APA Committee over the recent years; encourages the EP bureau to pursue this constructive work with the APA Committee on other pending issues;

Added71. In order to strengthen transparency and accountability in European parliamentary operations, and to promote fair distribution of resources, the following revisions are proposed regarding parliamentary assistance and overall ceilings and budget: 1. The minimum budget allocation for Parliamentary Assistance (APAs) shall be mandated at a minimum of 35%. 2. The maximum allocation budget for other beneficiaries shall be capped at 65% and shall be divided as follows: a. Service providers shall be limited to a maximum of 25% budget allocation. b. Local assistants shall be limited to a maximum of 25% budget allocation. c. Trainees shall be limited to a maximum of 15% budget allocation;

72. Notes that following the two editions of the Schuman Recruitment and Development Programme that were finalised in 2022, 16 % of the candidates from those placed in the pool were recruited in 2022; highlights that this action resulted in the recruitment of 50 successful candidates from 16 different Member States; remarks that of those Member States, nine of the Member States that were represented by few or very few members of staff are now more represented and are represented by 70 % of the corresponding successful candidates; highlights the creation of an alumni network of former Parliament trainees approved by the Secretary-General at the end of 2022;

73. Welcomes that DG PERS implemented the Positive Action Scheme for candidates with a disability, resulting in a significantly higher number of applications than in previous years;

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Changed58.74. Recalls the decision of the Secretary-General of November 2022 on the new rules for teleworking in Parliament applicable to the ParliamentParliament’s Secretariat; recalls that Members and political groups may also decide to apply the teleworking rules as set out in this decision; remarks that a balanced use of a hybrid working environment could beis beneficial and productive;productive and therefore welcomes the decision to maintain teleworking possibilities; recalls that physical presence is always of crucial importance for the efficient and effective interaction of all actors in every parliamentary process;

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Added75. Suggests that in order to reconcile the needs of Parliament’s administration (including team cohesion, internal communication and on-boarding of newcomers) which would positively impact its performance as well as the attractiveness of Parliament as an employer, an analysis on the new ways of working continues to be carried out; notes the introduction of the possibility for staff to telework from abroad for five days per year; notes that some of the measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic have modified working conditions in specific services; calls for a proactive monitoring and evaluation of the new ways of working so the well-being and satisfaction of staff is not negatively impact;

Added76. Notes that out of the 459 Members of the 8th parliamentary term, who were not re-elected in 2019, only a single notification of post-mandate employment was submitted to Parliament (Article 6 of the Code of Conduct); welcomes the prohibition for former Members to engage in lobbying activities during the six months after the end of their mandate and the introduction of a procedure in the event of non-compliance; applauds that it is no longer possible to issue a lobbyist badge to a former Member within the six-month period following the end of their mandate and that their former Member badge is deactivated if a lobbyist badge is issued to the former Member after this period; notes that in 2022, out of the 199 officials who left service, 65 requested permission for an activity after leaving the service (Article 16 of the Staff Regulations); calls on Parliament to establish stronger rules to regulate revolving doors for Members and civil servants;

Directorate-General for Infrastructure and Logistics

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Changed59.77. Recalls that the Directorate-General for Infrastructure and Logistics (DG INLO) manages facilities covering 1.31,3 million m2 in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg, as well as the Liaison Offices and Europa Experience facilities in the Member States; notes that DG INLO also provides catering and transport, and manages and equips Parliament’s office and meeting spaces; notes that by 31 December 2022, there were 652 staff members, of which 267 were officials, 47 temporary staff and 338 contract staff;

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Changed60.78. Notes that DG INLO’s final appropriations amounted to EUR 271 191 093 in 2022, representing 12.512,5 % of Parliament’s budget; highlights that, of that amount, a total of EUR 269 189 287 was committed; welcomes the high use of appropriations; takes note that budget items where the consumption rate was lower than 95 % were in the areas of mobility, an unsuccessful call for tender for the purchase of vehicles, and lower than expected activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in lower internal meeting expenditure;

79. Acknowledges that Parliament’s ‘Building Strategy beyond 2019’ provides a coherent framework for decisions and contributes to consolidating Parliament’s real estate portfolio while adapting facilities to the evolution of meeting patterns, going local and closer to citizens through the gradual roll-out of Europa Experience Centres, enhancing security for Parliament’s buildings, and achieving the interconnection of its central buildings; notes that the majority of the policies and actions referred to in the current Building Strategy are either completed or well under way;

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Changed62.80. Emphasises the need for an effective and results-oriented facility management of Parliament’s buildings; expresses its satisfaction with the 2022 building assessment results, as communicated to the Bureau in June 2022 in the form of building passports, where the Energy Performance Indoor Environment Quality Retrofit (EPIQR) index score was only 0.1,0,1, thus testifying to their overall excellent condition and bearing witness to effective preventive and corrective maintenance and upkeep programming by Parliament’s competent services in the framework of the Integrated Facility Management Strategy focusing on the life cycle management of Parliament’s building portfolio, adopted by the Bureau on 8 March 2021;

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Changed63.81. Welcomes DG INLO’s commitment to putting in place environmentally sustainable solutions; notes that, in 2022, Parliament generated over 19 % of its own energy from renewable sources; noteswelcomes that,the atconduction of a study on on-site electricity production in Strasbourg in 2022 and the endsubsequent and ongoing implementation of 2022,1 400 m2 of photovoltaic panels on the PFLIMLIN, DE MADARIAGA, and CHURCHILL buildings. Stresses that Parliament terminatedcould share this energy with the leasecity of theStrasbourg Schumanwhen buildingParliament’s duepremises are mostly empty; calls on the Bureau to also consider renting the factroofs’ thatsurfaces itto wasexternal notusers energyfor efficientthe installation of solar panels and wasthereby nouse longerit needed;as an additional source of income for Parliament;

82. Notes the inauguration of the East Wing of the ADENAUER building in Luxembourg on 10 May 2022, which along with the putting into service of the West Wing after the completion of its construction in 2024 will provide a single building to house all Parliament services located in Luxembourg in one place;

83. Takes note of the opening of the 15 visitor seminar rooms, a multi-purpose agora and a Sakharov Lounge in the ZWEIG building which will contribute to an enhanced visitor experience in the European Parliament in Brussels; notes the completion of the passageway connecting the ZWEIG building with the buildings of the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee;

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Changed66.84. Welcomes Parliament’s efforts to encourage staff to use sustainable means of transport for commuting by putting an increased number of traditional and electric bicycles at their disposal free of charge and by reimbursing part of the cost of public transport tickets in exchange for limiting access to the car park; welcomes the new scheme offering a 90% price reduction for the Brussels seasonal public transport tickets which has led to an 26,57%increase of staff using a seasonal ticket co-funded by the Parliament;

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Added85. Welcomes the possibility for staff to use rent standard and electric bikes during the part-time sessions in Strasbourg; welcomes the expansion of the bicycle fleet; regrets that in practice the bikes are fully booked out days in advance; calls on Parliament to examine the possibility for offering more rental bikes in Strasbourg and extending the timeframes for their pick-up to meet the demand by Members and staff and contribute to enhancing sustainable mobility;

Added86. Welcomes that the percentage of zero-emission or plug-in hybrid cars in the people transport service fleet has increased from 81% in 2021 to 97% in 2022;

87. Recognises the importance and added value of Parliament’s EMAS certification with regard to its sustainable environment and circular economy institutional approach; takes note of the water-saving and waste-management measures taken by the administration to that effect;

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Added88. Recalls the Bureau decision of 23 October 2019 to approve the creation of an IDEA Lab with the aim of testing new, innovative solutions in the context of offices and facility management; points out that the IDEA Lab is supposed to be at the disposal of Members and thus, points out that Members have not been properly and proactively informed about the innovations to be tested nor their costs; notes the high annual maintenance cost of IT solutions that are not being implemented in Parliament; calls on the Bureau working group on buildings and Parliament’s administration to ensure greater transparency regarding the functioning and budget for the IDEA Lab and to regularly present to the Committee on Budgetary Control the list of innovative solutions, their cost and the feedback produced, as well as the potential saving if implemented;

89. Takes note of the various accessibility-related projects and works implemented in all three sites of work as well as the EPLOs and the Europa Experience Centres aiming to ensure total conformity with the applicable regulatory framework in line with Parliament’s commitment to being a barrier-free institution, accessible to all;

90. Acknowledges that due to Russia’a war of aggression against Ukraine and the energy crisis, supply chain disruptions and raw material shortages forced DG INLO to review its projects and adjust its budget; remarks that due to the resulting deficit in the energy budget, DG INLO had to freeze or put on hold some projects to liberate the resources necessary to cope with the high price increase;

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Changed70.91. Takes note of the measures implemented in order to lower Parliament’s energy consumption, such as reducing maximum heating temperatures in office areas and increasing minimum cooling temperatures, switching off the heating and cooling systems during the weekend and public holidays, reducing the lighting of building facades and decreasing indoor lighting levels; acknowledges that the measures are to be reassessed as the energy crisis evolves;evolves and should always grant the wellbeing of staff;

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Changed71.92. Acknowledges that the different measures put in place by the administration following the relevant Bureau decisions of May and October 2022 resulted in a significant energy consumption reduction amounting to savings of EUR 10.510,5 million from May 2022 until October 2023;

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Changed72.93. Acknowledges that throughout 2022 DG INLO continued the implementation of Parliament’s Building Strategy Beyond 2019; notes the contribution of the purchase of the Trèves II building with regard to the implementation of this strategy and to the consolidation of Parliament’s real estate;estate, in particular with the intention of allowing the interconnectivity of Parliament’s central buildings in Brussels; requests a timetable for the interconnection between the Trèves I and Trèves II to the main central buildings in Brussels;

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Removed73. Takes note of the Bureau minutes of the additional meeting of 6 July 2022 where the Bureau took note and endorsed the results of the International Architectural Design Competition for the Renewal of the SPAAK building; notes that 5 laureates were endorsed by the Bureau; notes that no other decision was taken during 2022 on this topic and there were thus no financial consequences;

Added94. Is concerned that the tribune in the visitors’ area of the hemicycle in the SPAAK building is not accessible to people with reduced mobility; recalls that every European citizen should have equal access when visiting the EU institutions; recalls that the Union has been at the forefront of promoting inclusivity and equality for all its citizens; calls for an analysis of the needs of visitors with disabilities and for the appropriate measures to be implemented;