Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

2. MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

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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 2024, Section VI – European Economic and Social Committee

(2025/2151(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 2024, Section VI – European Economic and Social Committee,

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

Changed– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A100000/2026),(A10-0059/2026),

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 by implementing the concept of performance-based budgeting and good governance of human resources;

B. whereas the European Economic and Social Committee (the ‘Committee’) is an advisory body of the Union providing a forum for consultation, dialogue and consensus among representatives of the various economic, social and civil components of organised civil society from the Member States;

C. whereas the Committee contributes to the Union decision-making process and, by ensuring links between Union policies and economic, social and civic circumstances, pursues its missions of better law making, participatory democracy and the promotion of European values;

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ChangedD. whereas the consultation of the Committee by the Commission or the Council is mandatory in certain cases, and the Committee may also adopt opinions on its own initiative while enjoying a wide scope for referral as defined by the Single European Act, the Maastrichtset Treatyout andin the Amsterdam Treaty,Treaties, allowing it to be consulted by Parliament;

E. whereas the Committee’s Commission for Financial and Budgetary Affairs (CAF) is the Committee’s supervisory body for all budgetary procedures and, in particular, the establishment of the budget estimates, the budget implementation, the annual activity report, the discharge and the follow up to the annual report of the Court of Auditors (the ‘Court’);

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ChangedF. whereas in the last years the Committee has consistently taken initiatives to attract and retrainretain skilled staff, optimise its organisational structure and working methods and promote a respectful working environment, in the context of a limited budget;

G. whereas in 2024 the Committee appointed a new Secretary-General whose mandate is to make the Committee more efficient, impactful and relevant;

H. whereas the Committee started a transformation process in 2024 with the objective of being an impact-driven organisation empowering its members to amplify and protect the voice of organised civil society;

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AddedI. Whereas, pursuant to Articles 300 and 304 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the European Economic and Social Committee is a consultative body whose mandate is primarily to issuing opinions;

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1. Notes that the budget of the Committee falls under MFF heading 7 ‘European public administration’, which amounted to a total of EUR 13,3 billion, i.e. 6,9 % of Union budget spending, in 2024; notes that, in 2024, the budget of the Committee represented 1,50 % of MFF heading 7 appropriations, up from 1,29 % in 2023;

2. Notes that the Court of Auditors (the ‘Court’), in its Annual Report for the financial year 2024 (the ‘Court’s report’), examined a sample of 70 transactions under the heading ‘Administration’, the same number as in 2023; whereas the Court further states that administrative expenditure comprises expenditure on human resources, including expenditure on pensions, which in 2024 accounted for approximately 69 % of the total administrative expenditure, and expenditure on buildings, equipment, energy, communications and information technology (IT), and that its work over many years indicates that, overall, such spending is low risk;

3. Notes that 16 (23 %) of the 70 transactions contained errors but that the Court, based on the three errors which were quantified, estimates the level of error to be below the materiality threshold; notes that the Court’s report did not identify any specific issues concerning the Committee;

Budgetary and financial management

4. Notes that the final adopted budget for the Committee was EUR 164 945 524 in 2024, representing an overall increase of 3,90 % compared to 2023; notes from the Committee’s replies to the questionnaire submitted by the Committee on Budgetary Control for the 2024 budgetary discharge (the ‘Questionnaire’) that two budget lines of the Committee , namely 1200 (staff remuneration and allowances) and 1004 (Members’ travel and subsistence allowances), make up most of Committee budget, i.e. 65,80 % in 2024, up from 65,58 % in 2023;

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Removed5. Commends the Committee for the fact that its budget implementation of current year commitment appropriations increased further from 98,70 % in 2023 to 99,21 % in 2024, thanks to the successful monitoring of its budget implementation, but also due to a high inflation rate impacting staff salaries and building costs; notes, in that context, the Committee’s reallocation efforts through budgetary transfers totalling EUR 2 487 139 (representing 1,51 % of its 2024 budget) across various budget lines, with the most significant increases relating to the operation and maintenance of software systems (+ EUR 519 682) and buildings (+ EUR 421 880); notes further with satisfaction that the current year payment appropriations execution rate increased from 88,12 % in 2022 and 90,67 % in 2023 to 92,85 % in 2024 and the average payment time decreased from 20,14 days in 2023 to 16,06 days in 2024, which is the Committee’s best performance since 2021;

Added5. Notes the Committee’s shift from a spending-oriented approach towards resource management and prioritisation, as reflected in the Strategic Financial Package endorsed by the Committee’s Bureau and the introduction of prioritisation exercises; observes that those measures aim to improve financial governance and align budgetary decisions with strategic objectives; notes efforts to reduce administrative burden and streamline processes in pursuit of cost-effectiveness; calls on the Committee to further consolidate this approach by integrating performance indicators and foresight planning into its annual financial cycle;

Removed6. Notes that the carry-over of appropriations from 2023 to 2024 amounted to EUR 13 827 713 or 8,38 % of the Committee’s budget for 2024, which represents a decrease from the previous year’s level of EUR 15 466 316 (i.e. 9,74 % of the Committee’s budget for 2023); notes further that the rate of implementation of the appropriations carried over from 2023 to 2024 was 84,74 % in 2024, lower than in 2023 (i.e. 86,76 %);

Added6. Commends the Committee on its high level of budget implementation of current year commitment appropriations which increased from 98,70 % in 2023 to 99,21 % in 2024, thanks to the successful monitoring of its budget implementation, but also due to a high inflation rate impacting staff salaries and building costs; notes, in that context, the Committee’s reallocation efforts through budgetary transfers totalling EUR 2 487 139 (representing 1,51 % of its 2024 budget) across various budget lines, with the most significant increases relating to the operation and maintenance of software systems (+ EUR 519 682) and buildings (+ EUR 421 880); notes further with satisfaction that the current year payment appropriations execution rate increased from 88,12 % in 2022 and 90,67 % in 2023 to 92,85 % in 2024 and the average payment time decreased from 20,14 days in 2023 to 16,06 days in 2024, which is the Committee’s best performance since 2021; encourages the continuation of efficient monitoring, cost containment, and strategic reallocation to ensure value for money and transparency;

Removed7. Notes that on 21 September 2024, the Council adopted a new decision on the granting of daily allowances to and the reimbursement of travel expenses of Committee members and their alternates, whereby the daily allowance for beneficiaries attending in-person meetings is set at EUR 367 (up from EUR 290) and the daily allowance for beneficiaries attending meetings remotely by electronic means is set EUR 149 (up from EUR 145); notes from the Questionnaire that in 2024 the Committee reimbursed for remote participation EUR 259 669 (EUR 294 930 in 2023), the equivalent of 1 744 meeting days (2 006 meeting days in 2023), while the total amount of flat-rate allowances paid for participation in meetings in person was EUR 6 579 196 in 2024 (up from EUR 5 902 963 in 2023); notes further that the Committee has a system in place to confirm the actual attendance of remote participation in meetings through electronic means; considers that, although remote attendance is an important instrument for modern institutions - reducing meeting costs and enabling broader participation - the allocation of an allowance for participating remotely in meetings, even if reduced and limited to certain types of events, is difficult for the public to understand;

Added7. Notes that the carry-over of appropriations from 2023 to 2024 amounted to EUR 13 827 713 or 8,38 % of the Committee’s budget for 2024, which represents a decrease from the previous year’s level of EUR 15 466 316 (i.e. 9,74 % of the Committee’s budget for 2023); notes further that the rate of implementation of the appropriations carried over from 2023 to 2024 was 84,74 % in 2024, lower than 86,76 % in 2023;

Added8. Notes that on 21 September 2024, the Council adopted a new decision on the granting of daily allowances to and the reimbursement of travel expenses of Committee members and their alternates, whereby the daily allowance for beneficiaries attending in-person meetings is set at EUR 367 (up from EUR 290) and the daily allowance for beneficiaries attending meetings remotely by electronic means is set EUR 149 (up from EUR 145); notes from the Questionnaire that in 2024 the Committee reimbursed EUR 259 669 (EUR 294 930 in 2023) for remote participation, the equivalent of 1 744 meeting days (2 006 meeting days in 2023), while the total amount of flat-rate allowances paid for in-person participation in meetings was EUR 6 579 196 in 2024 (up from EUR 5 902 963 in 2023); calls on the Committee to strengthen transparency and proportionality of the system on the remote participation allowance in order to reinforce the public trust and stresses that financial compensation for remote attendance must be strictly justified; notes further that the Committee has a system in place to confirm the actual attendance of remote participation in meetings through electronic means; considers that remote attendance is an important instrument and a valuable tool for modern institutions - reducing meeting costs and enabling broader participation - such as allowance for participating remotely in meetingsI; welcomes the Committee’s approach to allocating allowances for remote participation in a fair and proportionate manner, reflecting members’ responsibilities and preparations requirement; recalls that members of the Committee do not receive a salary for their mandate;

9. Notes that the Committee’s own services carried out 10 negotiated procedures with value between EUR 15 000 and EUR 60 000 and one procedure with a single tender for a value in that same bracket, mostly for studies; notes that the Committee also launched six procurement procedures (for framework contracts) with the joint services shared with the European Committee of the Regions (the ‘CoR’) covering catering, logistics and maintenance, among other;

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Changed9.10. Notes from the Questionnaire that the impact of Russia’s war of aggression continued putting pressure on the Committee’s budget in 2024, due to inflation and energy market volatility that created higher operating costs; notes, over the period 2021-2024, an estimated increase of + 16,53 % in costs with Committee’s rents and + 15 % in costs with maintenance and security service contracts; notes moreover from the Questionnaire that the Committee’s lease payment has increased by 4,7 % in 2024, which is above the Commission’s 2 % cap for non-salary-related expenses; notes further that the energy costs for the Committee decreased from EUR 1 923 391 in 2023 to EUR 711 608 in 2024; commends in this context the Committee for its efforts to make its operations more cost effective, including through intensified energy-saving efforts; acknowledges the need of all Union institutionsinstitutions, bodies, offices and agencies to improve their budget management by also taking into account price volatility, especially in the energy sector, when concluding contracts with service providers;

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Removed10. Notes from the Questionnaire that Committee’s staff carried out 415 missions (300 in 2023) for a total amount of EUR 448 655 in 2024 which represents a 25 % increase compared to 2023, due to an increase in the number of missions and the actual costs of flights and hotel accommodation; notes the Committee’s estimation to have saved approx. EUR 40 000 on mission costs in 2024 when applying a notional inflation rate of 21 % over the period 2020-2023 to the amount paid for missions by the Committee in 2019 (i.e. EUR 402 097), pre-COVID; appreciates the Committee’s policy to keep annual mission expenditure to a strict minimum; notes that the Committee’s President carried out missions totalling 88 days in 2024 (up from 69 days in 2023) for a total cost of approx. EUR 113 000 (up from approx. EUR 72 000 in 2023), whereas such missions were necessary for the President’s participation in international forums, Union-level initiatives and other events that required the Committee’s active participation;

Added11. Calls on the Committee’s administration to actively identify and implement cost-saving measures, including through the increased use of hybrid meeting technologies, the optimisation of building usage, the consolidation of parliamentary activities and the reduction of unnecessary logistical expenses; requests regular progress reports on the measures implemented and savings achieved;

Removed11. Notes from the Questionnaire that the Joint Directorate for Innovation and Information Technology (DIIT) of the Committee and the CoR allocates some 4 % of its IT budget to cybersecurity (up from 3 % in 2023) which is still far from the 10 % target foreseen in the relevant legislation; reiterates its call to the co-legislators and the Commission to take this into account in the framework of the annual budgetary procedure; acknowledges the need of the Committee to deploy a cybersecurity upgrade for both committees for a total amount of approx. EUR 1,2 million, which would bring cybersecurity spending to 10 % of the Committee’s total IT budget;

Added12. Notes from the Questionnaire that Committee’s staff carried out 415 missions (300 in 2023) for a total amount of EUR 448 655 in 2024 which represents a 25 % increase compared to 2023, due to an increase in the number of missions and the actual costs of flights and hotel accommodation; notes the Committee’s estimation to have saved approximately EUR 40 000 on mission costs in 2024 when applying a notional inflation rate of 21 % over the period 2020-2023 to the amount paid for missions by the Committee in 2019 (i.e. EUR 402 097), pre-COVID; appreciates the Committee’s policy of keeping annual mission expenditure to a strict minimum; notes that the Committee’s President carried out missions totalling 88 days in 2024 (up from 69 days in 2023) with a total cost of approximately EUR 113 000 (up from approximately EUR 72 000 in 2023), whereas such missions were necessary to allow for the Committee President’s participation in international forums, Union-level initiatives and other events that required the Committee’s active participation;

Added13. Notes from the Questionnaire that the Joint Directorate for Innovation and Information Technology (DIIT) of the Committee and the CoR allocates some 4 % of its IT budget to cybersecurity (up from 3 % in 2023) which is still far from the 10 % target foreseen in the relevant legislation; reiterates its call to the co-legislators and the Commission to take this into account in the framework of the annual budgetary procedure; acknowledges the need of the Committee to deploy a cybersecurity upgrade for both committees for a total amount of approximately EUR 1,2 million, which would bring cybersecurity spending to 10 % of the Committee’s total IT budget;

Internal management, performance and internal control

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Changed12.14. Acknowledges that the Committee plays a fundamental role in contributing to the Union’s policy development and decision-making processes by representing the voices of all areas of organised civil society within the Union, thus bringing EuropeUnion closer to its citizens and increasing the democratic legitimacy of Union legislation; Recallsrecalls that as part of its annual work programme, the Committee has a performance monitoring system with indicators in various areas, such as IT, HR, translation and communication structured around five core values and five key strategic objectives, in the framework of the general secretariat’s strategy for 2021-2025; considers, however, that the added value of its activities for Union citizens remains largely under-reported; notes with satisfaction from the Committee’s follow-up to observations in Parliament’s 2023 discharge resolution (the ‘Follow-up report’) and the Questionnaire that, following an audit, the Committee launched a structured process to improve its performance monitoring by aligning its performance framework with strategic objectives through key performance indicators and impact indicators to be aligned with the Committee’s future strategic goals,goals; welcomes the Committee’s efforts to integrate impact measurement into its decision-making and calls for clear quantifiable key performance indicators and regular reporting to ensure measurable results and accountability; invites the Committee to further strengthen its impact assessment framework by better demonstrating how its opinions and initiatives translate into concrete policy outcomes and tangible benefits for citizens, whereas the Committee’s senior management will play a key role in the use of those indicators; expects to be informed of the outcome of the implementation of this new framework by means of Committee’s future reporting to the discharge authority;

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Changed13.15. Notes that the Committee pursues its mission through opinions, which refer to legislative proposals made by the Commission (referrals), own-initiative opinions, which call on the Union institutions to take action, and exploratory opinions, which feed into the Commission’s work on its planned initiatives, and that the Committee’s positions can be highlighted in resolutions or included in evaluation and information reports; commends the Committee for its performance in assisting Parliament, the Council and the Commission in the legislative cycle in 2024; notes in this context that, in 2024, the Committee adopted 142 opinions and reports, a decrease from 213 in 2023 and organised 148 hearings and 26 conferences, compared to 146 and 24 respectively in 2023, respectively; acknowledges that the renewal of the legislature in 2024 led to a reduced number of referrals and, consequently, of the number of opinions adopted by the Committee that year; notes that Committee members participated in 518 high-level meetings, summits and conferences in 2024 compared to 429 in 2023; encourages the prioritisation of initiatives that support economic growth, competitiveness, and Union strategic autonomy;

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Added16. Encourages the Committee to continue its efforts to focus its work on areas where it can deliver clear, measurable and policy-relevant contributions, and to further develop performance and impact-based indicators that go beyond activity-based outputs and better reflect outcomes and relevance for citizens;

17. Welcomes from the Follow-up report the Committee’s commitment to formulate opinions on labour rights, social inclusion, and human rights violations, and to expand the scope of its evaluations with regard to Union legislation and programmes, provided adequate resources are available;

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Changed15.18. Appreciates the Committee’s actions taken by the Committee’s actions in 2024 to improve the visibility and impact of its work in the political and legislative cycle; welcomes the official launch, following a pilot project, of a new format of opinions drawn up in response to mandatory referrals from Parliament, the Council or the Commission Parliament;Commission; notes that the new format enhances user-friendliness and usability by the legislator, while also improving the prioritisation of Committee’s work; notes further that, thanks to reinforced follow-up on selected opinions by means of a checklist and guidance, the Committee expects that they will remain relevant beyond their adoption and feed into multi-layer legislative processes; welcomes further the integration of the Committee’s opinions into the Union’sEU Law Tracker (EULT) as of April 2024, whereby they now appear as references in legislative files; notes with appreciation that the Committee also adopted an internal plan to better anticipate Union’s priorities, improve interinstitutional coordination, strengthen dissemination and follow-up, and measure impact more systematically;

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Removed16. Notes with appreciation that the Committee advanced several flagship initiatives that strengthened participation, inclusion and policy impact across the Union; notes that the Committee took the lead as of September 2024 in applying the EU Youth Test in its opinion-making process, involving a network of 73 youth organisations and youth-testing around 40 opinions; notes further that the Committee expanded its engagement with candidate countries through the Enlargement Candidate Member initiative, enabling 146 civil society representatives to contribute directly to the Committee’s opinions, through participation in study groups, section meetings and plenary (held in October 2024); commends the Committee for advancing its EU Blue Deal, helping place water resilience on the Union’s agenda; underlines that the Committee continued to lead the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform, and co-organised the EU Organic Awards in 2024, reinforcing links with civil society actors in organic farming;

Added19. Appreciates the Committee’s actions taken in 2024 to improve the accessibility, clarity and usability of its opinions for the Union institutions; underlines that such actions are intended to enhance the capacity of legislators to take informed decisions;

Removed17. Notes with satisfaction from the Questionnaire the Committee’s actions to reduce administrative burden and streamline processes in 2024; welcomes in this sense the launch of a new, more efficient visitor registration programme, the use of collaborative software by some of its staff, the cross-directorate working group that governs the use of Committee’s business process management methodology, the simplification of the verification circuit with regard to outsourced translations, the merging of several language units, and the simplification of Committee’s communication rules, among other; notes with interest, that in order to save resources, the Committee is undertaking a pilot phase using artificial intelligence (AI) to transform the Directorate for Translation; invites the Committee to keep the discharge authority informed of the progress in this matter;

Added20. Notes with appreciation that the Committee advanced several flagship initiatives that strengthened participation, inclusion and policy impact across the Union; notes that the Committee took the lead as of September 2024 in applying the EU Youth Test in its opinion-making process, involving a network of 73 youth organisations and youth-testing around 40 opinions; welcomes and supports the Committee’s initiatives to strengthen the participation of young people in the policy-making process; notes that the Committee expanded its engagement, with an inclusive dialogue initiative with candidate countries for future enlargement preparation, through the Enlargement Candidate Member initiative, enabling 146 civil society representatives to contribute directly to the Committee’s opinions, through participation in study groups, section meetings and plenary (held in October 2024); commends the Committee for advancing its EU Blue Deal, helping place water resilience on the Union’s agenda; underlines that the Committee continued to lead the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform, and co-organised the EU Organic Awards in 2024, reinforcing links with civil society actors in organic farming; encourages the Committee to extend the scope of the opinions to encompass further public goods related to Union legislation, and measurable outcomes;

Removed18. Notes with interest from the Questionnaire the Committee’s efforts to adopt a more strategic approach to prioritising its impact-related work and introduce impact management at the centre of decision-making; notes, in this context, the organisation of three high-level strategic seminars with political leadership in 2024 and 2025, during which foresight exercises were a the core of developing criteria for prioritising or de-prioritising initiatives and for ensuring thematic alignment with the long-term needs of civil society, among other objectives; notes that this prioritisation exercise will be integrated into the Committee’s core activities, as it will be conducted annually and complemented, every 2,5 years, by a review of all the Committee’s bodies, activities, and major events;

Added21. Invites the Committee to enhance the development of a comprehensive digital transformation strategy, covering artificial intelligence (AI), bearing in mind the need to ensure the human oversight of the use of AI. The strategy should also cover automation, interoperability and data governance, while accompanied by a robust framework ensuring safe, ethical, responsible and transparent use of emerging technologies;

Removed19. Notes with regard to the 2024 compliance exercise a high level of compliance with an average rate of 85 (87 % in 2023); regrets that the effectiveness of the internal control system dropped from 78 % to 66 %; notes in this context a gap between formal compliance and practical effectiveness in daily operations; notes that efforts need to be made with regard to internal communication, risk awareness engagement and modernisation of document and information management systems, among other; notes further that in 2024 the Committee adopted a revised decision, for the simplification of 23 types of verifications, applicable as of January 2025; welcomes from the Questionnaire the fact that the ex-post controls already carried with regard to these verifications confirmed that the simplification did not introduce additional risks;

Added22. Notes with interest from the Questionnaire the Committee’s efforts to adopt a more strategic approach to prioritising its impact-related work and introduce impact management at the centre of decision-making; notes, in this context, the organisation of three high-level strategic seminars with political leadership in 2024 and 2025, during which foresight exercises were the core of developing criteria for prioritising or de-prioritising initiatives and for ensuring thematic alignment with the long-term needs of civil society, among other objectives; notes that this prioritisation exercise will be integrated into the Committee’s core activities, as it will be conducted annually and complemented, every 2,5 years, by a review of all the Committee’s bodies, activities, and major events;

Removed20. Notes Committee’s annual activity report for 2024 (the ‘Committee’s report’) that five new audits were carried out in 2024 on duration and distance allowance, risk management, referrals, key activity and performance indicators and travel expenses – which led to a total of 14 recommendations; notes in particular the internal auditor’s findings with regard to duration and distance allowances, such as a lack of clear definition of “usual place of residence” and missing requirements for supporting documentation; notes further that 13 of the recommendations remained open at the end of January 2025; notes further that seven recommendations are still open from previous audits, in particular on ethics and integrity, payment times, meeting authorisations, Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI) delegates and strategic cycle; welcomes in that context the fact that the Committee has adopted new rules on meeting authorisations, allowances and reimbursements; invites the Committee to continue keeping the discharge authority informed of the progress made in the implementation of all ongoing recommendations;

Added23. Notes with regard to the 2024 compliance exercise a high level of compliance with an average rate of 85 % (87 % in 2023); regrets that the effectiveness of the internal control system dropped from 78 % in 2023 to 66 % in 2024; notes in that context a gap between formal compliance and practical effectiveness in daily operations; calls on the Committee to address the structural causes of the decline in internal control effectiveness, notably by strengthening risk-awareness culture, improving internal communication channels, and accelerating the modernisation of document and information management systems, among other; notes further that in 2024 the Committee adopted a revised decision, for the simplification of 23 types of verifications, applicable as of January 2025; welcomes the fact that the ex-post controls already carried with regard to those verifications confirmed that the simplification did not introduce additional risks;

Added24. Notes from Committee’s annual activity report for 2024 (the ‘Committee’s report’) that five new audits were carried out in 2024 on duration and distance allowance, risk management, referrals, key activity and performance indicators and travel expenses – which led to a total of 14 recommendations; notes in particular the internal auditor’s findings with regard to duration and distance allowances, such as a lack of clear definition of “usual place of residence” and missing requirements for supporting documentation; notes further that 13 of the recommendations remained open at the end of January 2025; notes further that seven recommendations are still open from previous audits, in particular on ethics and integrity, payment times, meeting authorisations, Consultative Commission on Industrial Change delegates and strategic cycle; welcomes in that context the fact that the Committee has adopted new rules on meeting authorisations, allowances and reimbursements; invites the Committee to ensure the rapid closure of all outstanding audit recommendations, particularly those related to allowances, ethics and integrity, and to continue keeping the discharge authority informed of the progress made in the implementation of all ongoing recommendations;

Human resources, equality and staff well-being

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Changed21.25. Notes that, at the end of 2024, the Committee was employing 713 staff, compared to 707 in 2023; notes further that 48 contract agents and 144 temporary agents (of which 42 were recruited in 2024) were employed in 2024 (compared to 49 contract agents and 130 temporary agents in 2023); stresses the importance of providing permanent contracts in order to maintain skills, continuity and productive and stable working environment;environment, and warns against an excessive reliance on external service providers; notes, in addition, that the Committee was employing 10 service providers and 14 external staff working intra-muros, excluding those in the fields of catering, maintenance, security and safety; takes note that the occupation rate was 96 % (95,50 % in 2023) and that staff turnover rate was 5,60 % in 2024 (down from 7 % in 2023);

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Changed22.26. Commends the Committee for being a net importer of talent from other institutions in 2024 for the third consecutive year in 2024,year, as a result of implementing its recruitment and retention action plan, whereas 42 % of recruitments in 2024 were linked to interinstitutional transfers; notes further from the Follow-up report an increase of 11,60 % in the number of applications received by the Committee for permanent posts byand 11,60of %41 and% for temporary and contract agents’ positions by 41 %;positions; welcomes the fact that the Committee launched an internal competition, open to temporary and contract staff, with a reserve list expected by end of 2025; underlines that internal competitions are important for retaining talent and expertise, and stabilising Committee’s human resources in general; notes with satisfaction the participation of the Committee in career events and fairs (including virtual ones) and Open Days; notes that in 2024 the Committee organised a virtual career fair dedicated to specific job profiles and career opportunities, which attracted 270 participants, whereas 19 of them also applied for the first vacancy notice open at the time of the event;

27. Welcomes the ongoing efforts of the Committee to improve its HR framework with a view to becoming an attractive employer and a fully inclusive workplace, where every individual is valued and can fully develop their potential; notes that the Committee analysed the results of the 2023 staff engagement survey, identified various concerns and ultimately initiated targeted follow-up actions which were taken throughout 2024; notes among such actions the implementation of the new decision on working conditions (hybrid work, overtime, special leave), the revision of appraisal and promotions rules, the adoption of a new policy on mobility and management of sensitive posts, the implementation of the new Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan adopted at the end of 2023, the revision of the absence management policy to be adopted in 2025 and work (ongoing) on the Committee’s new skills strategy, among other; welcomes the further improvement in the staff engagement score, as shown in the Committee’s latest survey, rising from 70,5 % in 2023 to 75 % in 2025;

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Changed24.28. Notes that, in 2024, the Committee was employing staff representing all EUUnion nationalities, with some of them being overrepresented; notes with satisfaction that 62,70 % of the staff were women and 37,30 % were men; notes from the Follow-up report that women hold 52 % of the management positions making the Committee a frontrunner in that regard; reiterates its welcoming of the appointment of a female Secretary-General in January 2024 as a positive step towards achieving gender balance; acknowledges recent progress in embedding gender equality and diversity as strategic priorities to foster an inclusive and respectful workplace culture; welcomes the implementation of a diversity and inclusion strategy and action plan, targeted mentoring and leadership development programmes for women and underrepresented groups; regrets however that the percentage of women in senior management remained low in 2024, with only two out of seven senior management positions currently being held by women, the same as in 2023; acknowledges that the low turnover rate inherent to the Committee’s size is one of the reasons for the low share of women in those positions; welcomes the Committee’s commitment to raise awareness on this issue among appointing authorities, to promote gender-balanced appointmentsappointments, and to engage in targeted actions through the Women’s Forum and the Management Forum which support leadership development and career progression for women in middle management;

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Changed25.29. Recalls the Committee’s initiative to introduce a new approach to strategic workforce planning and staff allocation, leveraging data collection on staff skills, active listening across the organisation, and reflections on strategic priorities by the Committee’s political bodies; notes from the Follow-up report that this new type of planning will be kicked off through a pilot project in a limited number of services selected based on strategic priorities; invites the Committee to keep the discharge authority informed of progress and subsequent developments; stresses the importance of strategic workforce planning to optimize resource allocation and ensure alignment with high-level priorities;

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Changed26.30. Welcomes the Committee’s efforts to create a healthy work environment for its staff; commends particularly the attention paid by the Committee to the mental and physical health of staff, and the efforts made on awareness-raising for health-related issues; notes the Committee’s measures on sick-leave management, such as medical part-time and extended remote working, to ensure that staff on long-term sickness relatedsickness-related absence return to work timely; notes a decrease by 7,50 % in the total number of registered sick leave days from 10 552 days in 2023 to 9 763 in 2024, as well as a decrease in the absence rate from 4,08 % in 2023 to 3,75 % in 20232024 (the lowest since 2021); regrets that the Committee is once again unable to provide data on cases of burnout; notes among the Committee’s arguments the lack of obligation for staff to share medical data upfront, that burnout is not a recognised medical diagnosis and the reasons for burnout may not be work related, as well as medical secrecy; notes that the Committee collects anonymised statistical data on casessick ofleaves related to mental health, but available data do not allow toa differentiatedifferentiation between work-related burnout and other issues that are non-work related; underlines nevertheless that burnout can also be measured without medical data, whereas there are work-related burnout assessment tools that can be used and European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) supports anonymous questionnaires to measure work-related stress and burnout factors separately from non-work-related mental-health issues; urges the Committee to also consult the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) regarding the collection of burnout data by means of medical or non-medical tools, and keep the discharge authority updated of the follow-up;

31. Notes from the Questionnaire that, in 2024, the Committee and the CoR launched the SPaCES project to modernise and optimise their workspaces through a fully participatory and transparent process involving staff representatives and social partners; underlines that the project constitutes a long-term transformation aimed at improving efficiency, collaboration, and flexibility across both institutions, in line with hybrid working; notes that the SPaCES project is being implemented through a fully participatory approach, ensuring staff involvement and representation at every stage; observes that the first phase -supported by an external contractor and due for completion in summer 2025 includes workshops with management and all services of both Committees, as well as a detailed activity-based working analysis to identify future workspace needs; welcomes the fact that a dedicated governance structure, project team and contact-point network has been established to guide the process, ensure transparency, and represent all relevant interests;