Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

2. MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

▸5 unchanged paragraphs

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 VII – Committee of the Regions

(2025/2152(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 VII – Committee of the Regions,

– 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),(A10-0056/2026),

Change 2

ChangedA. whereas in the context of the discharge procedure, the discharge authority wishesauthority, towhile stressstressing the particular importance of further strengthening the democratic legitimacy of the Union institutionsinstitutions, bynot only assesses the legality and regularity of expenditure but also evaluates Union spending on improving transparency and accountability,accountability and implementing the concept of performance-based budgeting and good governance of human resources;resources, for measurable results for citizens, particularly at local and regional level;

Change 3

ChangedB. whereas the Committee of the Regions (the ‘Committee’) is a political assembly of 329 members (and 329 alternates) elected in the regions, cities, villages and municipalities of the 27 Member States of the Union,Union that plays a key institutional role in relation to the Union's cohesion policy by representing regional and local authorities, operating as a consultative body for the Union institutions, with the mission of contributing to the Union policy shaping and decision making process from the point of view of the local and regional authorities,authorities and at the same time contributing to makemaking the Union more effective and closer to theits citizens;

C. whereas the consultation of the Committee by the Commission or the Council is mandatory in certain cases, while the Committee may also adopt opinions on its own initiative and enjoys a wide area for referral, as set out in the Treaties, allowing it to be consulted by Parliament;

D. whereas the Committee’s activities are defined on the basis of its overall political strategy as set out in its resolution of 2 July 2020 on its priorities for 2020-2025, and whereas the Committee adopted three political priorities for the 2020-2025 mandate, accompanied by three communication campaigns: Bringing Europe closer to people, Building resilient regional and local communities, and Promoting cohesion as a fundamental value of the EU;

Change 4

ChangedE. whereas the local and regional administrations account for one third of public spending, half of public investment and one fourth of tax revenues and, in many Member States, hold competencies in key areas such as education, economic development and cohesion, environment, social protection, health and services of general interest, hence the coordination of local, regional, national and EuropeanUnion levels increases the legitimacy of the legislation, improves ownership and pursues more effectively the benefit of citizens;citizens, and contributes to the monitoring and implementation of Union spending with a territorial impact while ensuring that nobody is left behind;

F. whereas the Committee pursues its political goal to strengthen its involvement in the entire Union political and legislative cycle while making more tangible the connection with Union citizens using the Committee’s members as powerful multipliers in their communities and in their national associations of local and regional authorities;

Change 5

ChangedG. whereas the Committee identified nine key priority areas to make its action more strategic and impactful in 2024: (1) Enlargement of the Union and support to Ukraine; (2) Democracy and better regulation; (3) Resilience; (4) Green Deal going local; (5) Competitiveness, industry, SMEs, regulatory relief & business taxation; (6) Optimising delivery and communication of Union cohesion policy; (7) Facing the triple planetary crises; (8) Employment, equality and social policies; (9) Promotion of Union support to regional innovation ecosystems;

Change 6

ChangedH. whereas Regulation (EU) 2021/1060,2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council, governing Union cohesion policy and funding between 2021 and 2027, that entered into force in July 2021, encompasses references to the partnership and multilevel governance principle, supported by the Committee and Parliament and entailing the involvement of regions of the Union;Union and their local and regional authorities;

Change 7

ChangedI. whereas the over 400 national and regional programmes in place for the delivery of Union cohesion policy in the 2021-2027 programming period have made available around EUR 380 billion, under different funds, to tackle the economic, social and environmental challenges that Union regionsregions, cities, villages and citiesmunicipalities are facing;

Change 8

ChangedJ. whereas, on 19 February 2021, Regulation (EU) 2021/241,2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council, establishing the Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, entered into force, providing the legal basis for distributing funds and loans of up to EUR 672,5 billion (in 2018 prices) to the Member States between 2021 and 2026 and also aiming to support economic, social and territorial cohesion and to address disparities between the regions of the Union;

K. whereas, as a Union institution within the meaning of the Financial Regulation, the Committee is required to adopt its own annual accounts, prepared in accordance with the accounting rules adopted by the Commission’s accounting officer (European Union Accounting Rules) and based on the International Public Sector Accounting Standards, which are ultimately consolidated into those of the Union;

1. Notes that the budget of the Committee falls under Multiannual Financial Framework (‘MFF’) Heading 7 ‘European public administration’ (‘Heading 7’), which amounted to a total of EUR 13,3 billion, i.e. 6,9 % of Union budget spending, in 2024; notes that the budget of the Committee represented 0,92 % of MFF Heading 7 appropriations in 2024;

Change 9

Changed2. Notes that the Court of Auditors (the ‘Court’), in its Annualannual Reportreport 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, thisadministrative 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;

Change 10

Added4. Notes that cohesion policy contributes significantly to citizens’ trust in the Union by delivering concrete and visible results through regional and local projects, thereby reinforcing the legitimacy of Union action on the ground; underlines that in this context the Committee plays a key role in bringing Union citizens closer to Union decision-making;

Budgetary and financial management

Change 11

Changed4.5. Notes from the Committee’s annual activity report for 2024 (the ‘Annual report’) that the final adopted budget of the Committee was EUR 123 178 345 in 2024, including the Amending Budget 5/2024 (salary related), representing an increase of EUR 6 502 953 (i.e. + 5,60 %) compared to 2023; notes with satisfaction that the rate of the Committee’s budget implementation of current year commitment appropriations was 99,9 % in 2024 (the same as in 2023), and the current year payment appropriations execution rate increased from 91,20 % in 2023 to 91,90 % in 2024; welcomes further an increase in the execution rate of C8 appropriations (carried over from 2023 to 2024) from 85 % in 2023 to 92,20 % in 2024, whereas the appropriations carried over from 2023 to 2024 were EUR 12 578 853 compared to EUR 10 540 464 in the previous year; commends the Committee for its consistently high budget implementation rate over the years due to optimisation in budget planning and execution,execution in light of persistent budgetary pressures; acknowledges, in this context, the Committee’s structural underfinancing -underfinancing, particularly in light of its role as an innovative frontrunner and testing ground for practices that could benefit the wider Union’sUnion Administration,administration, and recognises its need for additional resources to effectively achieve its objectives;objectives, while respecting budgetary discipline;

Change 12

Removed5. Notes that the implementation rate of C1 appropriations of budgetary item 1000 ‘Office expenses of Members’ decreased from 76,20 % in 2023 to only 13,90 % in 2024; notes the Committee’s explanation whereby allowances for office expenses for 2024 were executed at the beginning of 2025 with C8 appropriations; notes that the Committee has addressed the low implementation rate in 2023 of C8 appropriations of budgetary item 2007 (‘Fitting-out of premises’) by avoiding initiation of large building projects at the end of year and by making intermediate payments for long-term project to prevent late invoices; notes however a decrease in the execution rate of that item’s C1 appropriations from 99,20 % in 2023 to 51,90 % in 2024 due to the timing of renovation of some of the Committee’s elevators;

Added6. Underlines that the Committee’s high budgetary execution rates and low error levels demonstrate that decentralised implementation, close to regional and local authorities, can ensure both sound financial management and tangible results for citizens, while recognising the need for additional resources; calls on the Commission to fully involve the Committee, within its institutional mandate, in the monitoring and evaluation of Union spending, including in decisions that concern the post-2027 Union budget, in order to strengthen further the accountability, transparency and performance of cohesion projects that aim to reduce economic, social and territorial disparities;

Added7. Notes that the implementation rate of C1 appropriations of budgetary item 1 0 0 0 ‘Office expenses of Members’ decreased from 76,20 % in 2023 to only 13,90 % in 2024; notes the Committee’s explanation whereby allowances for office expenses for 2024 were executed at the beginning of 2025 with C8 appropriations; notes that the Committee has addressed the low implementation rate in 2023 of C8 appropriations of budgetary item 2 0 0 7 ‘Fitting-out of premises’ by avoiding initiation of large building projects at the end of year and by making intermediate payments for long-term project to prevent late invoices; notes however a decrease in the execution rate of that item’s C1 appropriations from 99,20 % in 2023 to 51,90 % in 2024 due to the timing of renovation of some of the Committee’s elevators;

8. Notes from the Annual report that in the course of 2024, the Committee implemented 42 transfers for a total of EUR 2,7 million, of which 37 internal transfers for a total of EUR 1,1 million and five external transfers for a total of EUR 1,6 million, of which approximately EUR 1 million transferred to budget lines covering or reinforcing items such as annual lease payments, organisation of an internal competition, IT expenditure and the fitting-out of premises for a media space for the use by both the Committee and the European Economic and Social Committee (‘EESC’);

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Changed7.9. Notes in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, that the Committee continued to be affected in 2024 by rising costs of energy, transportation, accommodation and by indexation mechanisms linked to inflation rate, which have had an impact directly or indirectly, on expenditure for raw materials, external contractors, energy, travel, rents, lease and maintenance of buildings, among other; notes that from 2022 to 2025, the cumulative costs increase linked to indexation was +21,50 % for rent and building lease payments and +15 % for maintenance and security contracts, and from 2022 to 2024 the average cost for a Member traveling to and from Brussels increased from EUR 1 200 to EUR 1 620; notes in this context an increase in the number of Committee’s budgetary transfers from 31 in 2023 to 42 in 2024, in part to cover contracts impacted by high inflation and indexation; commends the common actions of the Committee and the EESC to secure better dealsinterinstitutional collaborations through digitalisation and joint procurement efforts; welcomes the Committee’s renewed energy saving-measures in 2024 which are key in mitigating effects of rising costs of energy; acknowledges, however, the need of all Union institutions to improve their budget management by also taking into account price volatility, especially in the energy sector, when concluding contracts with service providers;

Change 14

Removed8. Notes an increase of payments made for the members of the Committee, from budgetary item 1004, from EUR 7 955 968 in 2023 to EUR 8 036 613 in 2024, which represents an increase of 1 % (down from +20 % the previous year); notes that 8 231 payments were made for travel expenses, 4 188 payments for travel allowances, 7 303 payments for meeting allowances for in-person participation and 164 payments for remote participation in 2024; notes from the Committee’s follow-up to the observations in the resolution of Parliament concerning the 2023 discharge (‘the Follow-up report’) that the Committee adopted a revised set of rules on travel reimbursement and payment of allowance to Committee members in 2024 with several measures aimed at reducing unnecessary costs and carbon emissions, as recommend by Parliament in previous discharge resolutions;

Added10. Calls on the Committee’s administration to actively identify and implement cost-saving measures, including through the increased use of hybrid meeting technologies, the optimization of building usage, the consolidation of administrative activities and the reduction of unnecessary logistical expenses; requests regular progress reports on the measures implemented and savings achieved;

Added11. Notes an increase in payments made for the members of the Committee, from budgetary item 1 0 0 4, from EUR 7 955 968 in 2023 to EUR 8 036 613 in 2024, which represents an increase of 1 % (down from +20 % the previous year); notes that 8 231 payments were made for travel expenses, 4 188 payments for travel allowances, 7 303 payments for meeting allowances for in-person participation and 164 payments for remote participation in 2024; notes from the Committee’s follow-up to the observations in the resolution of Parliament concerning the 2023 discharge (‘the Follow-up report’) that the Committee adopted a revised set of rules on travel reimbursement and payment of allowance to Committee members in 2024 with several measures aimed at reducing unnecessary costs and carbon emissions, as recommend by Parliament in previous discharge resolutions;

12. Notes that the mission’s budget (current year appropriations) increased by 13,60 % from EUR 420 833 in 2023 to EUR 478 050 in 2024 and an execution rate of that budget of approximately 80 % in 2024 (similar to 2023); notes that this increase was due to an increase in the number of missions from 574 in 2023 to 810 in 2024, of which 268 missions were linked to the organisation by the Committee of a summit in Mons marking the Committee’s 30th anniversary in 2024;

13. Observes a decrease in the current year appropriations for interpreting services of approximately 10 %, from EUR 4,167 million in 2023 to EUR 3,737 million in 2024 and an implementation rate of 64,80 % in 2024, down from 67,30 % in 2023;

Change 15

Changed11.14. Notes that the Committee’s current rules set the flat-rate remote meeting allowance at 50 % of the regular meeting allowance, with the latter being EUR 367 and the former EUR 186,50 after indexation; notes that the total amount paid for remote meeting allowances remained low compared to previous years, after a significant return to in-person meetings was registered in 2023; notes nevertheless a slight increase ofin the amount paid from EUR 32 632 in 2023 to EUR 38 104 in 2024; notes from the QuestionnaireCommittee’s replies to the questionnaire submitted by the Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control for the 2024 budgetary discharge (the ‘Questionnaire’) that only meetings of non-statutory Committee bodies can be conducted online or in hybrid format, whereas remote participation is monitored through the Interactio platform and the extraction of .csv files therefrom; calls on the Committee to strengthen the transparency and proportionality of the system of remote participation allowance in order to reinforce public trust and stresses that financial compensation for remote attendance must be strictly justified; considers that, although remote attendance is an important instrument for modern institutions, since it reduces meeting costs and enables broader participation, the allocation of ana reduced allowance for Committee bodies participating remotely in meetings, even if reduced and limited to certain types of events, iscan difficultbe a proportionate and fair measure for members’ responsibility and preparation requirements; notes, however, the publicimportance toof understand;ensuring notestransparency thatand thisproportionality isregarding especiallythe truelevel givenof such allowances, mainly where differences exist between Union bodies for remote attendance; considers that the current level of the remote meeting allowance paidrequires tofurther membersjustification in terms of thecost Committeeeffectiveness, isproportionality 20and %public higheracceptability; thancalls thatfor paida wider and more systematic use of online and hybrid meeting formats, where appropriate, in order to membersreduce travel-related expenditure, enhance cost efficiency, limit environmental impact and improve public trust in the prudent use of Union funds and to assess the EESCpossibility of harmonising the Committee’s rules with those applied by the EESC, or to provide a clear and transparent rationale for remotemaintaining attendance;a differentiated system;

15. Observes with satisfaction from the Questionnaire and the Follow-up report that the average payment time decreased from 21,88 days in 2023 to 18,46 days in 2024, despite a further increase in the number of processed invoices; commends the Committee for reaching a high percentage level (83 %) of invoices received electronically in 2024;

Internal management, performance and internal control

Change 16

Changed13.16. Acknowledges that the Committee plays a fundamental role in contributing to the Union’s policy development and decision-making processes by representing the interests of local and regional authorities within the Union, thus bringing Europe closer to its citizens and increasing the democratic legitimacy of Union legislation; notes from the Annual report that for 2024, as part of its annual operational plan, the reporting of the performance of the Committee was based on 26 objectives, the achievement of which was assessed through 87 quantitative indicators; calls on the Committee to further strengthen the outcome -and impact-oriented indicators to better demonstrate the impact and the added value of the Committee’s activities on Union policies; whereas the targets of the majority of those indicators (approximately 74 %) was achieved with a level of 90 % or more, six were partially achieved with a level of less than 90 % and six were not achieved; notes from the Questionnaire that it implemented a comprehensive planning and reporting cycle, which included the creation of a central risk register and a risk assessment exercise for all objectives in the annual operational plan in 2024; encourages the Committee to continue to work on performance improvement as well as effectiveness improvement; welcomes the Committee's efforts to introduce reformative and innovative solutions, streamline the administration and avoid overlapping roles with other bodies;

Change 17

Removed14. 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 through resolutions, which highlight the Committee’s positions on specific topics; notes that, in 2024, the Committee adopted 53 opinions (the same as in 2023) and four resolutions (six in 2023);

Added17. Underlines the relevance and strategic value of performance indicators and invites the Committee to further consolidate its indicator framework, ensuring the reporting of outcomes and impact rather than administrative activity alone;

Removed15. Notes with satisfaction from the Committee’s 2024 annual impact report (the ‘Impact report’) the Committee’s political achievements in 2024 with respect to its three political priorities for 2020-2025, thereby reinforcing the Committee’s role in shaping Union policy at regional and local level; notes that the Committee’s input from declarations and recommendations from opinions have had an impact on key Union policy areas such as climate change, nature, energy and green economy (via, e.g., the report ‘Green deal 2.0’ which influenced Council conclusions and the Committee’s opinion on Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 of the European Parliament and of the Council ), transport (via, e.g., the Committee’s opinion on the Greening Freight Transport package which influenced relevant draft reports of Parliament), and health (via, e.g., the Committee’s opinion on Regulation (EU) 2025/327 of the European Parliament and of the Council which influenced the final compromise text); notes in addition that proposals made by the Committee influenced the Commission’s decisions to launch a pilot project of EUR 23 million for cofinancing regions and cities for the reintegration of the long term unemployed into the labour market and to launch the European Affordable Housing Plan addressing energy, poverty and sustainable housing; further notes that the declaration adopted at the European Summit of Regions and Cities held in March 2024 in Mons provided input to the European Council’s Strategic Agenda and the Commission’s Political Guidelines;

Added18 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 through resolutions, which highlight the Committee’s positions on specific topics; notes that, in 2024, the Committee adopted 53 opinions (the same as in 2023) and four resolutions (six in 2023); recognises the Committee’s political achievements in 2024 and its role in integrating local and regional perspectives into Union policymaking, thereby enhancing citizen involvement;

Removed16. Considering the important role of the Committee in increasing the democratic legitimacy of Union legislation by providing an active coordination of regional and local authorities, supports the Committee in its effort to provide more territorial impact assessments; notes with satisfaction that the Committee has created a fully-fledged mechanism for stakeholder consultation to collect views before issuing its opinions, thanks to the involvement of various local and regional networks, alliances and hubs; appreciates that the voices of non-Union partners are also taken into consideration through, e.g., the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine and the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly;

Added19. Notes with satisfaction from the Committee’s 2024 annual impact report (the ‘Impact report’) the Committee’s political achievements in 2024 with respect to its three political priorities for 2020-2025, thereby reinforcing the Committee’s role in shaping Union policy at regional and local level; notes that the Committee’s input from declarations and recommendations from opinions have had an impact on key Union policy areas such as climate change, nature, energy and green economy (via, e.g., the report ‘Green deal 2.0’ which influenced Council conclusions and the Committee’s opinion on Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 of the European Parliament and of the Council), transport (via, e.g., the Committee’s opinion on the Greening Freight Transport package which influenced relevant draft reports of Parliament), and health (via, e.g., the Committee’s opinion on Regulation (EU) 2025/327 of the European Parliament and of the Council which influenced the final compromise text); notes with satisfaction that proposals made by the Committee influenced the Commission’s decisions to launch a pilot project of EUR 23 million for cofinancing regions and cities for the reintegration of the long term unemployed into the labour market and to launch the ambitious, first-ever European Affordable Housing Plan addressing energy, poverty and sustainable housing and reaffirming that access to housing is a fundamental right; further notes that the declaration adopted at the European Summit of Regions and Cities held in March 2024 in Mons provided input to the European Council’s Strategic Agenda and the Commission’s Political Guidelines;

Added20. Considering the important role of the Committee in increasing the democratic legitimacy of Union legislation by providing active coordination of regional and local authorities, supports the Committee in its effort to provide targeted, proportionate and evidence-based territorial impact assessments where they add clear value to legislative process; notes with satisfaction that the Committee has created a fully-fledged mechanism for stakeholder consultation to collect views before issuing its opinions, thanks to the involvement of various local and regional networks, alliances and hubs; appreciates that the voices of non-Union partners are also taken into consideration through, e.g., the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine and the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly;

Added21. Notes the Committee’s broader engagement across the Union’s political and legislative cycle, enabled by its cooperation frameworks with the Commission, Parliament and the European Investment Bank; underlines the importance of inviting members of the Committee and of the EESC to parliamentary meetings falling within their areas of competence;

22. Notes that in 2024 the Committee conducted five Regional Hub consultations, two Subsidiarity Expert Group consultations and completed two assessments as well as two ‘Fit for future’ opinions; invites the Committee to continue on the path of providing useful and relevant input, such as data from the ground and analysis, to Union institutions and other beneficiaries of Union policies;

Change 18

Changed18.23. Notes with appreciation that in 2024 the Committee continued implementing measures to improve its internal management and modernise its administration, streamline its processes and enhance cost-effectiveness;cost effectiveness; welcomes the improved use of digital tools, in particular the efforts aimed at simplification, administrative efficiency and the reduction of unnecessary internal procedures; notes from the Questionnaire and the Annual report the progress made in 2024 with regard to digitalisation and workflow optimisation (e.g., machine translation for routine tasks and the expansion of Microsoft 365 tools and SharePoint), cost savings in operations and facilities (e.g., remote interpretation, energy-saving measures and a hybrid working regime), the improvement of efficiencies (e.g., through contract renegotiations), the simplification of rules and procedures with 63 out of 73 projects completed and a reduction of 20 % in the number of procedures, as well as several other actions in the context of the ‘Going for IMPact!’ plan for the modernisation of the Committee’s administration;

Change 19

Added24. Stresses that modernisation efforts must be accompanied by a systematic assessment of the tangible benefits achieved, including measurable gains in efficiency, cost savings and processing times; calls therefore on the Committee to establish a methodology to quantify these improvements and to report on them regularly;

25. Notes from the Questionnaire and Annual report the actions and measures that the Committee has been taking for a simplified yet strong internal control environment; notes that the 2024 internal control-self assessment exercise focused on financial management and the most relevant internal control aspects for those implementing the Committee budget; notes with satisfaction that the Committee finalised the screening of more than 500 sensitive posts, an exercise which was followed up with mitigating measures, control mechanisms and the adoption of mobility rules in 2024; notes that the Committee’s multi-annual action plan for the revision and simplification of its internal control environment continued through ‘Project Convergence’ entailing a series of processes that focus on monitoring and reporting on the Committee’s performance and impact in real-time; whereas the last two of those processes regarding the Committee’s annual activity report and business continuity have been fully implemented in 2024; notes with regard to the Committee’s new internal control framework that other milestones were also achieved, including the creation of actionable tools for rapid implementation in the event of a crisis, covering various areas such as IT, communication, financial circuits and data protection, among others;

26. Notes that in 2024 the Committee implemented a partially digitalised and simplified procedure for financial workflows and the appointment of financial actors; notes that in 2024, 5,60 % of transactions verified ex ante were refused for correction or were subject to negative opinions and that ex post controls focused on financial transactions (as per the new methodology) and revealed no major issues; notes further that the number of financial exception reports decreased compared to 2023, two administrative exception reports were registered for non-compliance with internal procedures and there was no ongoing litigation related to procurement decisions;

Change 20

Changed21.27. Notes that in 2024, three new audits were initiated: on the performance of the logistics services delivered to Committee members, on the optimisation of human resources allocation in the directorate for translationtranslation, and on the adequacy of procurement and contract management; notes from the Questionnaire the progress made with regard to ongoing audits on management of vacant posts, personal data protection and performance of the IT organisation in joint services; calls on the Committee to keep the discharge authority updated on the progress made in these matters;

Human resources, equality and staff well-being

Change 21

Changed22.28. Notes that, at the end of 2024, the Committee had a total of 561 members of staff (seconded national experts, interim, intra muros and trainees not included), compared to 559 in 2023; notes that 73 contract agents, compared to 74 contract agents in 2023 and 102 temporary agents, compared to 96 temporary agents in 2023, were employed by the Committee at the end of 2024, out of which 22 contract agents had an open-ended contract, 51 contract agents had a time-limited contract, 49 temporary agents were on permanent posts with time-limited contract, 50 temporary agents had an open-ended contract and 3 temporary agents held a temporary position; notes, in addition, that the Committee employed 39 external service providers working intra muros; recallsstresses the importance of providing permanent contractscontracts, where appropriate, in order to maintain skills, continuity and a productive and stable working environment;environment, while preserving flexibility and merit-based recruitment in line with operational needs; warns against an excessive reliance on external service providers; notes that in 2024 the occupation rate of the posts in the establishment plan was 96,40 % (a decrease from 98 % in 2023) and the turnover rate was 7,30 % (an increase from 6,60 % in 2023), respectively;

29. Notes that in 2024 the Committee hired 51 trainees under the Cicero scheme, whereas the Committee’s trainees are paid a monthly grant and enjoy the same working conditions as staff, including the option to telework; renews its emphasis that traineeships should be remunerated in compliance with the European Parliament resolution of 14 June 2023 with recommendations to the Commission on Quality Traineeships in the Union (2020/2005(INL)), which calls for all internships in the Union to be paid;

Change 22

Changed24.30. Notes with regret that the Committee has not yet achieved gender parity in leadership positions, but acknowledges the significant progress made under the Committee’s five-year diversity and inclusion strategy and action plan for 2022-2026; welcomes the election in 2025 of a female President of the Committee, reaffirming the institution’s commitment to advancing gender equality at the highest political level and encourages the Committee to continue its efforts to increase female representations in leadership positions, while emphasising that merit and professional qualifications remain the primary criteria for appointment; notes that, at the end of 2024, the Committee employed 57,1 % women and 42,78 % men, almost the same proportions as in 2023; notes with concern that the proportion of women in senior management positions decreased from 44,4 % in 2023 to 33,3 % in 2024 (it increased back to 44,4 % in 2025) and the proportion of women in middle management decreased from 32,50 % in 2023 to 29,7 % in 2024; notes from the Questionnaire the measures to encourage greater female participation in management roles, including through targeted training and coaching opportunities for female staff aspiring to managerial positions, and the promotion of more flexible working arrangements; reiterates that achieving long-term gender balance in management positions is a core institutional objective and expects the Committee to adopt a concrete, time-bound action plan with measurable targets, intermediate milestones and annual reporting; calls on the Committee to ensure that progress towards parity is both monitored and publicly communicated;

Change 23

Changed25.31. Commends the Committee for its actions to also promote gender balance among its members, specifically by sending letters to the Council concerning vacancies and by advocating with the permanent representations and national associations of local and regional authorities involved in the nomination process; notes from the Follow-up report that meanwhile the percentage of female members increased from 23,40 % in 2020 to 28,7 % in 2025; appreciates that the Committee’s new rules of procedure, which came into force in August 2024, include explicit goals to enhance gender balance, particularly in the Committee’s Bureau composition; invitesencourages the Committee to continue engagingpromoting ingender thesebalance, typeswhile ofensuring efforts;that appointments are based on merit, professional experience and qualifications;

32. Commends the Committee for the organisation of an internal competition in 2024 to address current and future recruitment needs, ensure business continuity and retain experienced staff, thus filling the gap created by the absence of reserve lists from the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO); notes from the Questionnaire that 72 candidates were placed on the Committee’s reserve list, of which 46 candidates were already recruited in various grades, both AST and AD, as at 1 September 2025; expects as a result a decrease in the number of temporary agents and contract agents employed by the Committee as from 2025;

33. Notes that, as a result of a pilot project on a hybrid working regime and a staff satisfaction survey launched in 2022, the Committee adopted on 1 January 2024 a decision applicable as of 1 February 2024 which provides for a hybrid working regime and a personalised weekly working schedule for each member of staff, as well as the possibility to work from home for up to 60 % of the member of staff’s working time (except for staff categories incompatible with teleworking) and to work from outside the city of employment for up to 15 days per year; recognises that these measures aim to enhance work-life balance while maintaining operational efficiency and staff satisfaction;

34. Notes with satisfaction that 89 % of those that responded to the 2025 staff survey indicated their satisfaction with the Committee’s flexible work arrangements; whereas the latter may also have an impact on the number of sick leave days taken by Committee’s staff; notes from the Follow-up report that the decreasing trend of the total number of sick leave days is maintained, with 7 303 days in 2024 compared to 7 544 days in 2023, whereas: - the number of staff without sick leave decreased from 211 (or 36 % of all staff) in 2023 to 196 (or 34 %) in 2024; - the number of staff on sick leave for less than seven days increased 201 (or 35 % of all staff) in 2023 to 211 (or 36 % in 2024) and; - the number of staff on sick leave for a duration between 7,5 and 21 days increased from 92 (or 16 % of all staff) in 2023 to 96 (or 16 % of all staff) in 2024;