Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

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Changed29.35. Notes from the Questionnaire that the number of burnout cases decreased from 18 in 2023 to 6 in 2024; commends the Committee for its proactive approach to preventing burnout, by closely monitoring staff on long-term sick leave through tailored measures which entail regular contact with the respective staff and input from medical experts; notes further that the Committee successfully managed to reintegrate three members of staff in 20232024 after long-term absence as a result of burnout, thanks to a personalised follow-up of long-term sickness leave; welcomes the Committee’s preventive actions taken in 2024 to enhance health and well-being at work, such as offering staff on-site sessions with paramedical specialists (physiotherapist, osteopaths, trainers hired under a framework contract) and organising awareness-raising conferences on health;

36. Notes that in 2024 the Committee continued to raise awareness of the measures put in place to prevent and combat harassment in the workplace, in accordance with its Decision of 26 April 2021 on protecting dignity at work, managing conflict and combatting harassment, notably through dedicated guidance, internal communication (bi-weekly HR newsletter) and the organisation of several information sessions for staff and managers, including mandatory training on ethics and integrity; notes that the Committee registered four new cases of alleged harassment in 2024, whereas one case involved sexual harassment and one case was brought before the Belgian police through a formal complaint; notes that established procedures (preliminary assessment, administrative inquiry, precautionary measures etc.) were applied and invites the Committee to keep the discharge authority updated on the outcome of those cases;

37. Commends the Committee for ensuring that persons with disabilities can access or use any of the Committee’s digital products by applying the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines; notes in this context that in 2024 the Committee’s HReForms platform was upgraded with accessibility as a core requirement, with features that include improved colour contrast, keyboard navigation and alternative text, among others; notes with satisfaction that the Committee disburses accommodation to candidates with disabilities, thus ensuring fair selection procedures;

38. Notes that, in 2024, the Committee was employing staff representing all Union nationalities (and one member of staff of Ukrainian nationality), with some of them being overrepresented; welcomes the efforts of the Committee aiming at balancing the geographical distribution among its staff in 2024, through targeted outreach initiatives that attract candidates from underrepresented countries; notes that such initiatives included the increased use of digital platforms and social media to boost visibility of vacancies, direct engagement with the permanent representations of Member States, presentations to targeted audiences to encourage participation in the Committee’s selection procedures and analysis of application trends; notes that these measures already led to a positive outcome in 2024, such as an increased number of job applications received, including from underrepresented countries; welcomes in addition the collaboration of the Committee with EPSO and other Union institutions to diversify the candidate pool, share best practices and coordinate efforts to address representation gaps across the Union’s administration; invites the Committee to continue taking measures that seek a more balanced geographical distribution, including at management level, and to keep the discharge authority informed of the trends of the job applications received by the Committee from one period to another;

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Added39. Welcomes the strong and structured social dialogue in organisational change processes throughout 2024; encourages the Committee to maintain and further strengthen the systematic involvement of staff representatives in reforms related, inter alia, to digitalisation, internal reorganisation and new working methods;

▸7 unchanged paragraphs

Ethical framework and transparency

40. Welcomes the work done by the Committee in 2023 to consolidate ethical rules and practices into a single ethical legal framework (Decision n⁰ 157/2023) covering disciplinary procedure, dignity at work, conflict management, combatting harassment, outside activities and whistleblowing among others; notes that 2024 was the first year of implementation of this new framework; notes that the Committee offered mandatory training courses on a frequent basis on ethics and integrity, whistleblowing and conflicts of interest prevention to different groups of staff ranging from newcomers, managers and staff overall in 2024;

41. Notes that that the Committee did not report any cases to, and was not the subject of any investigation by, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) or the European Ombudsman in 2024;

42. Recalls that the Committee adopted Regulation n⁰ 6/2023 of 4 July 2023 laying down transparency measures that focus on office-holding members and rapporteurs; whereas such measures refer to the invitation for office-holding members and rapporteur to meet only with interest representatives who have registered in the Transparency Register and to publicly disclose any meetings with interest representatives that they hold in their capacity as Committee members; notes that in 2024 one Committee member reported a meeting with an interest representative; commends in this context the Committee for having formally joined the EU Transparency Register on 1 January 2024;

43. Notes from the Questionnaire the principles and mechanisms implemented by the Committee in 2024 to promote transparency across different areas, such as budgetary and financial management, reporting, audit cooperation, HR, public procurement, public access to documents and records management;

44. Welcomes the Committee’s renewed efforts in the area of detection and prevention of conflicts of interest in 2024; notes that thanks to its Decision n⁰157/2023, the Committee defined the concept of conflicts of interest and has put in place a mechanism to detect and prevent such conflicts whereby staff are required to declare whether they might have a conflict of interest (potential or possible), by filling in a form at various key moments of their career or professional activities; notes with satisfaction from the Questionnaire that the annual information regarding the occupation activities of former senior officials is published in a transparent way on the Committee’s website and that they are prohibited from engaging in any lobbying or advocacy towards the Committee for the first 12 months after they leave their positions in the Committee;

45. Notes from the Questionnaire that no conflicts of interest were detected within the Committee in 2024; further notes nevertheless that a Committee member raised a concern about a potential conflict of interest arising from receiving payment for drafting a technical support study for a Member of Parliament or a Parliament political group; welcomes the confirmation received during the discharge procedure whereby the Committee member in question did not in fact accept the job in question;

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Changed39.46. Notes that no cases of whistleblowing were reported to the Committee in 2024; notes that the Committee did not adopt any new measures concerning whistleblowing in 2024 and continued to rely on the measures in place since 2015 and to promote them through ethics training;training and awareness raising; supports regular mandatory ethic trainings both for staff as well as for management level;

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Changed40.47. Notes that the Committee has a range of anti-fraud measures and actions applicable to its members and its staff which have been implemented by different services; regrets that in 2024 no anti-fraud strategy was in place; notes nevertheless from the Questionnaire that the Committee adopted in 2025 a consolidated anti-fraud framework which represents an intermediate step in developing a comprehensive anti-fraud strategy, whereas the methodology used for this objective will be provided by OLAF; urges the Committee to prioritize the full development and implementation of this strategy, including risk assessment, prevention, detection and follow-up measures; asks the Committee to keep the discharge authority informed on this matter;

Digitalisation, cybersecurity and data protection

48. Notes that the combined IT budget of the Committee and the EESC was EUR 13,70 million in 2024, compared to EUR 12,70 million in 2023, i.e., a decrease of approximately 7,90 %, whereas EUR 760 000 of that budget (or approximately 6 %) was paid for cybersecurity in 2024;

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Changed42.49. Notes from the Questionnaire that in 2024, the Directorate for Innovation and Information Technology implemented a new multiannual digital strategy for 2024-2026 which prioritises digital records management, electronic workflows, e-signatures and cloud-based solutions and focuses on four flagship programmes - M365 Digital Workplace, ARES, EdiT, and Cybersecurity - to enhance collaboration, automation, and institutional resilience; highlights the progress of the M365 programme, including migration planning to SharePoint Online, the deployment of Windows 11 and M365 Apps, and the development of an AI strategy with a roadmap for the M365 Copilot pilot in 2025; notes that the Committee began deploying the HAN document management system and advanced towards adopting the EdiT XML editor for legislative drafting; welcomes the shift towards cybersecurity as a shared responsibility, with new training initiatives and a multiannual plan aligned with Union standards; acknowledges improvements in records management, infrastructure, and secure communication tools, including SECABC email, SACHA data transfer, and endpoint management systems; notes with appreciation the Committee’s continued progress in digital innovation, including the transition to a fully paperless and cyber-secured working environment; commends the 2025–20272025-2027 ‘House of the Regions’ Working Plan for prioritising digital transformation to build a modern, agile, and digitally driven institution.

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Changed43.50. Notes that the Committee gradually introduced an artificial intelligence pilot project called ‘Panoramic AI’ that creates a central hub which streamlines access to complex content as of 2024; notes further that the Committee has been actively using the Commission’s AI tools for translation, summaries etc. and has participated as a pilot user to test the GPT@JRC AI pilot solution; notes from the Questionnaire that the Committee’s AI guidelines adopted in 2023 established a baseline for how staff could experiment with AI, for implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council which came into effect in August 2024 and for developing corporate alternatives that align with data protection and ethical standards; welcomes in this context the organisation of information sessions for staff to explain the AI guidelines, the publication of a note on AI literacy for staff and the organisation of workshops to raise awareness about AI in 2024;2024 and encourages the continuation of this practice, including the organisation of regular trainings on safe, ethical and efficient use of artificial intelligence and regular trainings on cybersecurity; acknowledges the added-value of AI tools that boost personal productivityproductivity, such as the M365 CopilotCopilot, and of integrating AI capabilities into IT support tools; stresses that the use of artificial intelligence must be carried out by guaranteeing strict principles of ethical use, transparency, data protection, human oversight, and protection against algorithmic bias or misuse;

51. Notes from the Questionnaire that following a procedural oversight in changing its data protection officer without the prior consent of the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), the Committee acknowledged the error and took corrective action; acknowledges that the transfer of the function of data protection officer to the Legal Service was based on an internal auditor’s recommendation; notes that the Committee reinstated the former data protection officer and formally requested EDPS consent for the new appointment to ensure full compliance;

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Changed45.52. Notes from the Questionnaire that the Committee did not experience any successful cyberattacks in 2024, as existing detection and prevention measures effectively contained all attempted threats; notes that the Committee took several actions to strengthen its cybersecurity and data protection framework by keeping up to date with the latest developments and best practices in these areas in 2024; notes that some of those actions included the participation of relevant staff in the ‘Personal Data Breach Awareness in Cybersecurity Incident Handling’ exercise organised by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and EDPS, participation in the 2024 European Cybersecurity Month and the awareness sessions and in person induction training sessions for staff, especially for newcomers; encourages continuation of this practice, including organisation of regular trainings on cybersecurity; welcomes moreover the introduction of two-factor authentication to enhance access security, the migration of the Committee’s website content management system to a new platform (Drupal) that ensures improved resilience and adaptability, and the continued close cooperation with CERT-EU for real-time threat monitoring and protection against distributed DDoS attacks; notes that the Directorate for Innovation and Information Technology initiated a digital and cybersecurity transformation programme in line with Union and international standards, including Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2023/2841 of the European Parliament and of the Council, the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and Open Worldwide Application Security Project (OWASP), aiming to reinforce resilience, risk management, data protection and other facets of governance across the Committee;

Buildings

53. Notes that the Committee’s budget for buildings and associated costs (current year appropriations) in 2024 was EUR 18,963 (compared to EUR 18,594 million in 2023) with a payment execution rate of 92 % (compared to 93,70 % in 2023); notes with satisfaction that the Committee made savings of EUR 108 000 in cleaning services during periods when fewer people were present in Committee buildings;

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Changed47.54. Notes from the Annual report the Committee’s conclusion that one of its major priorities set in 2017, i.e.i.e., ‘geographical concentration of the buildings’ has been achieved; notes the Committee’s view that the successful implementation of the new hybrid working regime lays the ground for further cost savings through space reduction; notes in this context that at the end of 2024 the Committee launched the SPaCES project to transform both working practices and workspaces within the Committee, including by modifying the outfit of the premises, whereas the first step of this project is the relocation of staff based in the B100 building; notes that following joint decision of the Committee with the EESC, the lease of that building will terminate in August 2026; invites the Committee to keep the discharge authority informed of the progress made in this matter;

55. Notes that renovation works of the VMA building continued in 2024; notes from the Follow-up report that investments in smart technologies installed in the VMA will ensure future-proof flexible office space and optimal user comfort at various levels which will contribute to further reductions in energy consumption of approximately EUR 13 000 per year (based on 2023 average electricity and gas prices);

56. Welcomes the commitment of the Committee and the EESC to apply systematically the ‘design for all’ principle to their infrastructure, ensuring accessibility of their building by design; notes that the Committees took a range of different measures to ensure accessibility of their buildings, including the elevators, to people with various kinds of disabilities (wheelchair users, blind and visually impaired people, deaf persons, elderly people with muscular or vascular problems);

Environment and sustainability

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Changed50.57. Notes that the Committee continued to implement a variety of green practices in 2024, such as investments in innovative energy-efficient lighting systems, energy meters, sensors installed in critical facilities to monitor CO2 levels, the regulation of building temperatures (air conditioning, heating) depending on the period of the year and the purchase of 100 % green electricity, among others; notes that the Committee applies environmental criteria in all tender procedures and sustainability clauses for tenders above EUR 25 000, as well as customised clauses for tenders with a high environmental impact or when above EUR 60 000; notes with satisfaction that the Committee is integrating environmental aspects into its risk management system and core business processes and has designated EMASEco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) contact points;

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Changed51.58. Appreciates the Committee’s commitment to promoting a sustainable mobility policy for its staff; notes in this context that in 2024 the Committee introduced a flat-rate bicycle allowance of EUR 100 for employees who use a bicycle as their primary means of commuting, extended its bicycle parking capacity and organised breakfast and mobility-themes quizzes; notes from the Questionnaire that, as of 2024, staff can request disbursement of 50 % of the subscription cost for 2ndsecond class train travel (up to a maximum distance of 60 km);

59. Notes with satisfaction from the Questionnaire that, thanks to its energy saving measures, the Committee’s energy consumption was reduced by an estimated 3-4 % in 2024 compared to 2022; notes that the Committee has exceeded the EMAS objectives for 2024 in all areas (electricity, gas, water, waste, waste sorting, paper for office use, CO2 emissions), with as a baseline the year of 2019; notes that compared to 2023, the consumption of water and paper increased slightly by 14 % and 1 %, respectively, while carbon emissions from the Committee’s administrative activities decreased by 4,3 %, and the use of electricity and gas decreased by 5 % and 1 %, respectively, with waste production also decreasing by 12 % in 2024;

Interinstitutional cooperation

60. Welcomes the renewal in 2024 of the Committee’s cooperation agreements with Parliament and the Commission laying the foundation for the Committee’s stronger institutional involvement throughout all stages of the Union’s legislative process on various policies (such as regional development, climate policy and social cohesion) that go beyond policies on which there is a longstanding history of collaboration; notes that those agreements also include stronger provisions on cooperation on territorial impact assessments; notes with satisfaction from the Questionnaire that on 13 October 2024, the Committee’s Conference of Presidents met with Parliament’s Vice-President in charge of relations with the Committee to discuss strengthening cooperation by, among others, encouraging the practice of joint meetings, especially at committee and rapporteur levels, involvement of the Committee in trilogue discussions and logistical cooperation during works in Parliament’s SPAAK building; notes that, in 2024, Committee members also met the Council and Permanent Representations and participated in events organised by the Council’s Presidency, in order to ensure that the Committee’s positions are reflected in Union legislation;

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Changed54.61. Welcomes the budgetary and administrative savings achieved through interinstitutional cooperation, and in particular the close cooperation established at administrative level with the EESC, with which the Committee shares premises and joint services in the areas of translation, infrastructure, medical services, catering, logistics and IT, as well as a joint data protection register, with 470 members of staff and more than EUR 68 million (EUR 140 million if salary-related costs are included) pooled together by both institutions in 2024; welcomes the fact that these savings were reoriented towards the Committee’s political activities, thereby strengthening its capacity to fulfil its mandate; acknowledges that efficiency gains and budgetary savings from the collaboration of the two institutions are significant, to the tune of an estimated tens of millions of euros annually compared to if each committee operated those services independently; reiterates its call to expand as much as possible this cooperation, to the extent of setting up a single administration for the joint services, and keeping separate the services and unit in charge of their core independent mandates; encourages the Committee and the EESC to continue their efforts to develop further cooperation and synergies;

62. Welcomes the Committee’s search for synergies by purchasing services from other institutions through service-level agreements and by participating in interinstitutional coordination bodies and interinstitutional procurement procedures; notes that the Committee achieved significant synergies in the field of events and communication by organising jointly with the Commission the European Week of Regions and Cities and with Parliament, Council and Commission, among others, the annual conference for public communicators called ‘EuroPCom’ in 2024; welcomes the merger in 2024 of the Committee’s European Network of Local and Regional Councillors and the Commission’s ‘Building Europe with Local Councillors’ network into a single, jointly managed ‘EU Local Councillors’ network;

63. Notes that the Committee cooperates with the Commission (for an annual fee) for the handling of HR matters and the use of various IT platforms for financial management and HR and that in 2024 the Commission included the Committee’s IT system called LORDIMAS as a key IT tool to measure digital transformation by cities; notes further that the Committee holds its plenary sessions in the premises of Parliament and the Commission to compensate for the lack of capacity in its own conference rooms and buys interpreting services from those two institutions;

Communication

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Changed57.64. Notes that the Committee’s communication activities focus on relationship with press, organisation of events and digital content and social media with a total budget (current year appropriations) of approximately EUR 2,3 million in 2024, i.e., approximately EUR 500 000 less than in 2023; notes from the Follow-up report that underfunding of communication operations makes the Committee dependent on year-end transfers and C8 appropriations, which explains the low budgetary execution rate (48,20 %) of C1 appropriations and high execution rate (98,90 %) of C8 appropriations in 2024 with regard to budgetary item 262 (‘Expertise6 ‘Expertise and […] distribution’);distribution’;

65. Notes with satisfaction the Committee’s achievements in promoting Union policies and programs at local and regional level, improving the outreach of its consultative works and enhancing its visibility and impact; notes that in 2024 the Committee organised, hosted or supported 33 EU Local Dialogues, 53 EURegionsWeek sessions and 47 events; notes in particular the 10th European Summit of Regions and Cities to shape the agenda for the Union’s future, with more than 7 000 participants; - the European Week of Regions and Cities to address cohesion funds in the next MFF, with more than 2 500 participants; - the 11th Subsidiarity Conference to address better regulation and subsidiarity in the context of the next MFF; - the 2024 Young Elected Politicians (YEP) programme, with more than 150 participants from all Member States and eight candidate countries and; - the 15th edition of the European Public Communication Conference (EuroPCom) to address AI and new trends in public communication, with 3 200 participants and viewers from 55 countries; notes that the Committee also promoted its work and views 74 times at meetings or events involving other Union institutions;

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Changed59.66. Commends the Committee for its actions in enhancing accessibility and historical preservation of its information by: - making all of its documents and publications available in one centralised location through the Publications Office widgets implemented on the Committee’s external website in 2024; - introducing the AI-powered platform Panoramic-AI that offered enhanced user-friendly access to institutional content (relevant documents, presentations, discussions) in 2024; - migrating the Committee’s complete archive of external press releases and news to the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG Connect) newsroom and; - transferring for the first time the Committee’s historical archives to the Historicalhistorical Archivesarchives of the Union in Florence;

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Changed60.67. Acknowledges from the Impact report and the Annual report the Committee’s contribution to Parliament’s communication campaign for the 2024 European elections, by engaging a network of 750 YEPs, promoting Parliament materials, producing go-to-vote videos with Committee members, dedicating a web page on the Committee’s website and producing other visual content promoted on social media which reached almost 5 million accounts; welcomes these efforts to engage a broad and diverse audience across the Union and to raise awareness of the 2024 European elections; underlines that such interinstitutional cooperation on Union policies, in particular on the work of Parliament, is essential for reaching citizens in all regions of the Union, strengthening democratic participation and enhancing the democratic legitimacy of the Union;

68. Notes from the Annual report the Committee’s success with regard to media outreach as shown by the overall metrics for 2024, such as: 28 % increase on web visitors, 11,60 % increase on followers and 16 % increase in organic digital engagement;

69. Notes that the Committee did not participate in the Roma Week event in 2024.

Change 38

Added70. Highlights that all in all the Committee’s communication strategy aims to reinforce its institutional visibility and political standing as the representative body of the Union’s regions, cities, towns and municipalities, and to showcase the role of its members in connecting Union policies with citizens at local and regional level.