Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

51. Repeats its deep concern for the following shortcomings in human resources management identified within the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy:

(a) the recent Pulse Survey among staff revealed the perception of existing widespread interpersonal conflicts (77 % of respondents), psychological violence (9,9 % of respondents), sexual harassment (7,3 % of respondents), and physical violence (4,7 % of respondents); calls on the Joint Undertaking to take seriously into consideration the results of the survey and to follow-up promptly with concrete actions to address the situation; highlights the importance of wellbeing of staff;

(b) the continued reliance of the Joint Undertaking on external service providers with 313 external service providers and 438 statutory staff in 2024; welcomes the measures adopted by the Joint Undertaking, including the adoption in 2024 of a policy governing the definition, planning and use of external service providers, as well as the 2025 decision to centralise their coordination and management, which are currently under implementation; calls on the Joint Undertaking to keep reporting on the progress in its Annual Activity Reports;

52. Reiterates its concerns regarding the state of play of recruitment within the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, which received 39 additional posts to be recruited by the end of the financial year 2023 in order to implement the significant funds received under the current MFF, however at the end of 2024, 14 of the 39 posts were still vacant; calls on the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking to engage measures to meet its recruitment target as soon as possible as the continuous operation with insufficient staff may prevent it from implementing its activities and to achieve its objectives;

53. Stresses the importance of ensuring digital sovereignty in Union-funded research; highlights in this regard the key role of the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, the European Cybersecurity Industrial, Technology and Research Competence Centre, Chips Joint Undertaking and the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking, which should give priority to projects strengthening the Union’s autonomy in the fields of semiconductors, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity; calls on the Commission to ensure that projects supported by Joint Undertakings: i) avoid undue dependence on third-country suppliers for critical technologies; ii) effectively strengthen the Union’s industrial resilience and strategic autonomy; and iii) actively support the development of domestic research and innovation capacity in strategic digital sectors;

54. Reiterates its concerns that in 2024 the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking’s implementation rate for the Horizon 2020 grant payments budget further fell to 27 % compared to 36 % in 2023; observes that in 2024, implementation rates for commitments and payments appropriations for Digital Europe investment activities remained very low at 22 % and 19 % respectively compared to 89 % and 18 % in 2023; notes the explanation provided by the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, nevertheless calls on it to ensure proper implementation of all parts of its operational budget;

55. Notes that according to the Court’s report the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking private members’ contributions for Horizon 2020 remain low; their in-kind contributions to operational activities reached only EUR 20,0 million, which is far below the EUR 420,0 million minimum set in the Joint Undertaking’s founding regulation; recalls the need for a change in the Joint Undertaking’s financing arrangements, which restrict the Joint Undertaking’s ability to ensure effective cooperation with the private sector and prevent it from properly quantifying private-sector contributions to the Joint Undertaking’s objectives;

Remarks on the follow-up of Joint Undertakings to the previous discharge exercise