### 86. emphasises that central to the eu regulatory approach is a strong attention to ethical considerations in line with core human rights values and democratic principles; underlines that the commission thereby hopes to achieve another gdpr-like ‘brussels effect’ , meaning that the eu’s regulatory and market power leads to a competitive edge in ai; states that establishing the world’s first regulatory framework for ai could indeed leverage a first-mover advantage in setting international ai standards based on european values , as well as successfully exporting ‘trustworthy ai’ around the world; ### 86. emphasises that central to the eu regulatory approach is a strong attention to ethical considerations in line with core human rights values and democratic principles; underlines that the commission thereby hopes to achieve another gdpr-like ‘brussels effect’ , meaning that the eu’s regulatory and market power leads to a competitive edge in ai; states that establishing the world’s first regulatory framework for ai could indeed leverage a first-mover advantage in setting international ai standards based on european values , as well as successfully exporting ‘trustworthy ai’ around the world; notes however that such effects are only realised if the regulatory framework is flexible , proportionate and innovation-friendly;


### 90. underlines that while the us and china each have a unified digital market with a coherent set of rules , the eu’s digital single market is still fragmented and features many barriers; stresses that the development of ai products and services is further slowed down by the existence of 27 different national ai strategies and the fact that the eu’s ai assets such as talent , capital and research are spread widely across the continent; ### 90. underlines that while the us and china each have a unified digital market with a coherent set of rules , the eu’s digital single market is still fragmented and features many barriers; stresses that the development of ai products and services is further slowed down by the ongoing work on 27 different national ai strategies and the fact that the eu’s ai assets such as talent , capital and research are spread widely across the continent;


### 92. notes that the insufficient legal certainty for ai companies is further exacerbated by the fact that common standards and norms are missing in some sectors , while others are compromised by overregulation or the presence of legislative proposals that have been pending for long periods of time without being adopted; highlights as an example the fact that eu ai developers face a data challenge that neither their us nor chinese counterparts do; observes that they often do not have enough high-quality data to train their algorithms , struggle with strict data protection rules and are affected by a lack of sectoral data spaces and cross-sectoral interoperability , as well as constraints on cross-border data flows; ### 92. notes that the insufficient legal certainty for ai companies is further exacerbated by the fact that common standards and norms are missing in some sectors , while others are compromised by overregulation or the presence of legislative proposals that have been pending for long periods of time without being adopted; highlights as an example the fact that eu ai developers face a data challenge that neither their us nor chinese counterparts do; observes that they often do not have enough high-quality data to train and test their algorithms , struggle with strict data protection rules and are affected by a lack of sectoral data spaces and cross-sectoral interoperability , as well as constraints on cross-border data flows;


### 96. observes that although the eu still has an excellent community of researchers who are producing many ai research papers that are often cited and downloaded , the eu’s global impact is steadily declining , with a brain drain of top eu researchers to the us and china41 ; notes that the eu only spends 2 % of its gdp on research and development (r&d) , while the us spends 2.8 %; emphasises that the total r&d spending of us software and computer services firms in 2019 was eur 100 billion , which is much higher than comparative figures in china and the eu , where private r&d spending amounted to eur 20 billion and eur 12.5 billion respectively; ### 96. observes that although the eu still has an excellent community of researchers who are producing many ai research papers that are often cited and downloaded , the eu’s global impact is steadily declining , with a brain drain of top eu researchers to the us and china41 ; notes that the eu only spends 2 % of its gdp on research and development (r&d) , while the us spends 2.8 %; emphasises that the total r&d spending of us software and computer services firms in 2019 was eur 100 billion , which is much higher than comparative figures in china and the eu , where private r&d spending amounted to eur 20 billion and eur 12.5 billion respectively; underlines that these investment levels are far from sufficient in closing the investment gaps in relation to global competitors; calls therefore for further redistribution within the eu budget towards ai research and development;


### 98. concludes that the us is still the overall leader in ai as it is ahead in almost every category , in particular when it comes to market power , investment , ai talent , research and infrastructure; highlights , however , that china , which five years ago was still significantly lagging behind the us in all indicators , is now quickly catching up in almost every category; notes that china could in fact achieve its goal of becoming the global leader in ai by 2030 or even earlier; recognises that both countries have the advantage of a unified single market , greater flexibility in digital governance and stronger political commitment to remaining a leader in ai; ### 98. concludes that the us is still the overall leader in ai as it is ahead in almost every enabling technology development such as cloud computing or high performance computing capabilities , and also when it comes to market power , investment , ai talent , research and infrastructure; highlights , however , that china , which five years ago was still significantly lagging behind the us in all indicators , is now quickly catching up in almost every category; notes that china could in fact achieve its goal of becoming the global leader in ai by 2030 or even earlier; recognises that both countries have the advantage of a unified single market , greater flexibility in digital governance and stronger political commitment to remaining a leader in ai;


### 99. stresses that the eu is behind the us and china in virtually every category and that despite its current measures , it is losing further ground; notes that the eu is , however , ahead on regulatory approaches; points out that a viable eu strategy for becoming more competitive on ai would be to quadruple efforts to catch up when it comes to ai research and innovation , skills , infrastructure and investment , while at the same time trying to create a first-mover advantage by establishing a future-oriented and innovation-friendly regulatory framework for ai development and use; ### 99. stresses that the eu is behind the us and china in many categories and that despite its current measures and its strong position on industrial software and robotics , it is losing further ground; notes that the eu is , however , ahead on regulatory approaches; points out that a viable eu strategy for becoming more competitive on ai would be to quadruple efforts to catch up when it comes to ai research and innovation , skills , infrastructure and investment , while at the same time trying to create a first-mover advantage by establishing a future-oriented , horizontal and innovation-friendly regulatory framework for ai development and use;


### 103. calls on the commission to propose only legislative acts in the form of regulations for new digital laws in areas such as ai , as the digital single market needs to undergo a process of genuine harmonisation; is convinced that due to rapid technological development , digital legislation should always be swiftly adaptable , principle-based and future-proof , while adopting a risk-based approach; stresses , furthermore , the importance of legal certainty and , consequently , the need for robust , practical and unambiguous applicability criteria , definitions and obligations in all legal texts; ### 103. calls on the commission to propose only legislative acts in the form of regulations for new digital laws in areas such as ai , data management and governance , the deployment of enabling technologies as well as physical and digital infrastructure such as cloud computing , blockchain , edge computing , as the digital single market needs to undergo a process of genuine harmonisation; is convinced that due to rapid technological development , digital legislation should always be swiftly adaptable , principle-based and future-proof , while adopting a risk-based approach; stresses , furthermore , the importance of legal certainty and , consequently , the need for robust , practical and unambiguous applicability criteria , definitions and obligations in all legal texts;


### 103. calls on the commission to propose only legislative acts in the form of regulations for new digital laws in areas such as ai , as the digital single market needs to undergo a process of genuine harmonisation; is convinced that due to rapid technological development , digital legislation should always be swiftly adaptable , principle-based and future-proof , while adopting a risk-based approach; stresses , furthermore , the importance of legal certainty and , consequently , the need for robust , practical and unambiguous applicability criteria , definitions and obligations in all legal texts; ### 103. calls on the commission to propose only legislative acts in the form of regulations for new digital laws in areas such as ai , as the digital single market needs to undergo a process of genuine harmonisation; is convinced that due to rapid technological development , digital legislation should always be principle-based and future-proof , adopting a risk-based approach; stresses , furthermore , the importance of legal certainty and , consequently , the need for robust , practical and unambiguous applicability criteria , definitions and obligations in all legal texts;


### 141. stresses the need to accelerate knowledge transfer in the eu from research and science to ai applications in industry and the public sector; recommends the creation of a dedicated public-private partnership (ppp) on ai; calls on the commission to establish european ai data centres , jointly developed by government and industry and using strong encryption to protect the stored data in an appropriate manner; stresses the need to support the development of large-scale testing sites for ai; calls on the commission to provide financial incentives at eu level to launch pilot projects in member states; ### 141. stresses the need to accelerate knowledge transfer in the eu from research and science to ai applications in industry and the public sector; welcomes the creation of a dedicated public-private partnership (ppp) on ai; calls on the commission to establish european ai data centres , jointly developed by government and industry and using strong encryption to protect the stored data in an appropriate manner; stresses the need to support the development of large-scale testing sites for ai; calls on the commission to provide financial incentives at eu level to launch pilot projects in member states; stresses how also the european joint undertakings (jus) , with specific reference to the high performance computing ju , the key digital technology ju and the smart networks and systems ju , can help the union identify the technologies contributing to undertake the twin digital and green transition in a more sustainable , competitive and balanced way;


### 142. supports strongly the establishment of an ai lighthouse under the horizon europe framework , which would be the continent’s pioneering centre of excellence for ai research and development; notes , however , that the eu and the member states should commit to a long-term and much more substantial investment plan in the region of eur 1 billion per year over the next 10 years; adds that the ai lighthouse would be an excellent place to create regulatory sandboxes , meaning time- and space-limited areas for experimenting with , testing and finessing specific ai applications that carry some risk but also have high potential for public good; ### 142. calls strongly for the establishment of an ai lighthouse under the horizon europe framework , which would be the continent’s pioneering centre of excellence for ai research and development; underlines that this should not be a distributed network , but rather a region in which european resources are pooled; believes that the lighthouse concept has the potential to attract the best and brightest minds from abroad , as well as to bring substantial private investment into europe; the eu should commit to a long-term and very substantial investment plan in the selected lighthouse region of eur 1 billion per year over the next 10 years; states that the region should be selected in an objective process by the foremost experts in the field of ai , to ensure that the lighthouse will be located where the potential to generate european added value and societal benefits are the greatest; adds that the ai lighthouse , also in cooperation with other research institutions and industry , should be sufficiently funded and capable to create regulatory sandboxes , meaning time- and space-limited areas for experimenting with , testing and finessing specific ai applications that carry some risk but also have high potential for public good;


### 142. supports strongly the establishment of an ai lighthouse under the horizon europe framework , which would be the continent’s pioneering centre of excellence for ai research and development; notes , however , that the eu and the member states should commit to a long-term and much more substantial investment plan in the region of eur 1 billion per year over the next 10 years; adds that the ai lighthouse would be an excellent place to create regulatory sandboxes , meaning time- and space-limited areas for experimenting with , testing and finessing specific ai applications that carry some risk but also have high potential for public good; ### 142. calls strongly for the establishment of an ai lighthouse under the horizon europe framework , which would be the continent’s pioneering centre of excellence for ai research and development; underlines that this should not be a distributed network , but rather a region in which european resources are pooled; believes that the lighthouse concept has the potential to attract the best and brightest minds from abroad , as well as to bring substantial private investment into europe; the eu should commit to a long-term and very substantial investment plan in the selected lighthouse region of eur 1 billion per year over the next 10 years; states that the region should be selected in an objective process by the foremost experts in the field of ai , to ensure that the lighthouse will be located where the potential to generate european added value and societal benefits are the greatest; adds that the ai lighthouse would be an excellent place to create regulatory sandboxes , meaning time- and space-limited areas for experimenting with , testing and finessing specific ai applications that carry some risk but also have high potential for public good;


### 142. supports strongly the establishment of an ai lighthouse under the horizon europe framework , which would be the continent’s pioneering centre of excellence for ai research and development; notes , however , that the eu and the member states should commit to a long-term and much more substantial investment plan in the region of eur 1 billion per year over the next 10 years; adds that the ai lighthouse would be an excellent place to create regulatory sandboxes , meaning time- and space-limited areas for experimenting with , testing and finessing specific ai applications that carry some risk but also have high potential for public good; ### 142. supports strongly the establishment of a distributed ai lighthouse supported by the horizon europe framework , building on the existing and future networks of regional ai excellence centres , with the aim to build an alliance of strong european research organisations that will share a common roadmap to support excellence in basic and applied research , to align national ai efforts , to foster innovation and investments , to attract and retain ai talent in europe , and to create synergies and economies of scale; notes , however , that the eu and the member states should commit to a long-term and much more substantial investment plan in the region of eur 1 billion per year over the next 10 years; adds that the ai lighthouse would be an excellent place to create regulatory sandboxes , meaning time- and space-limited areas for experimenting with , testing and finessing specific ai applications that carry some risk but also have high potential for public good;


### 145. proposes that on top of the suggested ai training , the eu and its member states should create awareness raising campaigns , including public discussions at local level , as an additional means to reach , inform and empower citizens to understand better the capabilities , limitations and impacts of ai; ### 145. proposes that on top of the suggested ai training , the eu and its member states should create awareness raising campaigns , including public discussions at local level , as an additional means to reach , inform and empower citizens to understand better the capabilities , limitations and impacts of ai; proposes additional funding for ngos working on advancing the debate on the social , economic and political dimensions of ai;


### 146. calls on member states to deliver on the tallinn declaration on egovernment and put mechanisms in place to provide borderless , interoperable , personalised , user-friendly , and end-to-end digital public services based on ai to all individuals and businesses at all levels of public administration; is of the opinion that the objective should be to increase the number of people that use egovernment services , with a focus on ai , to up to 80 % of all eu citizens over the next five years; ### 146. calls on member states to deliver on the tallinn declaration on egovernment and put mechanisms in place to provide borderless , interoperable , personalised , user-friendly , and end-to-end digital public services based on ai to all individuals and businesses at all levels of public administration; is of the opinion that the objective should be to increase the number of people that use egovernment services , with a focus on ai , to up to 80 % of all eu citizens over the next five years; calls on public bodies to become investors in ai as a public good where commercial solutions are not feasible;


### 148. is convinced that the eu should implement an ambitious digital industrial strategy with a focus on ai , that attempts to reduce the eu’s dependence on non-european hardware , software and services while establishing sound ethical , technological and security standards for those elements that are not produced in the eu or where the purchasing of imports makes more sense from an economic point of view; declares that this approach does not aim to make the eu protectionist , but to strengthen its role as a champion of international cooperation and trade; ### 148. is convinced that the eu should implement an ambitious digital industrial strategy with a focus on ai , that attempts to reduce the eu’s dependence on scarce or critical non-european hardware , software and services while establishing sound ethical , technological and security standards for those elements that are not produced in the eu or where the purchasing of imports makes more sense from an economic point of view; declares that this approach does not aim to make the eu protectionist , but to strengthen its role as a champion of international cooperation and trade;


### 149. proposes to offer an alternative to the buy-out vision of many ai start-ups by ensuring that government support is provided at all stages of their development; underlines in this regard that the eu should amplify its efforts at offering smes and start-ups development paths and services , especially by promoting the use of digital tools , developing ai transition plans and further expanding the exchange of best practices; urges the commission and the member states to provide better counselling and more concrete support through networks , digital hubs , ai trainers , business mentoring and site visits; ### 149. proposes to offer an alternative to the buy-out vision of many ai start-ups by ensuring that government support is provided at all stages of their development; underlines in this regard that the eu should amplify its efforts at offering smes and start-ups development paths and services , especially by promoting the use of digital tools , developing ai transition plans and further expanding the exchange of best practices; urges the commission and the member states to provide better counselling and more concrete support through networks , digital hubs , ai trainers , business mentoring and site visits; notes that excessive , casuistic , and highly detailed regulatory intervention will hamper innovation and work against europe’s ambitions to set standards and promote trustworthy ai; highlights that excessive administrative burden , which is most heavily felt by smes , can have unintended consequences by hampering innovation and pushing europe further behind in the global race towards ai excellence;


### 151. considers it to be of paramount importance for the safety and security of citizens that law enforcement agencies are well advanced in ai development , making full use of the potential of digital technologies to prevent and investigate serious crimes through real-time facial recognition in select locations; underlines that diligently developed algorithms for crime prevention and investigation , based on highly qualitative data , may provide a higher level of efficiency , neutrality and legal certainty than human law enforcement agents , and should thus be promoted; ### 151. considers it paramount for the safety and security of citizens that law enforcement agencies are enabled to make the most of the potential of ai to detect , investigate and prosecute serious crimes; underlines that diligently developed algorithms for crime prevention and investigation , based on highly qualitative data , will provide a higher level of efficiency , neutrality and legal certainty than human law enforcement agents working without ai help , and should thus be promoted;


### 153. urges member states to pursue an active policy of european cyber diplomacy by denouncing and attributing foreign-supported ai-powered cyberattacks , while leveraging the full toolbox of eu diplomacy; advises that this should include diplomatic responses , the termination of financial aid and sanctions against those countries or proxies that engage in malicious cyber activities or that sponsor cybercrimes; believes that the eu , in close cooperation with nato , should consider using ai to execute cyber counter-strikes against repeat offenders; ### 153. urges member states to pursue an active policy of european cyber diplomacy by denouncing and attributing foreign-supported ai-powered cyberattacks , while leveraging the full use of the eu cyber diplomacy toolbox to prevent , deter and respond to malicious cyber activities; advises that this should include diplomatic responses , the termination of financial aid and sanctions against those countries or proxies that engage in malicious cyber activities or that sponsor cybercrimes; believes that the eu , in close cooperation with nato , should consider using ai to execute retaliatory measures against repeat offenders , including using ai-powered offensive cyber capabilities;


### 154. notes that exclusive military and national security uses of ai should be exempt from civilian ai legislation , since overregulation in the field of security and defence could pre-emptively restrict the eu’s capacity to innovate and deploy ai technologies , placing it at a disadvantage to its adversaries that do not have such constraints; ### 154. notes that exclusive military and national security uses of ai should be exempt from civilian ai legislation , since overregulation in the field of security and defence could pre-emptively restrict the eu’s capacity to innovate and deploy ai technologies , placing it at a disadvantage to its adversaries that do not have such constraints; points out that the eu should nevertheless work towards an international framework of secure research , development , storage and use of ai-assisted weaponry , embodied or purely digital and that punish the development and use of ai-assisted weaponry that increases the possibility to break international human rights , including the law of war;


### 157. highlights further that the eu , with its regulatory and market powers , has the potential to shape the international debate on ai and to push for common standards for the ethics-driven , sustainable and trustworthy development and use of this technology , fully in line with european principles and values; highlights , however , that the window of opportunity for consolidating such a distinctive european approach to ai on the international stage is closing fast , which is why the eu needs to join forces and agree on a joint ai strategy , including a balanced regulatory framework , very soon; ### 157. highlights further that the eu , with its regulatory and market powers , has the potential to shape the international debate on ai and to push for common standards for the ethics-driven , sustainable and trustworthy development and use of this technology , fully in line with european principles and values; highlights , however , that the window of opportunity for consolidating such a distinctive european approach to ai on the international stage is closing fast , which is why the eu needs to come together and agree on a joint ai strategy , including a balanced regulatory framework , very soon; stresses the need to join forces with likeminded partners around the world to build a trusting and interdependent community of ai-powered democracies;


### 159. concludes that it is the eu’s responsibility to quickly set up a favourable regulatory environment for ai that provides for swift digital law-making , effective governance and balanced ethical standards , while at the same time preventing overregulation and giving enough leeway for innovation; urges that the adequate development and training of ai will require better access to high-quality data , common standards and incentives for voluntary data sharing; calls on its committees on legal affairs (juri) , internal market and consumer protection (imco) , industry , research and energy (itre) , civil liberties , justice and home affairs (libe) , and constitutional affairs (afco) to ensure that these goals are met; ### 159. concludes that it is the eu’s responsibility to quickly set up a favourable regulatory environment for ai that provides for effective governance and balanced ethical standards , preventing overregulation and giving enough leeway for innovation; urges that the adequate development and training of ai will require better access to high-quality data , common standards and incentives for voluntary data sharing; calls on its committees on legal affairs (juri) , internal market and consumer protection (imco) , industry , research and energy (itre) , civil liberties , justice and home affairs (libe) , and constitutional affairs (afco) to ensure that these goals are met;


### 160. concludes that our digital ambitions in fields such as ai can only be achieved through a fully integrated and fully harmonised digital single market that promotes cross-border exchange and that guarantees that the same rules and standards apply to all ai researchers and companies across the eu; stresses in this regard that the eu also needs to target abuses of market power in order to level the playing field; calls on the economic and monetary affairs (econ) , imco and juri committees to guarantee this; ### 160. concludes that our digital ambitions in fields such as ai can only be achieved through a fully integrated and fully harmonised digital single market that promotes cross-border exchange and that guarantees that the same rules and standards apply to all ai researchers and companies across the eu; stresses in this regard that the eu also needs to target abuses of market power in order to level the playing field; calls on the economic and monetary affairs (econ) , imco , itre and juri committees to guarantee this;


### 162. concludes that in order to promote innovation in ai , it is necessary to provide eu citizens with the means to acquire digital skills; stresses that in order to increase digital literacy and resilience and to combat the digital divide among citizens in the digital age , digital and ai education needs to start at an early stage and remain available at all levels of employment; finds that initiatives to establish ai ecosystems of excellence , to increase the pool of ai talent in the eu and to combat brain drain are of vital importance; calls on the culture and education (cult) , employment and social affairs (empl) and itre committee to focus their resources on these fields; ### 162. concludes that in order to promote innovation in ai , it is necessary to provide eu citizens with the means to acquire digital skills; stresses that in order to increase digital literacy and resilience and to combat the digital divide among citizens in the digital age , digital and ai education needs to start at an early stage and remain available at all levels of employment; finds that initiatives to establish ai ecosystems of excellence , to increase the pool of ai talent in the eu and to combat brain drain are of vital importance; stresses the need for increased and better coordinated investment , including new mechanisms for supporting basic ai research , as a way to increase possibilities of retaining and attracting ai expertise and talent; calls on the culture and education (cult) , employment and social affairs (empl) and itre committee to focus their resources on these fields;


### 163. concludes that in order to build trust in ai among citizens , public services and their administrative structures need to lead by example; stresses that the eu needs to accelerate the uptake of ai in egovernance in order to facilitate the secure use of ai in public administrations and to strengthen democratic structures as well as the eu’s core ethical principles; stresses furthermore that ai in the healthcare sector , if provided with the means to securely access patients’ data , will revolutionise healthcare systems; calls on the envi , itre , juri and libe committees to monitor and accelerate these developments; ### 163. concludes that in order to build trust in ai among citizens , public services and their administrative structures need to lead by example; stresses that the eu needs to accelerate the uptake of ai in egovernance in order to facilitate the secure use of ai in public administrations and to strengthen democratic structures as well as the eu’s core ethical principles; stresses furthermore that ai in the healthcare sector , if provided with the means to securely access patients’ data , will revolutionise healthcare systems; stresses , also , the immense potential to combat and investigate serious crimes and improving security for citizens through the uptake of robust , impartial and efficient ai solutions within law enforcement; calls on the envi , itre , juri and libe committees to monitor and accelerate these developments;


### 163. concludes that in order to build trust in ai among citizens , public services and their administrative structures need to lead by example; stresses that the eu needs to accelerate the uptake of ai in egovernance in order to facilitate the secure use of ai in public administrations and to strengthen democratic structures as well as the eu’s core ethical principles; stresses furthermore that ai in the healthcare sector , if provided with the means to securely access patients’ data , will revolutionise healthcare systems; calls on the envi , itre , juri and libe committees to monitor and accelerate these developments; ### 163. concludes that in order to build trust in ai among citizens , public services and their administrative structures need to lead by example; stresses that the eu needs to accelerate the uptake of ai in egovernance in order to facilitate the secure use of ai in public administrations and to strengthen democratic structures as well as the eu’s core ethical principles; stresses furthermore that ai in the healthcare sector , if provided with high-quality data and ai training , will revolutionise healthcare systems; stresses , also , the immense potential to combat and investigate serious crimes and improving security for citizens through the uptake of robust , impartial and efficient ai solutions within law enforcement; calls on the envi , itre , juri and libe committees to monitor and accelerate these developments;


### 164. concludes that the eu’s ai strategy should not overlook military and security considerations that arise with the global deployment of ai technologies; stresses that international cooperation with like-minded partners needs to be increased in order to safeguard our ethical principles and values but also to protect our continent against new technological threats; finds that our entire security system is affected by the digital transformation; urges the eu , therefore , to come up with new policy responses and tactics; calls on the foreign affairs (afet) , international trade (inta) and libe committees , and the subcommittee on security and defence (sede) to develop effective responses; ### 164. concludes that the eu’s ai strategy should not overlook military and security considerations that arise with the global deployment of ai technologies; stresses that international cooperation with like-minded partners needs to be increased in order to safeguard our ethical principles and values but also to protect us against new technological threats; finds that our entire security system is affected by the digital transformation; urges the eu , therefore , to come up with new policy responses and tactics; calls on the foreign affairs (afet) , international trade (inta) and libe committees , and the subcommittee on security and defence (sede) to develop effective responses;


### 3. notes that the court of auditors mentions that the work carried out over many years indicates that mff heading 7 concerns an overall low-risk spending; ### 3. notes that the court of auditors mentions that the work carried out over many years indicates that mff heading 7 concerns an overall low-risk spending; however , notes that the annual report on the implementation of the eu budget for the 2021financial year does not provide for any relevant information on cjeu and invites the court to include in the next annual reports comprehensive data regarding the completion of all requirements necessary for a consistent discharge procedure.


### 3. notes that due to the covid-19 crisis eur 6 million savings were achieved , mainly by reducing expenditure for freelance interpretation , training , missions , cleaning and security; welcomes the fact that these net savings permitted the cjue to anticipate payments for its buildings , with the aim of reducing its future financial burden; ### 3. notes that due to the covid-19 crisis , estimated additional expenditure of eur 1.7 million was incurred , mainly for the upgrading of it hardware and software to facilitate efficient remote working , while eur 6 million savings were achieved , mainly by reducing expenditure for freelance interpretation , training , missions , cleaning and security; welcomes the fact that these net savings permitted the cjue to anticipate payments for its buildings , with the aim of reducing its future financial burden;


### 2. stresses that the budget of the cjeu is essentially administrative , with around 75% of the appropriations related to expenditure for members and staff , and almost all of the rest related to expenditure for buildings and it; ### 2. stresses that the budget of the cjeu is essentially administrative , with around 75% of the appropriations related to expenditure for members and staff , committed appropriations amounting to eur 333 202 822 in 2021 , which represents an implementation rate of 98.78% (compared to 98.86% in 2020); notes that almost all of the rest was earmarked for expenditure for buildings and it;


### 6. welcomes the fact that the number of cases disposed of in 2021 increased to 1 723 (1 540 in 2020) reaching almost the same level as before the pandemic (1 739 cases in 2019); ### 6. welcomes the fact that , notwithstanding a new upturn in the case-load before both courts in 2021 , the number of cases disposed of that year rose to 1 723 (1 540 in 2020) reaching almost the same level as before the pandemic (1 739 cases in 2019); notes that this parallel trend regarding the overall number of cases brought and disposed of in 2021 also explains why the number of cases pending before the two courts remains stable: 2 541 in 2021 compared with 2542 in 2020.


### 8. welcomes the fact that the institution continued to make an extensive use of the secure video conference system for remote hearings , offering potentially simultaneous interpretation to and from the 24 official languages of the union , in order to address the travel difficulties of some party representatives; notes that , since the launch of this system , which has been awarded the good administration award 2021 from the european ombudsman in the category ‘excellence in innovation/transformation’ , and until 31 december 2021 , 211 oral hearings with remote participation have taken place; ### 8. welcomes the fact that the institution continued to make an extensive use of the secure video conference system for remote hearings , offering potentially simultaneous interpretation to and from the 24 official languages of the union , in order to address the travel difficulties of some party representatives , enabling them to plead remotely and allowing the court to maintain a very high level of judicial activity in 2021; notes that , since the launch of this system , which has been awarded the good administration award 2021 from the european ombudsman in the category ‘excellence in innovation/transformation’ , and until 31 december 2021 , 211 oral hearings with remote participation have taken place;


### 10. notes with interest the high rate of utilisation of e-curia in 2021 with an increase of 11% in the number of accounts and high percentages of procedural documents lodged before the court of justice and the general court (85% and 93% respectively); ### 10. notes with interest the high rate of utilisation of e-curia in 2021 with an increase of 11% in the number of accounts and high percentages of procedural documents lodged before the court of justice and the general court (85% and 93% respectively); welcomes the fact that the introduction of e-curia in 2011 has had a considerable impact on postal costs , which have fallen by approximately 85% over the period 2011-2021.


### 14. notes that , in particular , the court further examined a payment of eur 74.9 million related to the purchase of the scholl building on rue wiertz , the purchase of which was financed from funds that were not used during the covid-19 crisis and carried over from 2020; notes that , when seeking offers , parliament used award criteria that weighted 50% of points for both price and quality of the proposed building; notes that parliament received two offers and awarded the contract to the tenderer proposing the scholl building , significantly closer to parliament’s main site but 30% more expensive per square metre than the building proposed by the other tenderer; notes that the court considered that parliament’s award criteria significantly reduced the importance of price as a basis for the purchase decision , making it unlikely that any other offer could have been accepted; ### 14. notes that , in particular , the court further examined a payment of eur 74.9 million related to the purchase of the scholl building on rue wiertz , the purchase of which was financed from funds that were not used during the covid-19 crisis and carried over from 2020; notes that , when seeking offers , parliament used award criteria that weighted 50% of points for both price and quality of the proposed building; notes that parliament received two offers and awarded the contract to the tenderer proposing the scholl building , significantly closer to parliament’s main site; underlines that the purchase of the building allows , among other , to strengthen the security of parliament’s central complex by excluding any external private property owners , maintain the direct connection to other parliament buildings , and to preserve for the future investments made so far in the building;


### 15. notes the response given by parliament to the court’s observation that the distance criterion played a major role in the quality criteria (namely a weighting factor of 20/50 quality points) , and the possibility of interconnection with the central buildings received an additional weighting factor (4/50 quality points) , which led parliament to consider the scholl building on rue wiertz as the most economically advantageous offer despite the substantial price difference; ### 15. notes the response given by parliament to the court’s observation that the distance criterion played a major role in the quality criteria (namely a weighting factor of 20/50 quality points) , and the possibility of interconnection with the central buildings received an additional weighting factor (4/50 quality points) , which led parliament to consider the scholl building on rue wiertz as the most economically advantageous offer; underlines also that when approving the acquisition the bureau estimated that the acquisition should be analysed against the situation where parliament would have not acquired the building. the usufruct contract signed by parliament in 2009 did not include an exit clause , entailing that parliament would have in any case had to pay the full amount of due usufruct payments for the remaining contractual period (eur -24 000 000). therefore , in the event parliament would have not acquired the building , it would have paid in any case the usufruct and in addition would have totally also lost the already realised investment. in total , this represents eur 39 300 000 (the payment of a usufruct during the remaining contractual period , for a total of eur -24 000 000 plus the loss of all the investments already done by parliament of a total of eur 15 300 000);


### 24. recalls that once the plenary calls for different rules or measures to be implemented by parliament , such proposed rules or measures should be discussed and voted on by the bureau , pursuant to rule 25 of and annex v to the rules of procedure and articles 6 and 166 of the financial regulation; is deeply disappointed , however , that each year very concrete demands adopted by plenary in discharge resolutions are not reflected in the discussions of the bureau meetings despite the fact that both bureau members and the secretary-general are aware of the discharge resolutions and have the capacity to submit proposals under the aforementioned rule 25; is disappointed that the secretary-general's written replies to parliament’s committee on budgetary control are often limited to quoting the current rules without any dedicated discussion in the bureau and thus , lacking a genuine effort or intention to review those rules in accordance with parliament’s will; believes that this situation is detrimental to the exercise of democratic scrutiny which is carried out via the discharge procedure and for which parliament should be a role model for all union institutions and bodies; ### 24. welcomes that pursuant to rule 25 of and annex v to the rules of procedure and articles 6 and 166 of the financial regulation once the plenary calls for different rules or measures to be implemented by parliament , such proposed rules or measures are discussed and voted on by the bureau; reminds , in light of rule 25 of the rules of procedure that the bureau is responsible to take decisions on financial , organisational and administrative matters concerning members; highlights , that the bureau is composed of democratically elected members of all political groups; notes , that the members of the bureau participate in deliberations and vote on resolutions related to parliament’s draft estimates and discharge procedures; highlights , that since the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic in march 2020 and until the gradual lifting of sanitary restrictions at the beginning of 2022 , the bureau`s deliberations were focused primarily on decisions aimed at protecting the integrity of members and staff while ensuring business continuity and implementing practical solidarity measures vis-à-vis the three host member states of the parliament;


### 25. recalls that the bureau has been mandated by the plenary to decide all administrative , staff and organisational matters concerning members and is concerned that the decisions of the bureau often fail to respect the will expressed by the plenary in discharge resolutions; reiterates the importance of the discharge procedure as set in the financial regulation and the rules of procedure and demands that resolutions affecting the functioning of parliament be thoroughly taken into consideration and followed up in a legitimate , transparent manner; recommends that the committee on budgetary control should be systematically informed whenever a proposal arising from a discharge resolution is going to be discussed by the bureau and calls on the secretary-general to always include a clear list of the bureau discussions and votes when providing the replies to the discharge resolutions; ### 25. reiterates the importance of the discharge procedure as set in the financial regulation and the rules of procedure and demands that resolutions affecting the functioning of parliament be thoroughly taken into consideration and followed up in a legitimate , transparent manner; reminds that the agendas of bureau meetings are published beforehand and are made available on parliament's internet site and that all bureau discussions and decisions , including the ones in camera , are minuted and , once approved by the bureau , the minutes are also accessible on parliament's internet site; recommends that the committee on budgetary control should be systematically informed whenever a proposal arising from a discharge resolution is going to be discussed by the bureau;


### 29. notes that the impact of the continuance of the covid-19 pandemic in 2021 led to substantial transfers within parliament’s budget , and that a budgetary surplus became available in areas such as travel expenses , organisation and reception of groups of visitors , the operation of parliament visitors’ centres , in-person training , and lower energy consumption; notes that , at the same time , the pandemic created additional budgetary needs in other areas , notably health and prevention , as well as technical equipment and logistics for multilingual hybrid meetings and votes; observes that a substantial part of the savings were used to amortise the costs of the expansive building policy of the last few years; ### 29. notes that the impact of the continuance of the covid-19 pandemic in 2021 led to substantial transfers within parliament’s budget , and that a budgetary surplus became available in areas such as travel expenses , organisation and reception of groups of visitors , the operation of parliament visitors’ centres , in-person training , and lower energy consumption; notes that , at the same time , the pandemic created additional budgetary needs in other areas , notably health and prevention , as well as technical equipment and logistics for multilingual hybrid meetings and votes; observes that a substantial part of the savings were transferred to building policy of the last few years;


### 29. notes that the impact of the continuance of the covid-19 pandemic in 2021 led to substantial transfers within parliament’s budget , and that a budgetary surplus became available in areas such as travel expenses , organisation and reception of groups of visitors , the operation of parliament visitors’ centres , in-person training , and lower energy consumption; notes that , at the same time , the pandemic created additional budgetary needs in other areas , notably health and prevention , as well as technical equipment and logistics for multilingual hybrid meetings and votes; observes that a substantial part of the savings were used to amortise the costs of the expansive building policy of the last few years; ### 29. notes that the impact of the continuance of the covid-19 pandemic in 2021 led to substantial transfers within parliament’s budget , and that a budgetary surplus became available in areas such as travel expenses , organisation and reception of groups of visitors , the operation of parliament visitors’ centres , in-person training , and lower energy consumption; notes that , at the same time , the pandemic created additional budgetary needs in other areas , notably health and prevention , as well as technical equipment and logistics for multilingual hybrid meetings and votes; observes that a substantial part of the savings were used to amortise the costs of the building policy of the last few years;


### 30. is concerned that the measures introduced as a result of the covid-19 pandemic resulted in modified working conditions in specific services within parliament which had a negative impact on staff , for example at the copy shop in brussels where members of staff had to work in isolation for a long period of time even after the safety measures were lifted; asks parliament’s administration to proactively re-evaluate the working conditions changed in possible similar situations; ### 30. observes that the measures introduced as a result of the covid-19 pandemic resulted in modified working conditions in specific services within parliament , for example at the copy shop in brussels where members of staff had to work in isolation for a long period of time even after the safety measures were lifted; highlights , that 2021 imposed numerous challenges on the work of the parliament , the main one being the uncertainty as regards the evolution of the pandemic and the corresponding measures to be taken by the authorities to maintain fair working conditions; notes that isolation was a result of maintaining the measures preventing further spread of the pandemic;


### 31. praises the key role of parliament’s medical services at the forefront of the covid-19 pandemic response and acknowledges the enormous workload involved , which included treatment , testing and vaccination of staff , providing psychological support and advising on mitigation measures; regrets the fact that the staff annual medical check-up was cancelled in 2021 and recalls that is a statutory right laid down in article 59(6) of the staff regulations; welcomes the creation , in october 2021 , of the medical preparedness and crisis management unit (mpcmu) made up of staff from the medical services in brussels and luxembourg with the objective of enhancing parliament’s response capacity for future crisis; ### 31. praises the key role of parliament’s medical services at the forefront of the covid-19 pandemic response and acknowledges the enormous workload involved , which included treatment , testing and vaccination of staff , providing psychological support and advising on mitigation measures; welcomes the statutory right laid down in article 59(6) of the staff regulations giving the right to a staff annual medical check-up; notes that the staff annual medical check-up had to be cancelled in 2021; highlights that the year of 2021 was a challenging year impacted enormously by the covid-19 pandemic which required most of the extraordinary measures introduced in 2020 to be maintained and adapted to minimise the risk for members and staff while ensuring that the parliament remains able to continue its core activities and to fulfil its mandate as democratic representation of the eu citizens; welcomes the creation , in october 2021 , of the medical preparedness and crisis management unit (mpcmu) made up of staff from the medical services in brussels and luxembourg with the objective of enhancing parliament’s response capacity for future crisis;


### 33. recalls that article 4 of the president’s decision of 1 june 2021 on security measures to limit the spread of covid-19 provided for temperature checks on any person entering parliament’s buildings; notes that , for that purpose , parliament purchased different models of body temperature detectors for a total amount of eur 595 459.63 (382 515 ,63 in 2020 and eur 212 944 in 2021); observes that of the equipment purchased in 2021 , 40 temperature detection units installed in the metal detectors were not used as of the 14 march 2022 and 4 cameras are now kept in storage; recalls that no provision was introduced to prevent people who had been denied entry from simply trying again moments later; observes that there is no data on the number of persons having been denied access to parliament’s premises during the period of validity of the measure; regrets the conclusion that it is thus not possible to assess the effectiveness of the body temperature checks or the purchase of the equipment; ### 33. recalls that article 4 of the president’s decision of 1 june 2021 on security measures to limit the spread of covid-19 provided for temperature checks on any person entering parliament’s buildings; notes that , for that purpose , parliament purchased different models of body temperature detectors for a total amount of eur 595 459 ,63 (382 515 ,63 in 2020 and eur 212 944 in 2021); observes that of the equipment purchased in 2021 , 40 temperature detection units installed in the metal detectors were not used as of the 14 march 2022 and 4 cameras are now kept in storage; recalls that no provision was introduced to prevent people who had been denied entry from simply trying again moments later; nevertheless , highlights that during the summer it was often the case that persons have been denied access being influenced by the high temperature outside , which has nothing to do with high fever; observes that there is no data on the number of persons having been denied access to parliament’s premises during the period of validity of the measure; also observes that with respect to article 10 of regulation 2018/1725 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data , parliament did not treat nor collect this data , which is considered to be sensitive data;


### 34. notes that a reduction in cleaning staff was not necessary in brussels as the buildings remained open and that in strasbourg and luxembourg the increase in cleaning needs compensated for the decrease in activity and thus , no losses were incurred by the cleaning providers over the year; notes that at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 , the two cleaning contractors in brussels launched a satisfaction survey among their employees as requested in the 2020 discharge resolution; ### 34. notes that a reduction in cleaning staff was not necessary in brussels as the buildings remained open and that in strasbourg and luxembourg the increase in cleaning needs compensated for the decrease in activity and thus , no losses were incurred by the cleaning providers over the year; notes that at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 , the two cleaning contractors in brussels launched a satisfaction survey among their employees as requested in the 2020 discharge resolution; notes that the employees completed the questionnaire anonymously and that the answers were received and stored on a secured platform; underlines that for the first contractor , the analysis of the results shows that over 90% of the staff is motivated to perform well , receives a good example from their management and feels part of a well united team; notes that for the second contractor , the results were quite similar; notes that , as of 9 november 2022 , all cleaning services in parliament’s premises in brussels are provided by two new service providers;


### 35. stresses the major negative impact of the covid-19 pandemic on parliament’s catering staff which led to worsening working conditions and even dismissals; welcomes the solidarity measures implemented from april 2020 to december 2021 , namely the provision of ‘charity meals’ and a business continuity fee in the three places of work , that at least helped to safeguard 37 jobs for catering staff; welcomes the fact that there 20 new jobs have been created since the restart of all catering activities in march 2022 , but regrets the fact that parliament’s administration has not communicated how many jobs were lost during the pandemic with the pretext that it is a concession contract; is of the opinion that the internalization of essential services such as catering and cleaning should be considered by the governing bodies , as parliament has recently done with security and it services , and it was also made with the cpe2 crèche in luxembourg; ### 35. stresses the major negative impact of the covid-19 pandemic on parliament’s catering staff which led to worsening working conditions and even dismissals; welcomes the solidarity measures implemented from april 2020 to december 2021 , namely the provision of ‘charity meals’ and a business continuity fee in the three places of work , that at least helped to safeguard 37 jobs for catering staff; welcomes the fact that there 20 new jobs have been created since the restart of all catering activities in march 2022; notes , that catering and cleaning services are carried out by external service providers due to their specific nature which does not meet the conditions for internalisation; therefore , is of the opinion that the internalization of these services should not be considered by the governing bodies;


### 35. stresses the major negative impact of the covid-19 pandemic on parliament’s catering staff which led to worsening working conditions and even dismissals; welcomes the solidarity measures implemented from april 2020 to december 2021 , namely the provision of ‘charity meals’ and a business continuity fee in the three places of work , that at least helped to safeguard 37 jobs for catering staff; welcomes the fact that there 20 new jobs have been created since the restart of all catering activities in march 2022 , but regrets the fact that parliament’s administration has not communicated how many jobs were lost during the pandemic with the pretext that it is a concession contract; is of the opinion that the internalization of essential services such as catering and cleaning should be considered by the governing bodies , as parliament has recently done with security and it services , and it was also made with the cpe2 crèche in luxembourg; ### 35. recalls the negative impact of the covid-19 pandemic on parliament’s catering staff; welcomes the solidarity measures implemented from april 2020 to december 2021 , namely the provision of ‘charity meals’ and a business continuity fee in the three places of work , that at least helped to safeguard 37 jobs for catering staff; commends that the parliament was the first eu institution to launch a food donation program , and that during the covid 19 crisis , it was the only institution to take action to save employment; welcomes the fact that there 20 new jobs have been created since the restart of all catering activities in march 2022 , stresses that the internalization of essential services such as catering and cleaning would require massive recruitment of employees and lead to a significant increase in costs;


### 38. is concerned about the reported hearing problems that resulted from remote interpreting for long periods of time; is alarmed that 63 ,5% of respondents (127 out of 200) reported hearing problems in a survey on remote simultaneous interpreting conducted by the staff interpreters’ delegation at the beginning of 2021 and 54% of respondents (702 out of 1 602) mentioned in a survey conducted among staff and freelance interpreters in may 2022 that working under the conditions imposed as a result of the covid-19 pandemic had an impact on their health and well-being; recalls the duty of care owed by the european institutions to their employees , which must be taken into account when implementing preventive measures to avoid harm to the health of interpreters; ### 38. observes that 63 ,5% of respondents (127 out of 200) reported hearing problems in a survey on remote simultaneous interpreting conducted by the staff interpreters’ delegation at the beginning of 2021 and 54% of respondents (702 out of 1 602) mentioned in a survey conducted among staff and freelance interpreters in may 2022 that working under the conditions imposed as a result of the covid-19 pandemic had an impact on their health and well-being; highlights , that the health issues reported by interpreters are being followed up by parliament’s medical services; notes that the follow-up by the medical service did not detect an increase in hearing problems for interpreters; highlights , that the administration has deployed targeted actions to improve sound quality;


### 41. observes that parliament’s interpreters held a strike from june to october 2022 with the aim of improving working conditions , primarily better sound quality and a limitation on the number and duration of interpreting hours of remote speakers as done during the covid-19 pandemic; regrets that parliament's administration resorted to external interpreting services , with a total cost of eur 47 324.80 , during this interpreters' strike as this decision jeopardised parliament’s quality standard for interpretation , damaged its image and more importantly obstructed workers' right to strike; welcomes the interim working arrangements for meetings with remote participation agreed between the trade union , interpreters’ representatives and parliament’s administration on 17 october 2022 and notes that negotiations on interpreters’ working conditions will be conducted to reflect on parliament’s post-pandemic working methods; ### 41. observes that parliament’s interpreters held a strike from june to october 2022 with the aim of improving working conditions , primarily better sound quality and a limitation on the number and duration of interpreting hours of remote speakers as done during the covid-19 pandemic; notes that parliament's administration resorted to external interpreting services , with a total cost of eur 47 324 ,80 , during this interpreters' strike; stresses that external remote interpretation services , despite being cost-efficient , should generally not be provided to core meetings of parliamentary bodies; highlights that the core work of parliament depends on interpretation and thus resorting to external service providers can be optional in duly justified cases; welcomes the interim working arrangements for meetings with remote participation agreed between the trade union , interpreters’ representatives and parliament’s administration on 17 october 2022 and notes that negotiations on interpreters’ working conditions will be conducted to reflect on parliament’s post-pandemic working methods; stresses that dg linc should plan its future interpretation capacity needs with 23% of conference interpreting agents being above 60 years old and look towards recruiting new interpreters in a timely manner;


### 42. notes that 877 out of 6 621 posts (13 ,2%) were vacant at the end of 2021; acknowledges the general difficulties encountered by the union institutions , including parliament , in attracting and retaining talent , which has an impact on the diversity and geographical distribution of the workforce; notes that in 2021 two surveys were run by parliament’s directorate-general for personnel (dg pers) to find out the main reasons for applying for a job in parliament and that the results pointed to salaries , but also job significance and flexible working conditions; notes the opinion of parliament’s administration on the slowness of the competitions conducted by the european personnel selection office (epso) but recalls the current transformation process aiming to shorten the duration of competitions , to make them more efficient and to better target specialist profiles while keeping objectivity and equality of treatment at the core of the process; notes that in 2021 parliament started running internal competitions and is concerned about the internal criticisms which have stressed that fast-track recruitment procedures may lead to discrimination between professional categories; ### 42. notes that 877 out of 6 621 posts (13 ,2%) were vacant at the end of 2021; acknowledges the general difficulties encountered by the union institutions , including parliament , in attracting and retaining talent , which has an impact on the diversity and geographical distribution of the workforce; notes that in 2021 two surveys were run by parliament’s directorate-general for personnel (dg pers) to find out the main reasons for applying for a job in parliament and that the results pointed to salaries , but also job significance and flexible working conditions; notes the opinion of parliament’s administration on the slowness of the competitions conducted by the european personnel selection office (epso) but recalls the current transformation process aiming to shorten the duration of competitions , to make them more efficient and to better target specialist profiles while keeping objectivity and equality of treatment at the core of the process; notes that in 2021 parliament started running internal competitions;


### 43. calls for a deep reflection on the new ways of working that can reconcile the needs of parliament’s administration (including team cohesion , internal communication , and on-boarding of newcomers) with the expectations and satisfaction of its staff , which would positively impact their performance as well as the attractiveness of parliament as an employer; highlights in this context the importance of a genuine social dialogue with the staff representatives on crucial points like a flexible work environment , health and welfare and training and career opportunites; also draws attention to the need to review the rules on harassment in relation to these new forms of work; suggests that a joint committee be established that assists dg pers in monitoring the effective implementation and compliance of clear guidelines on teleworking and the right to disconnect that can be adapted to the needs of the different services; ### 43. calls for a deep reflection on the new ways of working that can reconcile the needs of parliament’s administration (including team cohesion , internal communication , and on-boarding of newcomers) with the expectations and satisfaction of its staff , which would positively impact their performance as well as the attractiveness of parliament as an employer; highlights in this context the importance of a genuine social dialogue with the staff representatives on crucial points like a flexible work environment , health and welfare and training and career opportunities; ask the bureau to introduce the possibility for staff , group staff , and apas to take up to 10 days per year of teleworking outside of the three working places to adapt to modern realities as well as family time obligations , and increase parliament’s attractiveness as employer; stresses that parliament should align such teleworking rules with the conditions of other institutions such as the commission , the council , the european court of auditors , who have all introduced this possibility already;


### 43. calls for a deep reflection on the new ways of working that can reconcile the needs of parliament’s administration (including team cohesion , internal communication , and on-boarding of newcomers) with the expectations and satisfaction of its staff , which would positively impact their performance as well as the attractiveness of parliament as an employer; highlights in this context the importance of a genuine social dialogue with the staff representatives on crucial points like a flexible work environment , health and welfare and training and career opportunites; also draws attention to the need to review the rules on harassment in relation to these new forms of work; suggests that a joint committee be established that assists dg pers in monitoring the effective implementation and compliance of clear guidelines on teleworking and the right to disconnect that can be adapted to the needs of the different services; ### 43. acknowledges the new ways of working that can reconcile the needs of parliament’s administration (including team cohesion , internal communication , and on-boarding of newcomers) with the expectations and satisfaction of its staff , which would positively impact their performance as well as the attractiveness of parliament as an employer; highlights in this context the importance of a genuine social dialogue with the staff representatives on crucial points like a flexible work environment , health and welfare and training and career opportunities; highlights that physical presence is of crucial importance for the efficient interaction of all actors in every parliamentary process; also draws attention to the need to review the rules on harassment in relation to these new forms of work;


### 44. recalls the seriously inadequate staffing levels in parliament’s committee secretariats at the end of 2020 due , inter alia , to the increased workload , the working methods applied under the covid-19 pandemic and the creation of new temporary committees; welcomes the fact that further to the adoption of the 2022 budget , 66 new organigram posts (12 for the directorate-general for external policies (dg expo) and 54 posts for the directorate-general for internal policies (dg ipol)) , were created in the establishment plan with a view to swiftly reinforcing the support to parliamentary committees; is concerned that , currently , the net increase of staff (including organigram posts and contract agents) is planned to only include 8 additional members of staff , notably as the number of contractual agents has decreased by 23 between january and november 2022; reminds the secretary-general of the commitment to an actual reinforcement of the human resources capacity in dg expo and dg ipol , including an adequate level of contract agents; points out that all available resources in committees , policy departments , horizontal and support services should be assigned to the implementation of parliament’s legislative , budgetary and control powers and procedures; calls therefore for the available resources to be distributed according to the committees’ level of activity in these areas and not only to the number of legislative reports; ### 44. recalls the seriously inadequate staffing levels in parliament’s committee secretariats at the end of 2020 due , inter alia , to the increased workload , the working methods applied under the covid-19 pandemic and the creation of new temporary committees; welcomes the fact that further to the adoption of the 2022 budget , 66 new organigram posts (12 for the directorate-general for external policies (dg expo) and 54 posts for the directorate-general for internal policies (dg ipol)) , were created in the establishment plan with a view to swiftly reinforcing the support to parliamentary committees; is concerned that , currently , the net increase of staff (including organigram posts and contract agents) is planned to only include 8 additional members of staff , notably as the number of contractual agents has decreased by 23 between january and november 2022; welcomes the efforts of the secretary-general to reinforce the human resources capacity in dg expo and dg ipol , including an adequate level of contract agents; acknowledges that all available resources in committees , policy departments , horizontal and support services are to be assigned to the implementation of parliament’s legislative , budgetary and control powers and procedures;


### 45. is concerned about the bureau decision of 21 november 2022 , based on a secretary-general’s proposal , on general implementing provisions giving effect to article 27 of the staff regulations; insists on the importance of achieving a fair geographical balance among parliament’s staff provided that the measures are “appropriate” , as required by article 27 , and stresses that competitions must respect fundamental principles enshrined in the staff regulations and charter of fundamental rights , such as the principles of equality , non-discrimination and proportionality; recalls furthermore that article 27 states that “those appropriate measures must be justified and shall never result in recruitment criteria other than those based on merit”; calls for an immediate referral of these general implementing provisions to parliament’s legal service for a compliance assessment; ### 45. welcomes the bureau decision of 21 november 2022 , based on a secretary-general’s proposal , on general implementing provisions giving effect to article 27 of the staff regulations; welcomes the further efforts of the secretary-general and the bureau following the 2020 discharge resolution that called for further efforts to ensure that employment at parliament is equally attractive to all union nationalities; insists on the importance of achieving a fair geographical balance among parliament’s staff provided that the measures are “appropriate” , as required by article 27 , and stresses that competitions must respect fundamental principles enshrined in the staff regulations and charter of fundamental rights , such as the principles of equality , non-discrimination and proportionality; reminds that article 27 of the staff regulations enables parliament to adopt appropriate measures in the event that a significant imbalance between nationalities among officials is observed , which is not justified by objective criteria; recalls furthermore that article 27 states that “those appropriate measures must be justified and shall never result in recruitment criteria other than those based on merit”;


### 47. expresses concerns regarding the particular difficulties in finding candidates willing to work for parliament in luxembourg , mainly due to the high cost of living and the increasing price of housing while availing of a salary that is adapted to living conditions in brussels; asks parliament’s administration to urgently forward a request to the commission to address the long-standing and serious problem of salary indexation in luxembourg by adopting a delegated act to correct the relevant staff regulations provision; ### 47. observes particular difficulties in finding candidates willing to work for parliament in luxembourg , mainly due to the high cost of living and the increasing price of housing while availing of a salary that is adapted to living conditions in brussels; asks parliament’s administration to forward a request to the commission to address the long-standing and serious problem of salary indexation in luxembourg by adopting a delegated act to correct the relevant staff regulations provision;


### 51. recalls that , according to article 9 of the staff regulations , the staff committee represents the interests of the staff vis-à-vis their institution and maintains continuous contact with them; points out that decisions taken by parliament’s governing bodies often have a significant impact on staff and thus , reiterates that it is essential for staff representatives to be heard when general matters affecting parliament’s staff policy are discussed; reiterates furthermore its request to the secretary-general to take the appropriate measures to implement this key approach , for instance setting up a mandatory consultation procedure with staff representatives during the preparation of the proposals for bureau decisions on staff matters; ### 51. recalls that , according to article 9 of the staff regulations , the staff committee represents the interests of the staff vis-à-vis their institution and maintains continuous contact with them; points out that decisions taken by parliament’s governing bodies often have a significant impact on staff and thus , reiterates that it is essential for staff representatives to be heard when general matters affecting parliament’s staff policy are discussed;


### 52. recalls parliament’s recommendation to the commission in its resolution of 18 april 2018 ‘to review its administrative procedure for the appointment of senior officials with the objective of fully ensuring that the best candidates are selected within a framework of maximum transparency and equal opportunities , thereby also setting an example for the other european institutions’; is of the opinion that an accelerated appointment procedure and an interview made up of only three questions to select its secretary-general falls short of what is expected of parliament in terms of transparency , accountability and good administration , and it is profoundly damaging to the institution’s reputation; recalls furthermore its own recommendation that officials from staff representatives bodies should sit on parliament’s senior management selection panels; calls therefore on the secretary-general to submit a proposal to the bureau to modify its decision of 16 may 2000 laying down the steps in the procedure for appointing senior officials , in order to enable staff representatives to participate as observers in the advisory committee , which is fully compatible with article 3(4) of annex iii of the staff regulations; ### 52. recalls parliament’s recommendation to the commission in its resolution of 18 april 2018 ‘to review its administrative procedure for the appointment of senior officials with the objective of fully ensuring that the best candidates are selected within a framework of maximum transparency and equal opportunities , thereby also setting an example for the other european institutions’; reminds that the appointment procedure of the secretary-general was a transparent process , where candidates were treated in a fair and equitable manner whilst complying with all necessary eligibility requirements; highlights , that the decision made on the selection of the successful candidate was carried out with a large majority of the bureau;


### 54. reiterates its demand for apas to receive the same subsistence allowance as the officials and other statutory staff for their missions to attend the part-sessions in strasbourg; is of the opinion that the current situation , aggravated by the accumulated increase in prices over the last few years , is unacceptable as apas have to travel to strasbourg to carry out their work in exactly the same way as parliament's officials and other statutory staff; fails to understand this discriminatory treatment regarding the missions to strasbourg while expenses incurred by apas in undertaking missions outside parliament’s three places of work are reimbursed , mutatis mutandis , in accordance with the rules applicable to officials’ missions; highlights that aligning the daily subsistence allowance with that of statutory staff would also put an end to the discriminatory existence of three levels of allowances to choose from , which is maintained without any administrative or financial justification; reiterates , therefore , its request to the bureau to modify its decision of 2 october 2017 with the aim of implementing such alignment; ### 54. reiterates its demand for apas to receive the same subsistence allowance as the officials and other statutory staff for their missions to attend the part-sessions in strasbourg taking into consideration that the parliamentary allowance envelope remains unchanged; is of the opinion that the current situation , aggravated by the accumulated increase in prices over the last few years , puts apas in a more difficult financial situation having to travel to strasbourg to carry out their work; notes that expenses incurred by apas in undertaking missions outside parliament’s three places of work are reimbursed , mutatis mutandis , in accordance with the rules applicable to officials’ missions; notes nevertheless that meps hire their own staff , within a budget set by parliament under the same employment conditions as temporary eu staff; highlights also that it is in the hands of the meps to decide the daily allowances to strasbourg for their apas;


### 54. reiterates its demand for apas to receive the same subsistence allowance as the officials and other statutory staff for their missions to attend the part-sessions in strasbourg; is of the opinion that the current situation , aggravated by the accumulated increase in prices over the last few years , is unacceptable as apas have to travel to strasbourg to carry out their work in exactly the same way as parliament's officials and other statutory staff; fails to understand this discriminatory treatment regarding the missions to strasbourg while expenses incurred by apas in undertaking missions outside parliament’s three places of work are reimbursed , mutatis mutandis , in accordance with the rules applicable to officials’ missions; highlights that aligning the daily subsistence allowance with that of statutory staff would also put an end to the discriminatory existence of three levels of allowances to choose from , which is maintained without any administrative or financial justification; reiterates , therefore , its request to the bureau to modify its decision of 2 october 2017 with the aim of implementing such alignment; ### 54. reiterates its demand for apas to receive the same subsistence allowance as the officials and other statutory staff for their missions to attend the part-sessions in strasbourg; is of the opinion that the current situation , aggravated by the accumulated increase in prices over the last few years , is challenging as apas have to travel to strasbourg to carry out their work in exactly the same way as parliament's officials and other statutory staff; fails to understand this discriminatory treatment regarding the missions to strasbourg while expenses incurred by apas in undertaking missions outside parliament’s three places of work are reimbursed , mutatis mutandis , in accordance with the rules applicable to officials’ missions; highlights that aligning the daily subsistence allowance with that of statutory staff would also put an end to the existence of three levels of allowances to choose from , which is maintained without any administrative or financial justification; reiterates , therefore , its request to the bureau to modify its decision of 2 october 2017 with the aim of implementing such alignment;


### 55. regrets that the applicable rules currently prohibit apas to accompany members on official parliament delegations and committee missions; points out that the technical support that apas provide during missions is of key importance to the participating members , in particular when they are involved in the organisation or play a specific role; is concerned that this situation compels members to resort to financing apas’ travel with the general expenditure allowance and obliges apas to use their annual leave , thus jeopardising their insurance coverage , which represents a serious reputational risk for parliament; regrets that neither the bureau nor the conference of presidents have followed up on the long-standing request to allow apas , under certain conditions yet to be determined , to accompany members on official parliament delegations and missions , as reiterated by several discharge resolutions; urges the bureau and the conference of presidents to respond positively to this demand; ### 55. observes that the applicable rules adopted by the bureau and the conference of presidents currently prohibit apas to accompany members on official parliament delegations and committee missions; is concerned that the situation of financing apas’ travel with the general expenditure allowance puts the parliament in a serious reputational risk; highlights , that neither the bureau nor the conference of presidents have followed up on the long-standing request to allow apas , under certain conditions yet to be determined , to accompany members on official parliament delegations and missions; highlights , that the presence of apas on ep official missions could damage ep’s image and credibility; observes also that allowing apas to participate on official missions imposes specific risks with regards to their insurance coverage; reminds that meps are already accompanied by representatives of political groups on these missions;


### 55. regrets that the applicable rules currently prohibit apas to accompany members on official parliament delegations and committee missions; points out that the technical support that apas provide during missions is of key importance to the participating members , in particular when they are involved in the organisation or play a specific role; is concerned that this situation compels members to resort to financing apas’ travel with the general expenditure allowance and obliges apas to use their annual leave , thus jeopardising their insurance coverage , which represents a serious reputational risk for parliament; regrets that neither the bureau nor the conference of presidents have followed up on the long-standing request to allow apas , under certain conditions yet to be determined , to accompany members on official parliament delegations and missions , as reiterated by several discharge resolutions; urges the bureau and the conference of presidents to respond positively to this demand; ### 55. notes that the applicable rules currently prohibit apas to accompany members on official parliament delegations and committee missions; asks that the bureau and the conference of presidents follow up on the long-standing request to allow apas , under certain conditions and bearing in mind the logistical limits of missions , to accompany members on official parliament delegations and missions; urges the bureau and the conference of presidents to respond positively to this demand;


### 56. welcomes the fact that the bureau’s last revision of the rules for visitors’ groups introduced the possibility for members to designate professionals to hold the financial responsibility , which has brought about a decrease of apas as heads of visitors’ groups to 28%; reiterates that apas should not be compelled to take on such financial responsibility , which can amount to substantial sums of money in some cases; insists , therefore , to the bureau that apas be eliminated from the list of permitted heads of groups , leaving only a member of the sponsored group or a professional , such as paying agents or travel agencies , to take up the role; ### 56. welcomes the fact that the bureau’s last revision of the rules for visitors’ groups introduced the possibility for members to designate professionals to hold the financial responsibility , which has brought about a decrease of apas as heads of visitors’ groups to 28%; highlights that it is preferred when apas are not designated as heads of groups as this level of substantial financial responsibility might compromise the appropriate auditing procedures following the groups’ visits especially in the case when apas have left the ep and are no longer meps’ staff but some of the audits might take place up to 3 years following the groups’ visit; asks therefore , to the bureau to consider eliminating apas from the list of permitted heads of groups , leaving only a member of the sponsored group or a professional , such as paying agents or travel agencies , to take up the role or to consider adjusting apas liability especially in the cases when they are no longer ep’s employees;


### 60. notes that the reduction for trainees in parliament’s canteens , amounting to eur 1 ,00 as of 1 april 2022 , is based on previous discounts which are in turn based on the contracts signed and the prices at the time; believes that this reduction is at the moment purely symbolic and absolutely insufficient and calls , therefore , on parliament’s administration to establish an automatic update on the basis of the food price variations; ### 60. notes that the reduction for trainees in parliament’s canteens , amounting to eur 1 ,00 is based on previous discounts which are in turn based on the contracts signed and the prices at the time; believes that this reduction is at the moment purely symbolic and insufficient and calls , therefore , on parliament’s administration to consider whether an automatic update on the basis of the food price variations could be introduced;


### 60. notes that the reduction for trainees in parliament’s canteens , amounting to eur 1 ,00 as of 1 april 2022 , is based on previous discounts which are in turn based on the contracts signed and the prices at the time; believes that this reduction is at the moment purely symbolic and absolutely insufficient and calls , therefore , on parliament’s administration to establish an automatic update on the basis of the food price variations; ### 60. notes that the reduction for trainees in parliament’s canteens , amounting to eur 1 ,00 as of 1 april 2022 , is based on previous discounts which are in turn based on the contracts signed and the prices at the time; believes that this reduction is at the moment purely symbolic and insufficient and calls , therefore , on parliament’s administration to establish an automatic update on the basis of the food price variations;


### 61. stresses that transparency , accountability , and integrity are essential ethics principles within the union institutions and particularly parliament as house of the european democracy; recalls that unethical behaviours must be prevented , persecuted and condemned for significantly damage the credibility and legitimacy of the union and constitute a serious threat to democracy and public trust; recalls the court’s conclusions and recommendations in its special report 13/2019 on the ethnical frameworks of union institutions , as well as parliament’s resolution of 16 september 2021 on strengthening transparency and integrity in the union institutions by setting up an independentunion ethics body; ### 61. stresses that transparency , accountability , and integrity are essential ethics principles within the union institutions and particularly parliament as house of the european democracy; recalls that unethical behaviours must be prevented , persecuted and condemned for significantly damage the credibility and legitimacy of the union and constitute a serious threat to democracy and public trust; recalls the court’s conclusions and recommendations in its special report 13/2019 on the ethnical frameworks of union institutions , as well as parliament’s resolution of 16 september 2021 on strengthening transparency and integrity in the union institutions; supports the reinforcement of the existing high ethical standards for politicians and for the guidance on the implementation of ethical rules , while fully respecting the separation of powers between the institutions and the rule of law; underlines that creating additional bodies and structures within the eu institutional framework would only add an additional burden to the work of the eu as the anti-fraud players such as olaf , eppo , europol and eurojust are already tasked to monitor and protect the spending of the eu budget and prevent any possibilities for mismanagement of funds; notes the importance of strengthening the systems in place and to address any shortcomings; notes that the proper application of existing rules can bring significant improvements; highlights that a cooperation agreement between the eppo and the ep with clear rules and procedures is necessary to further facilitate and maintain the protection eu’s financial interest; such agreement shall provide that the ep reports to the eppo concerns regarding any criminal conduct in line with the eppo regulation and the financial regulation; reminds that the treaties of the european union are the primary law and reside at the top of the hierarchy of norms; the treaties establish the eu’s institutions and clearly define their competences and decision-making powers (article 13 teu); parliament together with the council are the co-legislators (article 14(1) teu); reminds that under the treaties , the court of justice of the european union is the supreme judicial body of the eu (article 19 teu); there can be no higher judicial decision-making authority above it; under no circumstances can secondary law contradict or amend primary law; reminds that , therefore , the establishment of an independent ethics body with the power to make binding decisions on the eu’s institutions and organs counter to the separation of powers laid down in the treaties , would imperatively require a change of the treaties; stresses that transparency cannot undermine integrity and data protection;


### 62. calls for a thorough overhaul of parliament’s ethical framework that integrates lessons learned and strengthens the current rules to ensure that there are stronger deterrents to address effectively current and future threats and interferences , whether they affect members or staff; stresses that illegal activities funded by paid lobbying constitutes a profound attack on democracy and should be met with zero tolerance and heightened vigilance; calls in particular for a revision of the rules of procedure and the members’ code of conduct , as well as for an urgent upgrade of the current european parliament’s advisory committee on the conduct of members , in order to ensure that members act without any undue influence from interest representatives by means of a strict regulation of paid activities during the mandate , gifts or travel invitations , future employment expectations , and of undue use of information or contacts; ### 62. calls for a thorough overhaul of parliament’s ethical framework that integrates lessons learned and strengthens the current rules to ensure that there are stronger deterrents to address effectively current and future threats and interferences , whether they affect members or staff; highlights the need to reinforce trust in the european decision-making by strengthening transparency , ethics and conduct in the european parliament; stresses that an abuse or misuse of ep’s rules of procedure and members’ code of conduct should be immediately addressed in a thorough and systematic manner; recalls the crucial role played by members in the european decision-making , while protecting the freedom of members’ mandate , as elected representatives; stresses that illegal activities funded by paid lobbying , ngos funded in an unclear manner or other interest representatives constitutes a profound attack on democracy and should be met with zero tolerance and heightened vigilance; highlights , that it is essential that members act without any undue influence from interest representatives by means of a strict regulation of paid activities during the mandate , gifts or travel invitations , future employment expectations , and of undue use of information or contacts;


### 68. welcomes parliament’s zero-tolerance policy on harassment and the awareness-raising campaigns carried out; is concerned , however , that on 28 october 2022 only 245 sitting members (36 ,3%) had completed the training on respect and dignity in the workplace; recalls that parliament has requested on several occasions the implementation of mandatory anti-harassment training courses for all members; stresses the importance of early intervention , together with training and awareness-raising actions and notes the initiative taken by the administration to set up internal mediators as a step towards early conflict resolution; ### 68. welcomes parliament’s zero-tolerance policy on harassment and the awareness-raising campaigns carried out; observes , however , that on 28 october 2022 only 245 sitting members (36 ,3%) had completed the training on respect and dignity in the workplace; recalls that parliament has requested on several occasions the implementation of mandatory anti-harassment training courses for all members; suggests that the anti-harassment training is brought mandatory not only to members , but also to staff; welcomes the orientation debate on anti-harassment policies carried out in the bureau meeting of 21 november 2022 and requests that the bureau expresses a final position on the topic; stresses the importance of early intervention , together with training and awareness-raising actions and notes the initiative taken by the administration to set up internal mediators as a step towards early conflict resolution; stresses that the code of appropriate behaviour for members of the european parliament seeks to ensure that members behave towards everyone working in the european parliament with dignity , courtesy and respect and without prejudice or discrimination;