### 48. supports the activities of the parlamentarium that welcomed its 2 millionth visitor on 11 july 2018 , the success of the pilot projects of the europa experience in berlin , ljubljana , strasbourg and helsinki; expresses its gratitude to the visits and seminars unit that welcomed a record number of visitors in 2018; ### 48. supports the activities of the parlamentarium that welcomed its 2 millionth visitor on 11 july 2018 , the success of the pilot projects of the europa experience in berlin , ljubljana , strasbourg and helsinki;


### 57. notes with satisfaction the creation of the accredited parliamentary assistants front office to manage the end-to-end recruitment of apas , as well as the modification and termination of contracts and administrative support to apas; welcomes the introduction of a simplified and quicker procedure to recruit apas and the progress towards paperless file management; ### 57. notes with satisfaction the creation of the accredited parliamentary assistants front office to manage the end-to-end recruitment of apas , as well as the modification and termination of contracts and administrative support to apas;


### 59. notes that dg pers’s lead indicator in 2018 is time to deliver; notes with satisfaction that targets and methods of data collection were refined with a generally positive assessment of the results; ### deleted


### 62. welcomes the fact that promoting equal opportunities remains a key component of parliament's human resource management policy; takes note that the gender equality roadmap continues to be implemented through concrete actions: targets for women heads of unit was set at 40% , women directors at 35% and women directors-general at 30% by the end of 2019; ### 62. welcomes the fact that promoting equal opportunities remains a key component of the parliament's human resource management policy; takes note that the gender equality roadmap as well as the need for geographical balance continues to be implemented through concrete actions: targets for women heads of unit was set at 40% , women directors at 35% and women directors-general at 30% by the end of 2019;


### 64. approves of the solutions found for apas who have worked for two consecutive parliamentary terms without interruption but who were lacking up to 2 months to complete the ten years of service needed to be entitled to a pension under the pension rights scheme of the union institutions; welcomes that the solutions found allowed concerned apas to complete the necessary ten years of service; notes with satisfaction that a solution was found for 170 cases out of 173; ### 64. approves of the solutions found for apas who have worked for two consecutive parliamentary terms without interruption but who were lacking up to 2 months to complete the ten years of service needed to be entitled to a pension under the pension rights scheme of the union institutions;


### 66. supports parliament’s zero tolerance policy towards harassment and the actions put in place to discourage harassment in the workplace , in particular the adoption by the bureau on 12 march 2018 of an updated roadmap for the adaptation of preventive and early support measures to deal with conflict and harassment between members and apas , trainees or other staff , an external audit of parliament’s internal practices and procedures , the creation of a network of confidential counsellors and of a mediator function , and the organisation of a public hearing with experts in harassment in the workplace; expects the results of the external audit , once available , to be communicated without delay; welcomes the fact that some groups have strongly encouraged their members to participate in trainings on dignity and respect at work , in order to lead by example , and encourages the groups which have not done so yet to follow the same approach; ### 66. supports parliament’s zero tolerance policy towards harassment at any and all levels including members , staff and apas and the actions put in place to discourage harassment in the workplace , in particular the adoption by the bureau on 12 march 2018 of an updated roadmap for the adaptation of preventive and early support measures to deal with conflict and harassment between members and apas , trainees or other staff , an external audit of parliament’s internal practices and procedures , the creation of a network of confidential counsellors and of a mediator function , and the organisation of a public hearing with experts in harassment in the workplace; expects the results of the external audit , once available , to be communicated without delay;


### 66. supports parliament’s zero tolerance policy towards harassment and the actions put in place to discourage harassment in the workplace , in particular the adoption by the bureau on 12 march 2018 of an updated roadmap for the adaptation of preventive and early support measures to deal with conflict and harassment between members and apas , trainees or other staff , an external audit of parliament’s internal practices and procedures , the creation of a network of confidential counsellors and of a mediator function , and the organisation of a public hearing with experts in harassment in the workplace; expects the results of the external audit , once available , to be communicated without delay; welcomes the fact that some groups have strongly encouraged their members to participate in trainings on dignity and respect at work , in order to lead by example , and encourages the groups which have not done so yet to follow the same approach; ### 66. recognizes parliament’s zero tolerance policy towards harassment and the actions put in place to discourage harassment in the workplace , in particular the adoption by the bureau on 12 march 2018 of an updated roadmap for the adaptation of preventive and early support measures to deal with conflict and harassment between members and apas , trainees or other staff , an external audit of parliament’s internal practices and procedures , the creation of a network of confidential counsellors and of a mediator function , and the organisation of a public hearing with experts in harassment in the workplace; expects the results of the external audit , once available , to be communicated without delay; welcomes the fact that some groups have strongly encouraged their members to participate in trainings on dignity and respect at work , in order to lead by example , and encourages the groups which have not done so yet to follow the same approach; however calls upon parliament to bear in mind the scarcity of cases of harassment taking place on parliament's premises , and to limit the focus on this issue accordingly;


### 68. notes that the high workload of staff in dg pers leads to a lack of flexibility in modifying apas salaries , when requested by a member and justified by an increase of the apa responsibilities; ### deleted


### 73. notes that the largest building project of parliament - the enlargement of the konrad adenauer building in luxembourg - is at the point of finalisation of its first phase , the east site , which represents approximately 70% of the entire project; recalls that currently , parliament staff in luxembourg are located in four buildings; acknowledges that the konrad adenauer building will bring all services under one roof and , as such , allow for economies of scale in the fields of energy , water , security and facilities management of the building; points out that , although certain costs relating to construction delays have been higher than originally foreseen , the considerably lower expenses for the financial costs of the credits has allowed parliament to compensate additional financial needs; underlines that the total cost of adenauer project remains eur 32.5 million under the approved overall budget; ### 73. notes that the largest building project of parliament - the enlargement of the konrad adenauer building in luxembourg - is at the point of finalisation of its first phase , points out that , although certain costs relating to construction delays have been higher than originally foreseen , the considerably lower expenses for the financial costs of the credits has allowed parliament to compensate additional financial needs; underlines that the total cost of adenauer project remains eur 32.5 million under the approved overall budget;


### 74. supports the improvement of the working environment for members in brussels (1 personal office + 2 offices for their staff) and strasbourg (1 + 1 offices); ### 74. commends the improvement of the working environment for members in brussels (1 personal office + 2 offices for their staff) and strasbourg (1 + 1 offices); further supports improving of working conditions of members in keeping with paragraph 98 of this document;


### 75. supports the efforts of dg inlo to tighten up its security arrangements by making structural and organisational improvements , including the securing of perimeters of the weiss , churchill and pflimlin buildings in strasbourg and the continued work to secure entrances in brussels (montoyer 70 , square de meeus and wiertz building) and strasbourg (churchill building); insists on the need to reconcile openness for citizens with security requirements; ### 75. supports the efforts of dg inlo to tighten up its security arrangements by making structural and organisational improvements , including the securing of all physical sites; insists on the need to reconcile openness for citizens with security requirements;


### 76. acknowledges the start of the work , in 2018 , to extend the wayenberg nursery; is concerned however by the way the access to the building was provided during those building works , and suggests that dg inlo pay closer attention to ensuring the safety of users during such building works in the future; ### 76. acknowledges the start of the works to extend the wayenberg nursery in 2018; is concerned however by the unsafe access given to these sites during the works and suggests that dg inlo pay closer attention to ensure the safety of users during such building works in the future;


### 79. notes that the creation of “europa experience” in several liaison offices has been approved by the bureau and is being implemented throughout the coming years; ### deleted


### 82. welcomes the diversification of the offer in parliament’s self-service canteen; is concerned that , despite the competition being brought into that sector , the cost/benefit assessment of prices and quality of the food in parliament’s self-service canteen has become more unbalanced; calls for a user satisfaction survey to be launched on quality-price ratio; ### 82. welcomes the increase in variety on offer in parliament’s self-service canteen; despite is concerned that , despite holding a public call for the cost / benefit assessment of the price / quality balance of the offer is found to be highly unsatisfactory; calls for reassessment of the revaluation of quality and price and of potential service provider on the market , serious concerns about the price and quality of the food beverages;


### 82. welcomes the diversification of the offer in parliament’s self-service canteen; is concerned that , despite the competition being brought into that sector , the cost/benefit assessment of prices and quality of the food in parliament’s self-service canteen has become more unbalanced; calls for a user satisfaction survey to be launched on quality-price ratio; ### 82. welcomes the diversification of the offer in parliament’s self-service canteen; is concerned that , despite the competition being brought into that sector , the cost/benefit assessment of prices and quality of the food in parliament’s self-service canteen has become more unbalanced; calls for a user satisfaction survey to be launched on quality-price ratio; calls for necessary amendments to be made regarding the unbalanced quality-price ratio stemming from the results of the survey;


### 93. acknowledges that , in 2018 , dg trad saw a 10% increase in production compared with the previous year , owing to the cyclical nature of translation demand , which is closely linked to parliamentary activity; notes that in-house translation output in relation to capacity reached 119 ,4 % (benchmark: 100 %) and the outsourcing rate was 32 ,8 % (31 ,4 % in 2017); calls on dg trad to continue its work to increase checking the compliance and quality of outsourced translations; ### 93. acknowledges that , in 2018 , dg trad saw a 10% increase in production compared with the previous year , owing to the cyclical nature of translation demand , which is closely linked to parliamentary activity; notes with concern that in-house translation output in relation to capacity reached 119 ,4 % (benchmark: 100 %) and the outsourcing rate was 32 ,8 % (31 ,4 % in 2017); appeals to dg trad to consider greater amount of outsourcing , respecting the 100 % benchmark and focusing on the quality and translational flawlessness of the documents; calls on dg trad to continue its work to increase checking the compliance and quality of outsourced translations;


### 99. expresses its concern about the obsolescence of the directorate-general’s it applications and the risk of it failure , which are both considered as high; calls on dg fins and dg itec to continue their constructive cooperation in order to implement appropriate mitigating measures , including the smooth deployment of the new financial management and accounting system; ### 99. expresses strong concern about the obsolescence of the directorate-general’s it applications and the risk of it failure , which are both considered as high; calls on dg fins and dg itec to continue their constructive cooperation in order to implement appropriate mitigating measures , including the smooth deployment of the new financial management and accounting system;


### 99. expresses its concern about the obsolescence of the directorate-general’s it applications and the risk of it failure , which are both considered as high; calls on dg fins and dg itec to continue their constructive cooperation in order to implement appropriate mitigating measures , including the smooth deployment of the new financial management and accounting system; ### 99. expresses its concern about the obsolescence of the directorate-general’s it applications and the risk of it failure , which are both considered as high; calls on dg fins and dg itec to step up their constructive cooperation in order to implement appropriate mitigating measures , including the smooth deployment of the new financial management and accounting system;


### 101. notes that parliament’s new travel agency started operating on 1 january 2019 , following a public call for tenders; welcomes the availability of the travel service’s call centre at all times , including at weekends; presses for a simple and user-friendly complaints mechanism , which allows for speedy resolution of any problems; deplores that tickets proposed by the agency are not always the most cost effective ones and that members experience delays in the reimbursement of their travel costs; calls on dg fins to launch a satisfaction survey on the services of the travel agency , in order to present the results by 30 june 2020 at the latest; ### 101. notes that parliament’s new travel agency started operating on 1 january 2019 ,following a public call for tenders; welcomes the availability of the travel service’s call centre at all times , including at weekends; insists on the mandatory implementation of a simple and user-friendly complaint mechanism , which would allow for speedy resolution of any problems; finds it absolutely unacceptable that tickets proposed by the agency are often above online prices and that members experience delays in the reimbursement of their travel costs; calls on dg fins to launch a satisfaction survey on the services of the travel agency , in order to present the results by 30 june 2020 at the latest;


### 101. notes that parliament’s new travel agency started operating on 1 january 2019 , following a public call for tenders; welcomes the availability of the travel service’s call centre at all times , including at weekends; presses for a simple and user-friendly complaints mechanism , which allows for speedy resolution of any problems; deplores that tickets proposed by the agency are not always the most cost effective ones and that members experience delays in the reimbursement of their travel costs; calls on dg fins to launch a satisfaction survey on the services of the travel agency , in order to present the results by 30 june 2020 at the latest; ### 101. notes that parliament’s new travel agency started operating on 1 january 2019 ,following a public call for tenders; welcomes the availability of the travel service’s call centre at all times , including the weekends; presses for a simple and user-friendly complaints mechanism , which allows for quick resolution of any problems; deplores that tickets proposed by the agency are not always the most cost effective ones and that members experience delays in the reimbursement of their travel costs; calls on dg fins to launch a satisfaction survey on the services of the travel agency , in order to present the results by 30 june 2020 at the latest; urges the new travel agency to reflect on the results provided by the satisfaction survey and implement improvements accordingly;


### 109. notes that , at its meeting of 10 december 2018 , the bureau decided to modify the rules applicable to the pension scheme by increasing the retirement age from 63 to 65 years and introducing a levy of 5% to pension payments for future pensioners with a view to improve its sustainability; considers that the bureau’s decision is a positive step; notes however that parliament will remain liable for a very significant amount in the future; ### 109. strongly supports the results of a meeting of 10 december 2018 , where the bureau decided to modify the rules applicable to the pension scheme by increasing the retirement age from 63 to 65 years and introducing a levy of 5% to pension payments for future pensioners with a view to improve its sustainability; endorses the bureau’s decision as a positive step; notes however that parliament will remain liable for a very significant amount in the future;


### 112. notes that dg itec’s lead indicator in 2018 is its responsiveness to the demands of users and partners in all fields of activity in a timely and efficient manner; insists that dg itec continues to invest in the delivery of a modern , seamless , efficient and user-oriented workplace; ### 112. notes that dg itec’s lead indicator in 2018 is its responsiveness to the demands of users and partners in all fields of activity in a timely and efficient manner; insists that dg itec continues to invest in the delivery of a modern , seamless , efficient and user-oriented it interfaces;


### 115. approves of the efforts of dg itec on continuity and resilience of parliament ict infrastructures achieved since the it outage of october 2017; calls for increasing the efforts and capacity to provide assurance on parliament ict robustness; calls for continuing the work and progress made in the areas of business continuity , risk management , incident management and recovery capability; stresses the existence of deficiencies in the functioning of the internet network in parliament; ### 115. insists that dg itec make stronger efforts to guarantee continuity and resilience of parliament ict infrastructures achieved since the it outage of october 2017; calls for increasing the efforts and capacity to provide assurance on parliament ict robustness; calls for continuing the work and progress made in the areas of business continuity , risk management , incident management and recovery capability; stresses the existence of deficiencies in the functioning of the internet network in parliament;


### 122. supports the interinstitutional project for a common warehouse which has been launched with the council and the commission; welcomes the initiative of a common warehouse to allow for adequate security scans and screenings of items before they reach parliament’s premises; ### deleted


### 150. underlines the importance of holding the authority accountable in order to build assurance , and therefore calls for increased transparency on the annual activity of the authority , including on its working methods and principles applied; ### 150. underlines the importance of the authority's reporting about its activities as an element of its accountability;


### 1. grants the secretary-general of the european economic and social committee discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the european economic and social committee for the financial year 2018; ### 1. postpones its decision on granting the secretary-general of the european economic and social committee discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the european economic and social committee for the financial year 2018;


### 1. observes the permanent modification of fraud methods and new patterns of fraud , with a strong transnational dimension and with cross-border fraud schemes (i.e. fraud in the promotion of agricultural products; shell companies; evasion of custom duties through the undervaluation of textiles and footwear entering the union and going through customs clearance in several member states; e-commerce; and counterfeiting); ### 1. observes the permanent modification of fraud methods and new patterns of fraud , with a strong transnational dimension and with cross-border fraud schemes (i.e. fraud in the promotion of agricultural products; shell companies; evasion of custom duties through the undervaluation of textiles and footwear entering the union and going through customs clearance in several member states; e-commerce; increasing cross border dimension of frauds on expenditures side; and counterfeiting);


### 4. recalls that the number of fraudulent irregularities and the associated amounts are not a direct indicator of the level of fraud affecting the eu budget; ### 4. recalls that the number of fraudulent irregularities and the associated amounts are not a direct indicator of the level of fraud affecting the eu budget or that in a given member state;


### 20. notes with dismay that the average recovery rate for cases reported as fraudulent over the years 1989-2018 was around 37 %; ### 20. notes with dismay that the average recovery rate for cases reported as fraudulent over the years 1989-2018 was around 37 %; calls on the commission to strengthen its strategy for the recovery of funds subject to fraud;


### 57. takes note of the expansion of the role of the anti-fraud coordination services (afcos) in fostering the effectiveness of the various channels for cross-border cooperation between national authorities , in particular for tackling customs fraud; ### 57. takes note of the expansion of the role of the anti-fraud coordination services (afcos) in fostering the effectiveness of the various channels for cross-border cooperation between national authorities , in particular for tackling customs and expenditures frauds;


### 61. welcomes the clear legal basis enabling olaf to access bank account information through the assistance of national competent authorities , following the revision of regulation no 883/2013; ### 61. welcomes the proposal for the revision of regulation no 883/2013 that includes clear legal basis enabling olaf to access bank account information through the assistance of national competent authorities;


### 8. notes the decision of 9 june 2020 of the committee’s bureau allowing members to claim the usual daily subsistence allowance for having participated in committee meetings remotely; notes that the objective of that decision was to compensate members for the time spent in the performance of their duties and for the related administrative costs; regrets that the committee’s proposal for a specific daily allowance for remote attendance of meetings (eur 145 compared to the standard allowance of eur 290) could not be put into practice until the council’s adoption of that proposal and its subsequent entry into force on 1 july 2021; understands that none of those decisions covered reimbursements in addition to the daily subsistence allowance , thus excluding the reimbursement of travel costs and allowances; notes that the total cost of the daily subsistence allowance in 2020 was eur 4 440 099 of which eur 2 270 700 was for remote participation and eur 2 169 399 for physical participation; acknowledges that the budgetary authorities were notified of each relevant decision of the bureau; ### 8. laments the decision of 9 june 2020 of the committee’s bureau allowing members to claim the usual daily subsistence allowance for having participated in committee meetings remotely; notes that the committee’s decision to provide a specific daily allowance for remote attendance of meetings (eur 145 compared to the standard allowance of eur 290) is not commensurate with the real cost of participation; notes that the daily subsistence allowance should be based solely on members' physical presence in brussels and that this undermines citizens' trust in the committee;


### 12. notes the conclusion of the settlement agreements with the two victims of moral harassment in december 2020 and march 2021 respectively; takes note that the last pending point for the full implementation of both settlement agreements depends on an upcoming change to the organisation chart in agreement with the committee of the regions and planned for implementation on 1 october 2022; calls on the committee to promptly report to the budgetary authority on the eventual effective enforcement of this point; ### 12. notes the conclusion of the settlement agreements with the two victims of moral harassment in december 2020 and march 2021 respectively; takes note that the last pending point for the full implementation of both settlement agreements depends on an upcoming change to the organisation chart in agreement with the committee of the regions and planned for implementation on 1 october 2022; urges the committee to promptly report to the budgetary authority on the eventual effective enforcement of this point;


### 14. notes the committee’s monthly updates and the follow-up to parliament’s observations in the 2020 discharge resolution; recalls that the olaf report on case oc/2018/0666/a.1 only concerns the behaviour of the perpetrator towards the victims and that the judgement delivered by the court of justice in case t-377/20 simply examines the validity of the bureau decision of 9 june 2020; points out that the long handling of the case by the committee’s administration and particularly the shortcomings in the implementation of internal procedures have therefore in no way been examined or validated; believes that the cases occurred require a more in-depth analysis and strongly reiterates , therefore , its call for an external investigation specifically on the action , or lack thereof , of the administrative hierarchy of the committee over the extent of the case which led to the flagrant breach of its duty of care towards the staff; ### 14. notes the committee’s monthly updates and the follow-up to parliament’s observations in the 2020 discharge resolution; recalls that the olaf report on case oc/2018/0666/a.1 only concerns the behaviour of the perpetrator towards the victims and that the judgement delivered by the court of justice in case t-377/20 simply examines the validity of the bureau decision of 9 june 2020; points out that the long handling of the case by the committee’s administration and particularly the shortcomings in the implementation of internal procedures have therefore in no way been examined or validated; believes that the cases occurred require a more in-depth analysis and strongly reiterates , therefore , its call for an external investigation specifically on the action , or lack thereof , of the administrative hierarchy of the committee over the extent of the case which led to the flagrant breach of its duty of care towards the staff; urges , further , the committee to resolve to apply uniform procedures for dealing with cases of harassment so that there are no differences between victims , and with a view to ensuring equal treatment of the accused , independently of factors unrelated to the case;


### 20. notes that at the end of 2020 the total number of staff of the committee was 702 , the same number as at the end of 2019 , and that the occupation rate of its establishment plan posts was 95 ,6 % , which is slightly lower than in previous years; ### 20. notes that at the end of 2020 the total number of staff of the committee was 702 , the same number as at the end of 2019 , and that the occupation rate of its establishment plan posts was 95 ,6 % , which is slightly lower than in previous years; is concerned about the committee's growing workload , which may affect staff well-being;


### 24. appreciates that teleworking was extended and rolled out to all members of staff , apart from to members of staff carrying out critical tasks that required presence on the premises; notes that the staff received a regular newsletter with tips and tricks , in addition to specific self-care oriented actions , to help them cope with the long-term teleworking period; ### 24. appreciates that teleworking was extended and rolled out to all members of staff , apart from to members of staff carrying out critical tasks that required presence on the premises; notes that the staff received a regular newsletter with tips and tricks , in addition to specific self-care oriented actions , to help them cope with the long-term teleworking period; points out that face-to-face work increases the exchange of ideas and fosters professional growth;


### 30. welcomes that in 2020 the committee adopted an individualised approach to prevent cases of burnout , i.e. proactive contact with the members of staff at risk , together with general measures , including flexible working schedules (without time registration) , a newsletter with tips and tricks , and specific communication actions; calls on the committee to go beyond awareness-raising actions and adopt validated good practices on , inter alia , workload management , communication and conflict solving training for managers or a return-to-work policy that takes into account the specificities related to that particular burnout; ### 30. welcomes that in 2020 the committee adopted an individualised approach to prevent cases of burnout , i.e. proactive contact with the members of staff at risk , together with general measures , including flexible working schedules (without time registration) , a newsletter with tips and tricks , and specific communication actions; is disappointed that the committee has not been able to quantify how many cases involving work-related burnout symptoms there have been among staff; calls on the committee to go beyond awareness-raising actions and adopt validated good practices on , inter alia , workload management , communication and conflict solving training for managers or a return-to-work policy that takes into account the specificities related to that particular burnout;


### 34. is aware that settlement agreements have been reached with the two victims of moral harassment , who are still working in the committee , and requests the committee to report on the effective enforcement of those agreements; regrets that the committee has not yet reached settlement agreements with the two victims of serious misconduct and rejects the view that the fact that those two victims are no longer working in the committee is a valid justification for not having reached settlement agreements.; notes that the settlement agreements aim to cover moral damages , legal costs and impact on careers , and is concerned that the individual negotiations at different stages of the case might result in imbalanced agreements for the victims; ### 34. is aware that settlement agreements have been reached with the two victims of moral harassment , who are still working in the committee , and requests the committee to report on the effective enforcement of those agreements; regrets that the committee has not yet reached settlement agreements with the two victims of serious misconduct and rejects the view that the fact that those two victims are no longer working in the committee is a valid justification for not having reached settlement agreements.; notes that the settlement agreements aim to cover moral damages , legal costs and impact on careers , and is concerned that the individual negotiations at different stages of the case might result in imbalanced agreements for the victims; expresses concern that these cases are handled differently;


### 36. regrets that there were six requests for assistance related to possible cases of harassment in 2020 , which proves that the preventive measures in place need to be reinforced; is aware that three of those requests are related to the case of the former president of group i , which was referred to the belgian judicial authorities; notes that one case was closed and one other case is also before the belgian judicial authorities; draws attention with concern to the fact that one request was still under enquiry internally in november 2021 , which makes parliament reiterate that , while due process and individual rights must be respected , the elapse of time operates against the victims and , thus , urges the committee to advance the treatment of that request without further delay and to report on the handling of this case; ### 36. regrets that there were six requests for assistance related to possible cases of harassment in 2020 , which proves that the preventive measures in place need to be reinforced; is aware that three of those requests are related to the case of the former president of group i , which was referred to the belgian judicial authorities; notes that one case was closed and one other case is also before the belgian judicial authorities; draws attention with concern to the fact that one request was still under enquiry internally in november 2021 , which makes parliament reiterate that , while due process and individual rights must be respected , the elapse of time operates against the victims and , thus , urges the committee to advance the treatment of that request without further delay and to report on the handling of this case; urges , further , the committee to apply uniform procedures for dealing with cases of harassment so that there are no differences between victims and to ensure equal treatment of the accused independently of factors unrelated to the case , such as the level at which they are employed;


### 40. reiterates that any unethical behaviour by staff and members of the union institutions and bodies hinders the sound management of the union’s funds and negatively impacts citizens’ trust in the union as a whole; observes with concern that , while a far-reaching overdue revision of the internal ethical framework is in process , it is undeniable that a serious breach of the committee’s duty of care towards its members of staff has persisted for too long , creating a regrettable culture of impunity and harassment as a result of reprehensible managerial styles , illustrated by , among other elements , the recurrent emergence requests for assistance and cases reported to olaf; regrets that its unambiguous calls for an internal exercise of accountability have been consistently ignored and insists on the need for an investigation to determine the responsibility of the administrative hierarchy of the committee; ### 40. reiterates that any unethical behaviour by staff and members of the union institutions and bodies hinders the sound management of the union’s funds and negatively impacts citizens’ trust in the union as a whole; observes with concern that , while a far-reaching overdue revision of the internal ethical framework is in process , it is undeniable that a serious breach of the committee’s duty of care towards its members of staff has persisted for too long , creating a regrettable culture of impunity and harassment as a result of reprehensible managerial styles , illustrated by , among other elements , the recurrent emergence requests for assistance and cases reported to olaf; regrets that its unambiguous calls for an internal exercise of accountability have been consistently ignored and insists on the need for an external and independent investigation to determine the responsibility of the administrative hierarchy of the committee;


### 42. notes that a dedicated group of members of the committee was entrusted with the mandate to review the code of conduct for members , including reinforcing prevention measures and possible sanctions , following the new committee term of office in october 2020;; believes that the code of conduct shall be based on the experience learnt following the harassment case , shall refer to the principles endorsed by the general court in its rulings and by the ombudsman in her recommendations , and shall include a clear and enforceable sanction system; is aware that the new code of conduct was adopted in january 2021 and that a detailed brochure on its implementation has been made available to the members; calls on the committee to use validated good practices to raise awareness among members and alternates and , in the long term , improve the internal culture of the committee on ethical issues; ### 42. notes that a dedicated group of members of the committee was entrusted with the mandate to review the code of conduct for members , including reinforcing prevention measures and possible sanctions , following the new committee term of office in october 2020;; believes that the code of conduct shall be based on the experience learnt following the harassment case , shall refer to the principles endorsed by the general court in its rulings and by the ombudsman in her recommendations , and shall include a specific , quick complaint procedure that protects victims from the outset , along with a clear and enforceable sanction system; is aware that the new code of conduct was adopted in january 2021 and that a detailed brochure on its implementation has been made available to the members; calls on the committee to use validated good practices to raise awareness among members and alternates and , in the long term , improve the internal culture of the committee on ethical issues;


### 43. points out that the new code of conduct includes an expulsion procedure according to which expulsion shall be decided by the assembly on the basis of a proposal put forward by the bureau and shall be notified to the council so that a replacement procedure can be initiated , and is aware that the ongoing revision of the rules of procedures of the committee is required to make use of that expulsion procedure feasible; calls on the committee to inform parliament about those revisions and encourages the committee to engage in explorative talks with the commission on the possibility of amending the relevant provisions in force; ### 43. points out that the new code of conduct includes an expulsion procedure according to which expulsion shall be decided by the assembly on the basis of a proposal put forward by the bureau and shall be notified to the council so that a replacement procedure can be initiated , and is aware that the ongoing revision of the rules of procedures of the committee is required to make use of that expulsion procedure feasible; calls on the committee to inform parliament about those revisions quickly and encourages the committee to engage in explorative talks with the commission on the possibility of amending the relevant provisions in force;


### 44. is aware of the four complaints handled by the ombudsman in 2020 that concerned lack of transparency , refusal of access to documents and , in two cases , omissions to reply to a request; notes that at least one of those enquiries concerned reimbursement and allowances , and invites the committee to engage in a transparent communication on this matter; ### 44. is aware of the four complaints handled by the ombudsman in 2020 that concerned lack of transparency , refusal of access to documents and , in two cases , omissions to reply to a request; notes that at least one of those enquiries concerned reimbursement and allowances; condemns the lack of transparency and urges the committee to communicate fully and transparently on this matter;


### 47. acknowledges that the agreement between the european parliament and the european commission on the transparency register for organisations and self-employed individuals engaged in eu policy-making and policy implementation1and the interinstitutional agreement of 20 may 2021 between the european parliament , the council of the european union and the european commission on a mandatory transparency register2allow for the voluntary involvement of union institutions , bodies , offices and agencies; objects to the dismissal by the committee of the use of the transparency register on the grounds of the committee being a consultative body; encourages the committee to undertake actions to enhance the transparency of its interactions with external interest representatives; ### 47. acknowledges that the agreement between the european parliament and the european commission on the transparency register for organisations and self-employed individuals engaged in eu policy-making and policy implementation1 and the interinstitutional agreement of 20 may 2021 between the european parliament , the council of the european union and the european commission on a mandatory transparency register2 allow for the voluntary involvement of union institutions , bodies , offices and agencies; objects to the dismissal by the committee of the use of the transparency register on the grounds of the committee being a consultative body; urges the committee to join the transparency register with a view to improving the transparency of its interactions with external interest representatives;


### 48. notes that the setting up of an internal ombudsman is one of the key measures in the action plan adopted in 2021 to strengthen the committee’s ethical framework; echoes the reservations expressed by the committee’s staff committee and legal service on the proposal with regard to the independence , impartiality and confidentiality; questions the need for such an internal ombudsman in light of , on the one hand , the human resources constrictions and , on the other hand , the existence of ethics counsellors , confidential counsellors and , in particular , the agreement with idoc; urges the committee to focus on enforcing the ethics-related mechanisms already in place while devoting adequate staff to its legislative work; ### 48. notes that the setting up of an internal ombudsman is one of the key measures in the action plan adopted in 2021 to strengthen the committee’s ethical framework; points out that the decision to set up an internal ombudsman was presented as an agreement that had been welcomed by staff when , in actual fact , the staff committee expressed a negative opinion on it; echoes the reservations expressed by the committee’s staff committee and legal service on the proposal with regard to the independence , impartiality and confidentiality; questions the need for such an internal ombudsman in light of , on the one hand , the human resources constrictions and , on the other hand , the existence of ethics counsellors , confidential counsellors and , in particular , the agreement with idoc; urges the committee to focus on enforcing the ethics-related mechanisms already in place while devoting adequate staff to its legislative work , focusing on the actual effectiveness of the measures adopted;


### 3. understands the impact that the pandemic had on the activity of the union institutions , including the tight deadlines for adopting new legislation and thus , for the consultative committees to deliver their opinions; recalls that the committee adopted , prior to the approval of its amended procedure , 13 position papers in response to referrals to ensure an effective and timely contribution to the union response; is aware that the committee monitors its compliance with the institutional deadlines set for its opinions and that ad hoc measures have been adopted following an internal audit report from 2019; asks the committee to report on these measures and other possible actions in this regard; recalls its recommendations made in previous discharge resolutions to enhance the interinstitutional cooperation and consequently the impact of the committee’s work; ### 3. understands the impact that the pandemic had on the activity of the union institutions , including the tight deadlines for adopting new legislation and thus , for the consultative committees to deliver their opinions; recalls that the committee adopted , prior to the approval of its amended procedure , 13 position papers in response to referrals to ensure an effective and timely contribution to the union response; is aware that the committee monitors its compliance with the institutional deadlines set for its opinions and that ad hoc measures have been adopted following an internal audit report from 2019; urges the committee to report on these measures and other possible actions in this regard; recalls its recommendations made in previous discharge resolutions to enhance the interinstitutional cooperation and consequently the impact of the committee’s work;


### 2. regrets that the court’s follow-up to the 2019 discharge resolutions provided only limited responses to parliament’s remarks; reiterates that appropriate and comprehensible follow-up is essential to enable parliament’s committee on budgetary control to determine whether the court has taken into due consideration parliament’s recommendations; asks the court to include all necessary responses , with elaborated and concrete explanations of the implementation of parliament’s recommendations , in its next follow-up report , making explicit reference to each paragraph of this discharge resolution; ### 2. regrets that the court’s follow-up to the 2019 discharge resolutions provided only limited responses to parliament’s remarks; reiterates that appropriate and comprehensible follow-up is essential to enable parliament’s committee on budgetary control to determine whether the court has taken into due consideration parliament’s recommendations; asks the court to simplify the structure of its next follow-up report and include all necessary responses , with detailed and concrete explanations of the implementation of parliament’s recommendations , making explicit reference to each paragraph of this discharge resolution;


### 3. notes that the court’s budget continues to grow and amounted to eur 152 million in 2020 (compared to eur 147 million in 2019) which represents less than 0 ,1 % of total union spending and around 1 ,4 % of total union spending on administration; ### 3. notes that the court’s budget continues to grow and amounted to eur 152 million in 2020 (compared to eur 147 million in 2019) which represents less than 0 ,1 % of total union spending and around 1 ,4 % of total union spending on administration; notes that the court’s budget is mostly administrative , with the main amount being used for expenditure related to human resources , buildings and furniture , equipment and miscellaneous operation costs;


### 10. acknowledges that the court applies a set of key performance indicators to provide institutional stakeholders with information on the performance levels , to inform management about progress made towards achieving strategic goals and to support decision-making; observes that in 2020 a total of 69 publications were issued (33 annual and special reports , 11 opinions , 6 reviews , 14 audit previews and 5 other documents) , compared to 67 publications in 2019; notes that the court published for the first time ever an annual report on the overall performance of the union budget; ### 10. acknowledges that the court applies a set of key performance indicators to provide institutional stakeholders with information on the performance levels , to inform management about progress made towards achieving strategic goals and to support decision-making; observes that in 2020 a total of 69 publications were issued (33 annual and special reports , 11 opinions , 6 reviews , 14 audit previews and 5 other documents) , compared to 67 publications in 2019; welcomes that the court published for the first time ever an annual report on the overall performance of the union budget which contributes to give more prominence to the results achieved by a sample of union spending programmes and evaluates to what extend recommendations from the court’s special reports have been implemented by the auditees;


### 14. notes that the installation allowance for the court’s members , governed by article 4 of council regulation (eu) 2016/3002 , is conditioned on providing evidence that a change in the place of residence was necessary to reside “either in the place where he is employed or at no greater distance there from as is compatible with the proper performance of the duties assigned to him” as stated in article 20 of the staff regulations; points out that the mere declaration of an address is not sufficient , but regrets that a rental contract for or a purchase of a property is considered satisfactory proof of installation in luxembourg as such rented or purchased property may be destined for other uses than primary residence; ### 14. notes that the installation allowance for the court’s members , governed by article 4 of council regulation (eu) 2016/3002 , is conditioned on providing evidence that a change in the place of residence was necessary to reside “either in the place where he is employed or at no greater distance there from as is compatible with the proper performance of the duties assigned to him” as stated in article 20 of the staff regulations; points out that the mere declaration of an address is not sufficient , but regrets that a rental contract for or a purchase of a property is considered satisfactory proof of installation in luxembourg as such rented or purchased property may be destined for other uses than primary residence; calls for attention to be paid to catching primary residence discrepancies that may be found on mission reimbursement sheets where locations other than luxembourg are repeatedly given;


### 15. acknowledges that the court has received from all its members both a rental contract for or a proof of purchase of a property and a residence certificate in luxembourg; is of the view , however , that installation allowance should be paid only on production of documents establishing the fact that members have settled at the place where they are employed , following article 5(3) of annex vii of the staff regulations; deems that having requested that allowance should be considered as proof of the members’ intention to relocate their residence to luxembourg on an effective and stable basis during their term of office; points out that the installation allowance is equal to two months’ basic salary , instead of one month’s basic salary , for officials entitled to the household allowance , which means that family dependants also have to change their place of residence; ### 15. acknowledges that the court has received from all its members both a rental contract for or a proof of purchase of a property and a residence certificate in luxembourg; is of the view , however , that installation allowance should be paid only on production of documents establishing the fact that members have settled at the place where they are employed , following article 5(3) of annex vii of the staff regulations; deems that having requested that allowance should be considered as proof of the members’ intention to relocate their residence to luxembourg on an effective and stable basis during their term of office and recalls , in this regard , that article 5(4) of that annex stipulates that “an official who is entitled to the household allowance and does not settle with his family at the place where he is employed shall receive only half of the allowance to which he would otherwise be entitled”;


### 17. understands that the court has no role in defining the rules and conditions for granting the installation and residence allowances and that the responsibility for the verification and the payment authorisation stays with the paymaster office (pmo) of the commission; notes that the pmo also carries out ex-post controls on the installation allowance and reports the results to the court; observes that no irregularity has ever been reported; regrets that the court fails to consider that the residence allowance implies the effective residence at the place of employment , especially in the cases when the installation allowance has been paid; ### 17. understands that the court has no role in defining the rules and conditions for granting the installation and residence allowances and that the responsibility for the verification of the legal conditions for the installation allowance and the payment authorisation of both installation and residence allowance stays with the paymaster office (pmo) of the commission on the basis of a service-level agreement; notes that , upon request by the court , the pmo also carried out in 2021 an ex-post control on the installation allowance and reported the results to the court; observes that no irregularity was reported; regrets that some court’s members fail to consider that the residence allowance implies the effective residence at the place of employment , especially in the cases when the installation allowance has been paid;


### 18. appreciates the intention of the court to further clarify the legal provisions in its code of conduct for its members by expressly requiring its members to reside at the place where the court has its seat and by requesting its members to provide to its secretary-general (in addition to the pmo) the proof of residence in luxembourg upon their taking up office and every three years thereafter; deems that the said revision might substantiate the court’s recognition of the allowance residence as consistent with the effective residence in luxembourg , allowing the proper performance of the member’s duties; ### 18. appreciates the intention of the court to further clarify the legal provisions in its code of conduct for its members by expressly requiring its members to reside at the place where the court has its seat and by requesting its members to provide to its secretary-general (in addition to the pmo) the proof of residence in luxembourg upon their taking up office and every three years thereafter , which is in line with the interpretation expressed by parliament , the principle of sound financial management and the ethical standards expected of the court; deems that the said revision might substantiate the court’s recognition of the allowance residence as consistent with the effective residence in luxembourg , allowing the proper performance of the member’s duties;


### 19. notes court decision no 30-2019 on the management and use of its car fleet; is aware that the fleet is leased from a supplier using an interinstitutional framework contract and that , in addition to the rental charge , the court bears the costs related to the use of the cars (i.e. tolls , parking , fuel , cleaning and other expenses) in connection with journeys covered by a travel order; notes that journeys without travel orders are allowed when the journeys entail formal obligations related to the missions of the members or activities as ambassadors of the court; notes that the court considers the eur 100 contribution for other journeys to be administratively efficient as it more than covers the actual costs of such journeys; ### 19. notes court decision no 30-2019 on the management and use of its car fleet; is aware that the fleet is leased from a supplier using an interinstitutional framework contract and that , in addition to the rental charge , the court bears the costs related to the use of the cars (i.e. tolls , parking , fuel , cleaning and other expenses) in connection with journeys covered by a travel order; observes that the court allows its members to make private use of the car fleet without drivers in exchange for a eur 100 contribution which the court considers to be an administratively efficient system as it more than covers the actual costs of such journeys according to its own calculations;


### 20. is concerned that the eur 100 contribution system could facilitate potential misuses of the car fleet; reiterates its opinion that the use of the car fleet outside of the strict performance of the duties of the members of the court should not take place under any circumstance; calls on the court to rationalise all uses of the car fleet that are reasonably necessary for the performance of the duties of its members and include them in the travel orders with the aim of putting an end to the eur 100 contribution system; ### 20. is concerned that the eur 100 contribution system could facilitate potential misuses of the car fleet; reiterates its opinion that the use of the car fleet outside of the strict performance of the duties of the members of the court should not take place under any circumstance; calls on the court to rationalise all uses of the car fleet that are reasonably necessary for the performance of the duties of its members and include them in the travel orders with the aim of putting an end to the eur 100 contribution system; considers , further , that a record should be kept of private use of the car fleet by each member , with due protection of privacy;


### 22. notes that a register of attendance was set up in 2018 to record the presence or absence of the members at all formal meetings of the court and its chambers and committees; notes that for the first time , the court’s 2020 annual activity report includes information on attendance; is aware that such meetings constitute only a part of the members’ activities and agrees that the independence required of the members necessarily encompasses a certain degree of autonomy in organising their work; reminds , however , that the members have an obligation to devote themselves fully to the fulfilment of their mandate and , therefore , calls on the court to use the attendance register as a tool to proactively prevent potential cases of absenteeism; ### 22. notes that a register of attendance was set up in 2018 to record the presence or absence of the members at all formal meetings of the court and its chambers and committees; notes that for the first time , the court’s 2020 annual activity report includes information on attendance; is aware that such meetings constitute only a part of the members’ activities and agrees that the independence required of the members necessarily encompasses a certain degree of autonomy in organising their work; reminds , however , that the members have an obligation to devote themselves fully to the fulfilment of their mandate as enshrined in article 10 of the court's code of conduct and , therefore , calls on the court to use the attendance register as a tool to proactively prevent potential cases of absenteeism;


### 22. notes that a register of attendance was set up in 2018 to record the presence or absence of the members at all formal meetings of the court and its chambers and committees; notes that for the first time , the court’s 2020 annual activity report includes information on attendance; is aware that such meetings constitute only a part of the members’ activities and agrees that the independence required of the members necessarily encompasses a certain degree of autonomy in organising their work; reminds , however , that the members have an obligation to devote themselves fully to the fulfilment of their mandate and , therefore , calls on the court to use the attendance register as a tool to proactively prevent potential cases of absenteeism; ### 22. notes that it took until 2018 for a register of attendance to be set up to record the presence or absence of the members at all formal meetings of the court and its chambers and committees; notes that for the first time , the court’s 2020 annual activity report includes information on attendance; is aware that such meetings constitute only a part of the members’ activities and agrees that the independence required of the members necessarily encompasses a certain degree of autonomy in organising their work; reminds , however , that the members have an obligation to devote themselves fully to the fulfilment of their mandate and , therefore , calls on the court to use the attendance register as a tool to proactively prevent potential cases of absenteeism;


### 23. notes that missions , essential to audit national bodies on the spot , are limited by the annual budget and have to undergo both comprehensive ex ante controls and ex post controls carried out on monthly samples; welcomes that court decision no 59-2017 delegated the role of authorising officer for all court members’ mission and expenses to the secretary-general , while court decision no 61-2017 clarified the rules governing missions , in particular the obligation to demonstrate the relation to the court’s work; notes with concern , however , that no limitation or condition applies to the duration or place of missions; calls on the court to set appropriate rules to prevent any possible misuse of mission orders which may call into question the integrity , independence and objectivity of its members , in particular to introduce a general prohibition of missions to or from the domiciles of the members outside of luxembourg; ### 23. notes that missions , which are essential to fulfil the role of the court (i.e. to audit national bodies on the spot or to present its annual report to national parliaments) , are limited by the annual budget and have to undergo both comprehensive ex ante controls and ex post controls carried out on monthly samples; welcomes that court decision no 59-2017 delegated the role of authorising officer for all court members’ mission and expenses to the secretary-general , while court decision no 61-2017 clarified the rules governing missions , in particular the obligation to demonstrate the relation to the court’s work; notes with concern , however , that no limitation or condition applies to the duration or place of missions; calls on the court to set appropriate rules to prevent any possible misuse of mission orders which may call into question the integrity , independence and objectivity of its members , and points out in particular that members’ missions shall start or end in luxembourg in accordance with the implicit residence obligation , except in occasional and justified exceptions;


### 26. understands that during most of 2020 , the travel restrictions and sanitary measures limited the possibilities of the court to carry out audit fieldwork on the ground; notes that in 2020 the court auditors spent a total of 1 190 days in the field (compared to 3 605 days in 2019) and 627 days at the union institutions , bodies , offices and agencies , international organisations and private audit firms(compared to 2 504 days in 2019); observes with interest the increased use of remote auditing , using communication and information technology such as secure data and document sharing; ### 26. understands that during most of 2020 , the travel restrictions and sanitary measures limited the possibilities of the court to carry out audit fieldwork on the ground; notes that in 2020 the court auditors spent a total of 1 190 days in the field (compared to 3 605 days in 2019) and 627 days at the union institutions , bodies , offices and agencies , international organisations and private audit firms(compared to 2 504 days in 2019); observes with interest the increased use of remote auditing , using communication and information technology such as secure data and document sharing; hopes that those working procedures will be consolidated by the court in its ordinary audit procedure;


### 28. notes with concern that the total cost of the irregularities committed by karel pinxten , a former member of the court , as identified in the relevant report by the european anti-fraud office (oaf) is eur 570 824; regrets that , following the court’s legal analysis , the court could only request karel pinxten to return eur 153 408 on the grounds that there is no legal basis to recover his salary for days of ‘unjustified absences’; stresses the reputational prejudice to the institution and to the union as a whole; ### 28. notes with concern that the total cost of the irregularities committed by karel pinxten , a former member of the court , as identified in the relevant report by the european anti-fraud office (olaf) is eur 570 824; regrets that , following the court’s legal analysis , the court could only request karel pinxten to return eur 153 408 on the grounds that there is no legal basis to recover his salary for days of ‘unjustified absences’; stresses the reputational prejudice to the institution and to the union as a whole caused by this kind of behaviour which , as indicated by the court of justice in its judgement of 30 september 20211a , was “favoured by the vagueness of the internal rules and allowed by the shortcomings of the controls put in place”; welcomes the court’s follow-up to this case during the olaf investigation , as well as the measures taken as a result;


### 29. is aware that the court and its internal auditor , as a consequence of the case involving karel pinxten , undertook a review of its control procedures and that no indication of similar cases was found; notes that the court deems that it has dealt with the weaknesses detected in the audit , namely the vagueness of the internal rules and the shortcomings of the controls put in place; acknowledges that delegating the duties of authorising officer within the meaning of article 73 of the financial regulation exclusively to the secretary-general of the court and no more to each of its members is instrumental in delivering on the principle of sound financial management; observes that the court considers the system now in place to be fully viable and reliable; ### 29. is aware that the court and its internal auditor , as a consequence of the procedures involving karel pinxten , undertook from 2016 to 2019 a review of its control procedures and that no indication of similar cases was found; notes that the court deems that it has dealt with the weaknesses detected in the audit , namely the vagueness of the internal rules and the shortcomings of the controls put in place; acknowledges that delegating the duties of authorising officer within the meaning of article 73 of the financial regulation exclusively to the secretary-general of the court and no more to each of its members is instrumental in delivering on the principle of sound financial management; observes that the court considers the system now in place to be fully viable and reliable;


### 32. welcomes that the code of conduct elaborates procedural rules for the obligations of the members of the court regarding external activities and occupations after ceasing to hold office; agrees that members should not engage in any external activity that is incompatible with their duties and , therefore , is alarmed that article 12 explicitly allows for members to hold honorary , unremunerated offices in organisations in the political sphere; stresses that the values of independence and objectivity are specifically and seriously compromised the moment a ember during his or her term of office maintains any concrete relation with a political party , as clearly declared by the court of justice in its judgment of 30 september 20213 ; notes that the president of the court must be a model in avoiding any real or perceived conflict of interest that can undermine the court’s impartiality; ### 32. welcomes that the code of conduct elaborates procedural rules for the obligations of the members of the court regarding external activities and occupations after ceasing to hold office; agrees that members should not engage in any external activity that is incompatible with their duties and , therefore , is alarmed that article 12 explicitly allows for members to hold honorary , unremunerated offices in organisations in the political sphere; stresses that the values of independence and objectivity are specifically and seriously compromised the moment a ember during his or her term of office maintains any concrete relation with a political party , as clearly declared by the court of justice in its judgment of 30 september 20213 ; notes that the president of the court must be a model in avoiding any real or perceived conflict of interest that can undermine the court’s impartiality and , therefore , condemns his missions carried out with a clear political purpose which are not in line with the ethical standards and principles expected from the court; recalls , in this regard , article 7(2) of the court’s code of conduct which states that “members of the court shall be mindful of the importance of their duties and responsibilities; they shall , leading by example , take into account the public nature of their duties and shall conduct themselves in a way that maintains and promotes the public′s trust in the court”;


### 33. highlights that both the ethical guidelines of the court and the code of conduct protect the principle of equal treatment by prohibiting spouses and partners from working under a hierarchical relationship and , specifically , from being part of the cabinet of the relevant member; is of the view that , beyond personal perception , the fact that the president of the court shares an apartment with two full-time officials of his cabinet is clearly comparable to the prohibited situations and should therefore never have occurred; regrets the infringement of the right to privacy of the concerned members of staff caused by the publication of their names in the press; understands that the secretary-general of the court is its appointing authority and that the grading of the staff of members’ cabinets is based on the years of experience , but points out that this circumstance is insufficient to avoid the perception of a conflict of interest or a violation of the principle of equal treatment with regard to the members of staff concerned as it is now questioned whether they were appointed on the basis of their merit or because of a relationship of trust; welcomes the court’s intention to further specify the principles governing the living arrangements of its members; ### 33. highlights that article 6(2) of the ethical guidelines of the court acknowledges that close relationships can make it difficult to adhere to the equal treatment principle , while the article 3(5) of its code of conduct prohibits spouses , partners and direct family from being part of the cabinets of the relevant member; is of the view that , beyond personal perception , the fact that the president of the court shares an apartment with two full-time officials of his cabinet denotes a close relationship clearly comparable to the prohibited situations as that can generate the impression of a potential conflict of interest or a violation of the principle of equal treatment , even if the secretary-general of the court is its appointing authority and the grading of the staff of members’ cabinets is based on the years of experience; welcomes the court’s intention to further specify the principles governing the living arrangements of its members; regrets the infringement of the right to privacy of the concerned members of staff caused by the publication of their names in the press;


### 35. appreciated that the court publishes its members’ missions on its website’s transparency portal but encourages the court to nevertheless explore the possibility of joining the eu transparency register on the basis of a service level agreement; ### 35. notes that the court publishes its members’ missions on its website’s transparency portal but only for the current year; calls on the court to publish and maintain the information on the members’ missions in previous years; encourages the court to explore the possibility of joining the eu transparency register on the basis of a service level agreement;


### 35. appreciated that the court publishes its members’ missions on its website’s transparency portal but encourages the court to nevertheless explore the possibility of joining the eu transparency register on the basis of a service level agreement; ### 35. appreciated that the court publishes its members’ missions on its website’s transparency portal but calls on the court to join the eu transparency register on the basis of a service level agreement;


### 41. regrets that in 2020 the court had only 8 female members compared to 18 male members , although appreciates that the share of women increased from 25 ,93 % in 2019 to 30 ,77 % in 2020; understands that the nomination procedure for the members of the court is a complex framework and constitutes a challenge for achieving gender balance because national nomination is solely the responsibility of the member state in question and only one candidate can be nominated at a time; calls on the court , however , to analyse the overall composition of the court in order to timely inform the member states involved in the nomination procedures in progress so that gender balance is considered in the nomination decisions; ### 41. regrets that in 2020 the court had only 8 female members compared to 18 male members , although appreciates that the share of women increased from 25 ,93 % in 2019 to 30 ,77 % in 2020; finds it unacceptable , however , that the court has had only 16 female members out of a total of 112 members since its establishment in 1977 (85.7% male , 14.3% female); recalls that the council appoints the members of the court of auditors after consultation with parliament and understands that the nomination procedure for the members of the court is a complex framework that constitutes a challenge for achieving gender balance because national nomination is solely the responsibility of the member state in question and only one candidate can be nominated at a time; calls on the court , however , to analyse the overall composition of the court in order to inform the council and the member states involved so that gender balance is considered in the nomination decisions;


### 70. is aware that as per 16 march 2020 a generalised home working regime was established and that that regime was constantly adapted , proving an effective management flexibility; encourages the court to fully integrate in its internal management strategy the lessons drawn from the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic in terms of business continuity and crisis management approaches , of it responsiveness and of resiliency of the organisation , effectiveness of the communication and flexibility of the working processes; ### 70. is aware that as per 16 march 2020 a generalised home working regime was established and that that regime was constantly adapted , proving an effective management flexibility; encourages the court to fully integrate in its internal management strategy the lessons drawn from the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic in terms of business continuity and crisis management approaches , it responsiveness and of resiliency of the organisation , duty of care towards its staff , effectiveness of the internal communication and flexibility of the working processes;


### 2. notes from the court’s report the emphasis of matter drawing attention to the estimate of the total cost for completing its delivery obligations for the iter project in 2042 , assessed by the joint undertaking at eur 17 968 050 000 (in 2020 values) and to the fact that changes in key assumptions concerning the estimate and the risk exposure could lead to significant costs increases and/or to further delays in the implementation of the iter project; notes that among the key assumptions the iter baseline approved in november 2016 by the council of iter organization leading to first plasma in december 2025 , and the start of the deuterium-tritium phase in december 2035 is maintained; notes in contrast that the 2010 baseline estimated the achievement of the construction phase in 2020 , and that the current iter baseline approved in 2016 is considered to be the earliest possible technically achievable date; calls on the joint undertaking to report to the discharge authority of any development in that regard; notes that the court’s report refers to in particular changes in nuclear safety requirements that are under the ultimate authority of the french nuclear safety authority , the cost estimate for the hot cell complex which has not been revised , as well as requirement changes; ### 2. notes from the court’s report the emphasis of matter drawing attention to the estimate of the total cost for completing its delivery obligations for the iter project in 2042 , assessed by the joint undertaking at eur 17 968 050 000 (in 2020 values) and to the fact that changes in key assumptions concerning the estimate and the risk exposure could lead to significant costs increases and/or to further delays in the implementation of the iter project; notes that among the key assumptions the iter baseline approved in november 2016 by the council of iter organization leading to first plasma in december 2025 , and the start of the deuterium-tritium phase in december 2035 is maintained; notes in contrast that the 2010 baseline estimated the achievement of the construction phase in 2020 , and that the current iter baseline approved in 2016 is considered to be the earliest possible technically achievable date; calls on the joint undertaking to report to the discharge authority of any development in that regard; stresses with concern that the court’s report refers to in particular changes in nuclear safety requirements that are under the ultimate authority of the french nuclear safety authority , the cost estimate for the hot cell complex which has not been revised , as well as requirement changes which prevent the joint undertaking from developing a credible cost estimate;


### 6. is aware of the fact that in addition to the construction phase , the joint undertaking will have to contribute to the iter operational phase after 2035 and to the subsequent iter deactivation and decommissioning phases; notes that the contribution to the deactivation and decommissioning phases were estimated , respectively , at eur 95 540 000 and eur 180 200 000 (at 2001 values); ### 6. is aware of the fact that in addition to the construction phase , the joint undertaking will have to contribute to the iter operational phase after 2035 and to the subsequent iter deactivation and decommissioning phases; notes that the contribution to the deactivation and decommissioning phases were estimated , respectively , at eur 95 540 000 and eur 180 200 000 (at 2001 values); questions whether the project is actually suitable , not least in view of its environmental impact and the nuclear waste that may need to be disposed of;


### 10. notes from the court’s report that the joint undertaking’s calculation method for the 2020 annual membership contributions did not comply with the respective provisions of its financial regulation and instead of using the contribution estimates as adopted by the governing board , the joint undertaking levied the contributions based on a yet to be adopted draft estimate; calls on the joint undertaking to comply with the provisions of its financial regulation and to report to the discharge authority on the reasons of having departed from the use of the governing board estimate; notes from the joint undertaking’s reply that it has adopted the measure to approve the draft single programming document for the following year by the last governing board of the year to avoid this issue happening again; ### 10. notes from the court’s report that the joint undertaking’s calculation method for the 2020 annual membership contributions did not comply with the respective provisions of its financial regulation and instead of using the contribution estimates as adopted by the governing board , the joint undertaking levied the contributions based on a yet to be adopted draft estimate; calls on the joint undertaking to comply with the provisions of its financial regulation and to report , in a comprehensive and transparent manner , to the discharge authority on the reasons of having departed from the use of the governing board estimate; notes from the joint undertaking’s reply that it has adopted the measure to approve the draft single programming document for the following year by the last governing board of the year to avoid this issue happening again;


### 12. notes with concern from the 9th annual assessment that the panel of assessors detected a lack of a common project identity and common goal , in particular at managerial level between f4e and the iter organization and that these “soft” elements of project management are of central importance; calls on the joint undertaking to report to the discharge authority in that regard; notes furthermore from the annual assessment that the joint undertaking needs to reinforce its technical core expertise in the fields concerning on-going and future critical activities in relation to functional requirements of iter organization and technical specifications and compliance of industrial contractors; calls on the joint undertaking to follow the recommendations issued in the annual assessment and to report to the discharge authority in that regard; ### 12. notes with concern from the 9th annual assessment that the panel of assessors detected a lack of a common project identity and common goal , in particular at managerial level between f4e and the iter organization and that these “soft” elements of project management are of central importance; wonders whether this situation might not affect the effectiveness of the project and calls on the joint undertaking to report to the discharge authority in that regard; notes furthermore from the annual assessment that the joint undertaking needs to reinforce its technical core expertise in the fields concerning on-going and future critical activities in relation to functional requirements of iter organization and technical specifications and compliance of industrial contractors; calls on the joint undertaking to follow the recommendations issued in the annual assessment and to report to the discharge authority in that regard;


### 15. notes that with a view to preventing and managing conflicts of interest , the anti-fraud and ethics officer organised a training for new staff and specific training for f4e managers; ### 15. notes that with a view to preventing and managing conflicts of interest , the anti-fraud and ethics officer organised a training for new staff and specific training for f4e managers; urges the joint undertaking to keep improving its fraud prevention measures;


### 27. notes from the court’s report that the joint undertaking’s dacc application has never been subject to an internal control audit , to ensure the compliance of user rights to authorise transactions with delegations assigned to staff and therefore there is a high risk that non-compliance due to breaches of the joint undertaking’s delegation policy may not have been identified nor mitigated; notes from the joint undertaking’s reply that a validation of the user right is being performed by a third party to provide assurance; calls on the joint undertaking to report to the discharge authority in that regard; ### 27. notes with concern from the court’s report that the joint undertaking’s dacc application has never been subject to an internal control audit , to ensure the compliance of user rights to authorise transactions with delegations assigned to staff and therefore there is a high risk that non-compliance due to breaches of the joint undertaking’s delegation policy may not have been identified nor mitigated; notes from the joint undertaking’s reply that a validation of the user right is being performed by a third party to provide assurance; calls on the joint undertaking to report to the discharge authority in that regard;


### 34. highlights the role of the eppo in the new anti-fraud infrastructure; notes , moreover , the working arrangements agreed in 2020 and signed in july 2021 between the eppo and olaf , especially as regards the exchange of information , case management and operational cooperation; ### 34. highlights the role of the eppo in the new anti-fraud infrastructure; notes , moreover , the working arrangements agreed in 2020 and signed in july 2021 between the eppo and olaf , especially as regards the exchange of information , case management and operational cooperation; welcomes the agreement between europol and the eppo which entered into force on 19 january 2022 and the agreement between europol and olaf which entered into force on 9 october 2020;


### 37. calls on olaf , the eppo , afcos , and the responsible eu agencies to keep strengthening the exchange of information , to reciprocate support and ensure complementarity in their operational activities as agreed in the established working arrangements and regulations; ### 37. calls on olaf , the eppo , afcos , and the responsible eu agencies , along with europol , to keep strengthening the exchange of information , to reciprocate support and ensure complementarity in their operational activities as agreed in the established working arrangements and regulations;


### 1. draws attention to the context in which official development assistance (oda) is now provided , marked by the covid pandemic , the aggravating climate crisis , the relentless growth of the needs of humanitarian aid , developing countries’ woefully inadequate financial and other resources to respond to the challenges they face , the reversal of the progress towards key sustainable development goals , including those to eradicate poverty and hunger , and the continued global failure to scale up climate action to the urgent need; ### 1. draws attention to the context in which official development assistance (oda) is now provided , marked by the covid pandemic , the aggravating climate crisis , the relentless growth of the needs of humanitarian aid , developing countries’ woefully inadequate financial and other resources to respond to the challenges they face , the reversal of the progress towards key sustainable development goals and the paris climate agreement , including those to eradicate poverty and hunger , and the continued global failure to scale up climate action to the urgent need;


### 2. insists that the union and its member states scale up their oda and climate finance so as to honour their commitments , that maximum efficiency of the spending be sought , that policy coherence for development (pcd) be practiced in a more convincing way and that new efforts to create an enabling international environment for domestic resource mobilisation (drm) be made; takes the view that well-functioning pcd and support for drm should be considered part and parcel of sound financial management as these are means to increase the efficiency of eu action which do not need to imply significant additional costs to the union budget; ### 2. insists that the union and its member states scale up their oda and climate finance while upholding high standards for the responsible financing of sustainable development , impact management , and transparency , so as to honour their commitments , that maximum efficiency of the spending be sought , that policy coherence for development (pcd) be practiced in a more convincing way and that new efforts to create an enabling international environment for domestic resource mobilisation (drm) be made; takes the view that well-functioning pcd and support for drm to reduce structural gaps and expand fiscal space to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and boost investments for a sustainable and inclusive recovery , should be considered part and parcel of sound financial management as these are means to increase the efficiency of eu action which do not need to imply significant additional costs to the union budget;


### 3. expresses disappointment about the continued absence of major action by the commission on the recommendations of the external evaluation of the union’s pcd1 , ordered by the commission and received in 2018; ### 3. expresses disappointment about the continued absence of major action by the commission on the recommendations of the external evaluation of the union’s pcd1 , ordered by the commission and received in 2018; regrets the lack of transparency in public procurement procedures;


### 39. is aware of the fact that the ombudsman’s meetings are published on its website; encourages the ombudsman to link the host of the events and the participants of the meetings to the transparency register; ### 39. is aware of the fact that the ombudsman’s meetings are published on its website; encourages the ombudsman to continue her efforts to ensure that the host of the events and the participants of the meetings are recorded on the transparency register;


### 43. is aware that the european data protector supervisor (edps) carried out an inspection in 2019 and sent its recommendations to the ombudsman in november 2020; asks that the ombudsman be informed about the finalisation of the process; ### 43. is aware that the european data protector supervisor (edps) carried out an inspection in 2019 and subsequently sent its recommendations to the ombudsman in november 2020 , and that those recommendations have been accepted in their entirety; asks that the ombudsman be informed about the finalisation of the process;


### 58. is aware of the ombudsman’s commitment to inform how the institutions comply with her recommendations , notably by way of its annual ‘putting it right’ report; considers that it could be useful for the ombudsman to share her recommendations in strategic investigations directly with parliament’s relevant committees; ### 58. is aware of the ombudsman’s commitment to inform how the institutions comply with her recommendations , notably by way of its annual ‘putting it right’ report; considers it useful for the ombudsman to share her recommendations in strategic investigations directly with parliament’s relevant committees;


### 26. appreciates that a series of training courses for all managers were based on the concept of human management , including modules focused on self-knowledge and emotion management designed to improve mental health in the workplace; welcomes the training courses provided , offered in a virtual format for all staff , in the fields of conflict management and burnout prevention; ### 26. appreciates that a series of training courses for all managers were based on the concept of human management , including modules focused on self-knowledge and emotion management designed to improve mental health in the workplace; welcomes the training courses provided , offered in a virtual format for all staff , in the fields of conflict management and burnout prevention; welcomes , further , the cjeu's hiring in 2019 of a psychologist to actively help staff experiencing personal or professional difficulties to improve their physical and mental health;


### 28. notes that cjeu employs staff from all member states , and that only two nationalities are missing in middle and senior management; calls on the cjeu to obtain relevant information from interinstitutional exchanges and to use all available means to encourage applications from candidates whose nationality is underrepresented in order to achieve an acceptable geographical distribution; ### 28. notes that cjeu employs staff from all member states , and that only two nationalities are missing in middle and senior management; calls on the cjeu to obtain relevant information from interinstitutional exchanges and to use all available means and remove any barriers to encourage applications from candidates whose nationality is underrepresented in order to achieve an acceptable geographical distribution;


### 31. notes with satisfaction that , out of the 223 trainees engaged in 2020 , the percentage of paid trainees at the cjeu was 72 % , compared to 48 ,5 % in 2019; is aware that 2020 was the second year of implementation of a paid traineeship scheme in the members’ cabinets; acknowledges the progress made and calls on the cjeu to make sure that all of its trainees receive a decent remuneration; ### 31. notes with satisfaction that , out of the 223 trainees engaged in 2020 , the percentage of paid trainees at the cjeu was 72 % , compared to 48 ,5 % in 2019; is aware that 2020 was the second year of implementation of a paid traineeship scheme in the members’ cabinets; acknowledges the progress made and calls , however , on the cjeu to make sure that all of its trainees receive a decent remuneration on a par with that of the other eu institutions , except for trainees for whom payments are made from other sources;


### 52. welcomes the many actions adopted to implement programmes under the union eco-management and audit scheme (emas) and define the strategy for reducing the carbon footprint while developing clean sources of energy; ### 52. welcomes the many actions adopted to implement programmes under the union eco-management and audit scheme (emas) and define the strategy for reducing the carbon footprint while developing clean sources of energy; encourages the cjeu to continue to take measures to reduce its environmental footprint;


### 48. notes that the eeas does not hold meetings with organisations and self-employed individuals qualified as lobbyists in line with article 11 teu; encourages the eeas to nevertheless explore the possibility of joining the union’s transparency register , on the basis of a service level agreement; ### 48. notes that the eeas does not hold meetings with organisations and self-employed individuals qualified as lobbyists in line with article 11 teu; encourages the eeas to join the union’s transparency register , on the basis of a service level agreement;


### 1. notes growing instability and the rise of unprecedented challenges in the international environment , which increased demands on the union to act as a global player; ### 1. notes growing instability and the rise of unprecedented challenges in the international environment , which increased demands on the union to act together with the member states , which must remain sovereign in matters of foreign policy;


### 2. highlights the central role played by the european external action service (eeas) in conducting the union’s external policy and welcomes that it lived up to the many challenges over the 10 years of its existence; notes , however , that enhanced eeas performance has to be underpinned by a corresponding staff increase; calls for sufficient human resources to be made available in order to deliver on the union’s external policy priorities; ### 2. highlights the central role played by the european external action service (eeas) in conducting the union’s external policy and welcomes that it lived up to the many challenges over the 10 years of its existence; underlines the importance of the eeas in ensuring the coherence of the union’s foreign policy and notes that enhanced eeas performance has to be underpinned by a corresponding staff increase; highlights the need to provide necessary resources for a successful implementation of our common foreign and security policy and common security and defence policy and calls for sufficient human resources to be made available in order to deliver on the union’s external policy priorities;


### 2. highlights the central role played by the european external action service (eeas) in conducting the union’s external policy and welcomes that it lived up to the many challenges over the 10 years of its existence; notes , however , that enhanced eeas performance has to be underpinned by a corresponding staff increase; calls for sufficient human resources to be made available in order to deliver on the union’s external policy priorities; ### 2. wants the european external action service (eeas) to focus primarily on analysis and research; opposes any programmed increase in its staff; calls , in particular , for the eeas not to recruit independently but to do so on the basis of diplomats being made available from the respective diplomatic corps of the member states;


### 3. notes the remaining gender and geographical imbalances within the eeas staff , despite slightly positive trends in previous years; reiterates the importance of ensuring a balanced distribution of staff in terms of gender and geographical origin within different categories and grades , particularly at middle and senior management levels; points also to a remaining overrepresentation of some member states’ diplomats among the heads of delegation and calls for further efforts to address those imbalances; ### 3. notes the remaining gender and geographical imbalances within the eeas staff , despite slightly positive trends in previous years; reiterates the importance of ensuring a balanced distribution of staff in terms of gender and geographical origin within different categories and grades , particularly at middle and senior management levels; points also to a remaining overrepresentation of some member states’ diplomats among the heads of delegation and calls for further efforts to address those imbalances; encourages eeas to create and share guidelines on best practices on the conducting of recruitment procedures in order to ensure diversity , openness , fairness and transparency;


### 4. welcomes the eca’s special report on disinformation affecting the union and calls for implementing the eca recommendations in the union’s action plan against disinformation; stresses the continuous need to fight foreign propaganda and expose disinformation and malicious foreign influence; underlines the importance of the eeas strategic communication task force and calls for providing it with the necessary financial and personnel resources; ### 4. considers that the desire on the part of the union , and in particular the eeas , to tackle issues relating to ‘disinformation’ is about taking subjective positions vis-à-vis third countries; calls for an end to the activities of the task force on disinformation within the eeas;