### 6. notes the geographical imbalances in the composition of the eeas staff; stresses that the eeas , like all european institutions , must ensure that all member states are proportionally represented while at the same time respecting the competences and merits of the candidates; calls on the eeas to enhance the geographical balance in order to have a proper representation of nationals from all member states , reflecting the diversity of member states; ### 6. notes the geographical imbalances in the composition of the eeas staff; stresses that the eeas , like all european institutions , must ensure that all member states are proportionally represented whenever possible , while at the same time respecting the competences and merits of the candidates; calls on the eeas to enhance the geographical balance in order to have a proper representation of nationals from all member states , reflecting the diversity of member states; welcomes the eeas’ efforts informing the human resources network of eu member states about the staff composition , publishing the vacancies and promoting national efforts to increase the number of candidates;


### 7. observes that the number of seconded national experts from member states started to slightly increase after two years of stabilisation , from 449 in 2017-2018 to 461 in 2019 , while noting an evolution towards more specialised profiles for civilians snes; ### 7. observes that the number of seconded national experts from member states started to slightly increase after two years of stabilisation , from 449 in 2017-2018 to 461 in 2019 , while noting an evolution towards more specialised profiles for civilians snes; notes with satisfaction the new internal policy on snes adopted in 2019 and several measures to rebalance the share of the snes' population , in addition to limiting the creation of new snes posts to specialists in specific areas;


### 8. notes the upward trend with regard to the proportion of women reaching management positions with 30 ,3 % (or 81 positions) compared to 27 ,1 % in 2018 and 24 ,5 % in 2017; takes also note of the increasing trend of the share of women posted as heads of delegation from 19 ,5 % in 2015 to 27 ,7 % in 2019 (or 38 postings out of 137); reiterates its support for the eeas in continuing its efforts with member states to introduce more women candidates; notes that overall women represented 47 ,7 % of eeas staff; recalls that gender balance should also be considered with regard to the eu special representatives , two out of eight eu special representatives being women; ### 8. notes with satisfaction the upward trend with regard to the proportion of women reaching management positions with 30 ,3 % (or 81 positions) compared to 27 ,1 % in 2018 and 24 ,5 % in 2017; takes also note of the increasing trend of the share of women posted as heads of delegation from 19 ,5 % in 2015 to 27 ,7 % in 2019 (or 38 postings out of 137); reiterates its support for the eeas in continuing its efforts with member states to introduce more women candidates; notes that overall women represented 47 ,7 % of eeas staff; recalls that gender balance should also be considered with regard to the eu special representatives , two out of eight eu special representatives being women;


### 10. notes that the total budget of the eeas for 2019 amounted to eur 694 ,8 million (i.e. an increase of 2 ,4 % compared to 2018) with the following split , namely eur 249 ,7 million for eeas headquarters and eur 445 ,2 million for the delegations; ### 10. notes that the total budget of the eeas for 2019 amounted to eur 694 ,8 million (i.e. an increase of 2 ,4 % compared to 2018) with the following split , namely eur 249 ,7 million for eeas headquarters and eur 445 ,1 million for the delegations;


### 12. observes that the headquarters’ budget amounted to eur 250 million out of which eur 161 ,8 million (i.e. 64 ,8 %) concerned the payment of salaries and other entitlements of statutory and external staff , eur 32 million (i.e. 13 %) were for buildings and associated costs , and eur 35 ,3 million (i.e. 14 %) were related to it computer systems including classified information systems , equipment and furniture; ### 12. observes that the headquarters’ budget amounted to approximately eur 250 million out of which eur 161 ,8 million (i.e. 64 ,8 %) concerned the payment of salaries and other entitlements of statutory and external staff , eur 32 million (i.e. 13 %) were for buildings and associated costs , and eur 35 ,3 million (i.e. 14 %) were related to it computer systems including classified information systems , equipment and furniture;


### 19. encourages the eeas therefore to continue discussing with the european commission ways to streamline the budget nomenclature and lines when possible in order to facilitate the overall eeas budget management; is of the opinion that the upcoming mff and the related evolution in their design and structure should speed up this process of budgetary simplification and rationalisation; considers that such an evolution is likely to improve budgetary costs control and minimize the risk of error; ### 19. encourages the eeas therefore to continue discussing with the european commission ways to streamline the budget nomenclature and lines when possible in order to facilitate the overall eeas budget management; is of the opinion that the upcoming mff and the related evolution in their design and structure should speed up this process of budgetary simplification and rationalisation; considers that such an evolution is likely to improve budgetary costs control and minimize the risk of error; acknowledges the proposal made by the eeas in early 2020 for a far-reaching simplification; acknowledges that this proposal has been postponed to 2022 due to the ongoing covid-19 pandemic but that the eeas has submitted another simplifying proposal to the commission in september 2020;


### 26. notes the rate of anomalies detected in ex ante verifications of commitments and payments (respectively , 308 errors out of 1193 and 394 out of 2119); is concerned that in both cases errors are of an administrative nature i.e. incorrect amounts for commitments or missing supporting documents for payments presented for ex-ante financial verification; ### 26. notes the rate of anomalies detected in ex ante verifications of commitments and payments (respectively , 308 errors out of 1193 and 394 out of 2119); is concerned that in both cases errors are of an administrative nature i.e. incorrect amounts for commitments or missing supporting documents for payments presented for ex-ante financial verification; acknowledges the implementation , from january 2020 , of a revised list of anomaly codes aiming at better defining the error typology;


### 49. regrets the fact that there is an increase in cases reported to the mediation service , reaching 183 in 2019 (compared to 135 cases in 2018); ### 49. notes the fact that there is an increase in cases reported to the mediation service concerning either unsolved disagreements around rights and obligations or different kinds of conflict at work , reaching 183 in 2019 (compared to 135 cases in 2018); understands that the increase of the cases brought to the mediation service is a sign of a proper functioning; acknowledges the adoption of a new decision on the eeas mediation service in 2020 in order to strengthen the mechanisms in place;


### - with regard to the audit of procurement and contract implementation in the catering sector (dg inlo) , achieving the internal control objectives through , notably , allowing longer time-limits for procurement that are proportionate to the complexity of the specifications; ensuring clearer , more relevant and accurate tender specifications; ensuring a transparent evaluation of tenders that is based on the published criteria and is properly documented; validating ad hoc contracts on concessions with the legal service; the critical importance of managing amendments to concession contracts in line with the rules; improved management monitoring and reporting; ### - with regard to the audit of procurement and contract implementation in the catering sector (dg inlo) , achieving the internal control objectives through , notably , allowing longer time-limits for procurement that are proportionate to the complexity of the specifications; ensuring clearer , more relevant and accurate tender specifications; ensuring a transparent evaluation of tenders that is based on the published criteria and is properly documented; validating ad hoc contracts on concessions with the legal service; the critical importance of managing amendments to concession contracts in line with the rules; improved management monitoring and reporting; underlines the importance of taking criteria for environmental sustainability and social factors into account;


### 16. notes the fact that no action has been taken in response to some of the recommendations in parliament's resolution on discharge for 2018 , and that the discharge follow-up document does not provide any justification for this; stresses the importance of having more frequent discussions with the secretary-general on issues concerning parliament's budget and its implementation in parliament’s committee on budgetary control; ### 16. regrets that not all actions have been taken in response to some of their recommendations in parliament's resolution on discharge for 2018 , and that the discharge follow-up document does not provide any justification for this; stresses that the secretary-general should have regular discussions with the committee on budgetary control on issues concerning parliament's budget and its implementation; considers that these should take place during the year and not only doing the discharge procedure;


### 16. notes the fact that no action has been taken in response to some of the recommendations in parliament's resolution on discharge for 2018 , and that the discharge follow-up document does not provide any justification for this; stresses the importance of having more frequent discussions with the secretary-general on issues concerning parliament's budget and its implementation in parliament’s committee on budgetary control; ### 16. notes the fact that no action has been taken in response to some of the recommendations in parliament's resolution on discharge for 2018 , and that the discharge follow-up document does not provide any justification for this; asks the secretary-general to forward this resolution to the bureau and highlights all requests for action or decisions by the bureau; calls on the secretary-general to establish a plan of action and a timetable enabling the bureau to follow up and/or to respond to the recommendations contained in parliament’s discharge resolutions and to include the results in the annual monitoring document; stresses the importance of having more frequent discussions with the secretary-general and the vice-president responsible for budget on issues concerning parliament's budget and its implementation in parliament’s committee on budgetary control; reiterates the need for the bureau to substantially improve , in a proactive manner , the transparency and accessibility of each milestone of the decision-making procedure , with particular focus on the bureau's website;


### 16. notes the fact that no action has been taken in response to some of the recommendations in parliament's resolution on discharge for 2018 , and that the discharge follow-up document does not provide any justification for this; stresses the importance of having more frequent discussions with the secretary-general on issues concerning parliament's budget and its implementation in parliament’s committee on budgetary control; ### 16. rejects the fact that no action has been taken in response to some of the recommendations in parliament's resolution on the discharge for 2018 , and that the discharge follow-up document does not provide any justification for this; demands more frequent discussions with the secretary-general on issues concerning parliament's budget and its implementation in parliament’s committee on budgetary control; calls on the bureau to follow up on these recommendations;


### 19. recognises the positive developments regarding gender balance and welcomes the new and more ambitious targets to be achieved by 2024; acknowledges the need for continuous monitoring on the topic; ### 19. regrets the lack of gender balance of bureau staff; recognises the positive developments in this regard and acknowledges the new targets; recognizes the need for continuous monitoring on the topic;


### 21. recalls that rule 11 of the rules of procedure has introduced an obligation for rapporteurs , shadow rapporteurs and committee chairs to publish information on meetings held with interest representatives in the context of their reports; notes with satisfaction that , since the start of the new legislature , the necessary infrastructure has been available on parliament’s website to allow members to publish scheduled meetings with interested representatives in order to improve transparency; ### 21. recalls that rule 11 of the rules of procedure has introduced an obligation for rapporteurs , shadow rapporteurs and committee chairs to publish information on meetings held with interest representatives in the context of their reports; notes with satisfaction that , since the start of the new legislature , the necessary infrastructure has been available on parliament’s website to allow members to publish scheduled meetings with interested representatives in order to improve transparency; stresses , however , that the tool for publication of meetings needs further improvement in order to fulfil its function to make parliament more open , transparent , and accountable to citizens;


### 28. welcomes the successful completion , in 2019 , of new working environments for members in brussels and strasbourg; commends the fact that the refurbishment of all members' offices in brussels (1 personal office permember + 2 staff offices) and in strasbourg (1 personal office + 1 staff office) was carried out in record time and ahead of schedule , as well as coming in under the works budget amount allocated to it , and that new furniture equipment , including integrated it solutions has been installed at a lower cost than originally foreseen; notes with satisfaction that the revised office allocation plan for members and political groups was based on the most efficient use of available office space; ### 28. welcomes the successful completion , in 2019 , of new working environments for members in brussels and strasbourg; commends the fact that the refurbishment of all members' offices in brussels (1 personal office per member + 2 staff offices) and in strasbourg (1 personal office + 1 staff office) was carried out in record time and ahead of schedule , as well as coming in under the works budget amount allocated to it , and that new furniture equipment , including integrated it solutions has been installed at a lower cost than originally foreseen; notes with satisfaction that the revised office allocation plan for members and political groups was based on the most efficient use of available office space; fully regrets , however , that the administration finally carried out this refurbishment , on the grounds of the furniture obsolescence and during the 2019 elections period , despite the fact that parliament explicitly stated on several occasions in plenary that such change was not necessary;


### 29. expresses its support for the way parliament increased the visibility of the european elections by building , animating and engaging with a wide network of media , partners and volunteers who acted as opinion multipliers within their own networks; ### 29. expresses its support for the way parliament increased the visibility of the european elections by building , animating and engaging with a wide network of media , partners and volunteers who acted as opinion multipliers within their own networks; notes with concern , however , that the turnout of the 2019 european elections remained too low in certain countries; considers that a visibility campaign of the european elections and the role of parliament in the legislative process should be permanent , with a particular focus on those countries;


### 30. welcomes that more than 50% of union citizens eligible to vote took part in the elections , and notes with satisfaction that it was the first time since the first direct elections in 1979 that turnout has increased; ### 30. welcomes that more than 50% of union citizens eligible to vote took part in the elections , and notes with satisfaction that it was the first time since the first direct elections in 1979 that turnout has increased; regrets , however , that the spitzenkandidaten system for the appointment of the commission president was not followed , unlike after the 2014 elections; observes that the system adds to the transparency and accountability of the commission to parliament; notes that the president of the european commission acknowledges the need for improvement in this area in the political guidelines; stresses that , as stated in the guidelines , a review of the way the leaders of the institutions are appointed and elected is needed;


### 34. notes that ahead of and during the elections , all relevant parliament’s stakeholders were kept up-to-date on disinformation and threats against parliament from entities and actors seeking to undermine unity and european democracy; urges parliament to take robust action to counter disinformation via regular information and warnings and that appropriate training and awareness-raising activities are organised for members , staff and visitors; calls on parliament to further strengthen the external communication of its activities; ### 34. commends parliament’s efforts to counter disinformation ahead of and during the elections; urges parliament to take robust action to counter disinformation via regular information and warnings and that appropriate training and awareness-raising activities are organised for members , staff and visitors; calls on parliament to further strengthen the external communication of its activities;


### 37. notes that , at its meeting of 11 february 2019 , the bureau confirmed the continuation of parliament’s office in london; notes that on 5 october 2020 , the bureau acknowledged the closure of the edinburgh antenna office at the end of 2020; acknowledges that the liaison office in the united kingdom will continue to play a crucial role for parliament in providing services to members on delegations to the united kingdom and in order to further engage with citizens , civil society , government , the parliamentary environment and media in that country; ### 37. notes that , at its meeting of 11 february 2019 , the bureau confirmed the continuation of parliament’s office in london; notes that on 5 october 2020 , the bureau acknowledged the closure of the edinburgh antenna office at the end of 2020; acknowledges that the liaison office in as well as the european union delegation to the united kingdom will continue to play a crucial role for parliament in providing services to members on delegations to the united kingdom and in order to further engage with citizens , civil society , government , the parliamentary environment and media in that country; regrets therefore the refusal of the united kingdom government to recognise the full diplomatic status of the european union ambassador to the united kingdom;


### 40. notes that the revised rules governing the payment of financial contributions for sponsored visitors’ groups entered into force on 1 january 2017; recalls that , in accordance with the principle of non-profit enshrined in these rules , heads of groups have an obligation to return any unused financial contribution after verification by parliament’s services of a financial declaration; seeks greater assurance that the management of sponsored visitors’ groups is strictly in accordance with the applicable rules; ### 40. notes that the revised rules governing the payment of financial contributions for sponsored visitors’ groups entered into force on 1 january 2017; recalls that , in accordance with the principle of non-profit enshrined in these rules , heads of groups have an obligation to return any unused financial contribution after verification by parliament’s services of a financial declaration; seeks greater assurance that the management of sponsored visitors’ groups is strictly in accordance with the applicable rules; reiterates its call to remove the possibility of appointing apas as head of group and thus giving the financial responsibility of sponsored visits exclusively to a member of the group or to professionals , i.e. paying agents or travel agencies;


### 45. is aware of the importance of the building policy , in particular the completion of final installation works at the montoyer 63 building in brussels , which was put in use in 2019 , and the adenauer project in luxembourg , which is scheduled to be completed by end of june 2023; understands that , in 2019 , the committee on budgets authorised a mopping-up transfer , amounting to eur 31 million , for the pre-financing of the project; ### 45. is aware of the importance of the building policy , in particular the completion of final installation works at the montoyer 63 building in brussels , which was put in use in 2019 , and the adenauer project in luxembourg , which is scheduled to be completed by end of june 2023; understands that , in 2019 , the committee on budgets authorised a mopping-up transfer , amounting to eur 31 million , for the pre-financing of the project , which excludes project management costs , financial costs , certified bodies , etc.; regrets the increased costs due to the constructions delays and notes that transactions with the construction companies (linked to the delay with the project) have been necessary to avoid further delays and costs (between 5% and 15% of the contract amount);


### 50. recalls that in 2020 , parliament launched an international architectural competition with two options , a comprehensive environmental renovation or reconstruction of the spaak building; expects a detailed evaluation of the cost on the basis of the summary pre-project , which is to be developed by the winning architect in the course of 2021; demands that the renovation/reconstruction take into account parliament’s current needs as described in the updated building strategy beyond 2019; ### 50. recalls that in 2020 , parliament launched an international architectural competition with two options , a comprehensive environmental renovation or reconstruction of the spaak building; to take into account cost-effectiveness and energy efficiency as leading criteria; expects a detailed and public evaluation of the cost and energy efficiency of the selected proposal on the basis of the summary pre-project , which is to be developed by the winning architect in the course of 2021; demands that the renovation/reconstruction take into account parliament’s current needs as described in the updated building strategy beyond 2019;


### 56. takes note of the immediate actions , approved by the bureau at its meeting of 22 july 2020 , which included an awareness campaign , protection of valuable it equipment , prior notification of maintenance works , and provisions of separate master keys for each floor and strict limitation of their distribution; expects parliament to adopt long-term measures to prevent thefts including among those envisaged the introduction of different levels of access rights within parliament’s premises , increased cctv coverage , and further actions relating to keys’ management policy , including the possibility of installing electronic door locks taking due account of the necessary proportionality between the investments needed and the actual value of stolen items; ### 56. takes note of the immediate actions , approved by the bureau at its meeting of 22 july 2020 , which included an awareness campaign , protection of valuable it equipment , prior notification of maintenance works , and provisions of separate master keys for each floor and strict limitation of their distribution; expresses its dismay over the general tone and specific messages of the awareness campaign that seems to hold members and staff responsible of the protection of the equipment beyond common sense rather than focus on security measures; expects parliament to adopt long-term measures to prevent thefts including among those envisaged the introduction of different levels of access rights within parliament’s premises , increased cctv coverage , and further actions relating to keys’ management policy , including the possibility of installing electronic door locks taking due account of the necessary proportionality between the investments needed and the actual value of stolen items;


### 56. takes note of the immediate actions , approved by the bureau at its meeting of 22 july 2020 , which included an awareness campaign , protection of valuable it equipment , prior notification of maintenance works , and provisions of separate master keys for each floor and strict limitation of their distribution; expects parliament to adopt long-term measures to prevent thefts including among those envisaged the introduction of different levels of access rights within parliament’s premises , increased cctv coverage , and further actions relating to keys’ management policy , including the possibility of installing electronic door locks taking due account of the necessary proportionality between the investments needed and the actual value of stolen items; ### 56. takes note of the immediate actions , approved by the bureau at its meeting of 22 july 2020 , which included an awareness campaign , protection of valuable it equipment , prior notification of maintenance works , and provisions of separate master keys for each floor and strict limitation of their distribution; calls on parliament to adopt long-term measures to prevent thefts including among those envisaged the introduction of different levels of access rights within parliament’s premises , increased cctv coverage , and further actions relating to keys’ management policy , including the possibility of installing electronic door locks taking due account of the necessary proportionality between the investments needed and the actual value of stolen items;


### 59. observes the launch of market procedures for the introduction of an automatic vehicle recognition system at all car park entrances and exits and the move to adenauer ii building; ### 59. notes with satisfaction the launch of market procedures for the introduction of an automatic vehicle recognition system at all car park entrances and exits and the move to adenauer ii building;


### 3. notes that the agency succeeded in the adoption of significant decisions , opinions and recommendations in the union electricity and gas markets resulting from the adoption of the regulation (eu) no 1227/20112 on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency (remit); notes that some tasks were deprioritised or not executed due to a lack of resources; ### 3. notes that the agency succeeded in the adoption of significant decisions , opinions and recommendations in the union electricity and gas markets resulting from the adoption of the regulation (eu) no 1227/20112 on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency (remit); notes with concern that some tasks were deprioritised or not executed due to a lack of resources;


### 1. grants the executive director of the ecsel joint undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2019 / postpones its decision on discharge to the executive director of the ecsel joint undertaking in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2019; ### 1. grants the executive director of the ecsel joint undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2019.


### 3. notes that the agency has signed a service level agreement with the european centre for the development of vocational training , in order to obtain more efficiency through services sharing , knowledge sharing and exchange of best practices , especially in the following fields: it tools , human resources management , procurement and business continuity; ### 3. welcomes that the agency has signed a service level agreement with the european centre for the development of vocational training , in order to obtain more efficiency through services sharing , knowledge sharing and exchange of best practices , especially in the following fields: it tools , human resources management , procurement and business continuity;


### 10. notes the agency’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to secure transparency , prevention and management of conflicts of interest and notes that the cvs of the members of the management board and their declaration of conflicts are being published on its website; notes that the agency does not publish the senior management’s declaration of conflicts of interest oor cvs on its website , with the exception of those of the executive director; calls the agency to report to the discharge authority on the measures taken in that regard; ### 10. notes the agency’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to secure transparency , prevention and management of conflicts of interest and notes that the cvs of the members of the management board and their declaration of conflicts are being published on its website; notes that the agency does not publish the senior management’s declaration of conflicts of interest and cvs on its website , with the exception of those of the executive director; calls the agency to publish the declarations of conflicts of interest and the cvs of its senior management and to report to the discharge authority on the measures taken in that regard;


### 12. notes regarding the audit of the commission’s internal audit service (ias) on ‘stakeholders’ involvement in the production of deliverables in enisa’ that one important recommendation is still pending; ### 12. notes regarding the audit of the commission’s internal audit service (ias) on ‘stakeholders’ involvement in the production of deliverables in enisa’ that one important recommendation is still pending as relevant procedures needed to be revised and approved internally;


### 9. encourages the ombudsman to maintain and expand contacts with bodies at union and national level , which serve the purpose of exchanging information and best practices and adopting common approaches , where possible , on general administrative , financial , personnel and it matters as well as on ethics , transparency and public integrity; ### 9. encourages the ombudsman to maintain and expand contacts with bodies at union and national level , which serve the purpose of exchanging information and best practices and adopting common approaches , where possible , on general administrative , financial , personnel and it matters as well as on ethics , transparency and public integrity; welcomes the intense exchange with national ombudsmen offices , and the organising of meetings between national ombudsmen offices in order to identify topics for possible parallel inquiries;


### 11. repeats the need for gender balance at all hierarchical levels and acknowledges that the ombudsman takes a proactive approach to maintaining a balance between male and female recruitments (62 % female staff compared to 65 % female staff in 2018); acknowledges , however , that the ombudsman has a highly qualified multilingual staff with gender balance in management positions; ### 11. repeats the need for gender balance at all hierarchical levels; acknowledges that the ombudsman takes a proactive approach to maintaining a balance between male and female recruitments and that the ombudsman has a highly qualified staff with a good geographical distribution despite the limitations due to the small size of the office , and with gender balance in management positions;


### 12. is aware of the difficulty posed for a small institution in striving for geographical balance; notes that the number of managers was seven , and that they were composed of of five different nationalities (german , irish , italian , polish and swedish) compared to six different nationalities in management in 2018; acknowledges plans for a reorganisation in 2020 to increase the ombudsman’s efficiency resulting in a reduction in the number of managers , by striving for geographical balance , to the extent possible; ### 12. is aware of the difficulty posed for a small institution in striving for geographical balance but nevertheless regrets that in 2019 the ombudsman’s staff represented 20 out of the 27 nationalities of the member states; notes that the number of managers was seven , and that they were composed of five different nationalities (german , irish , italian , polish and swedish) compared to six different nationalities in management in 2018; acknowledges plans for a reorganisation in 2020 to increase the ombudsman’s efficiency resulting in a reduction in the number of managers , by striving for geographical balance , to the extent possible;


### 21. notes that the internal auditor's annual report for 2018 concluded that , subject to closure of the remaining action on business continuity management , the ombudsman's risk management , control and governance systems are effective and efficient and provide the reasonable assurance thjat it will attain its control objectives on a consistent basis; asks the ombudsman to inform it on any follow-up in relation to the actions carried over in respect of business continuity management; ### 21. notes that the internal auditor's annual report for 2018 concluded that , subject to closure of the remaining action on business continuity management , the ombudsman's risk management , control and governance systems are effective and efficient and provide the reasonable assurance that it will attain its control objectives on a consistent basis; asks the ombudsman to inform it on any follow-up in relation to the actions carried over in respect of business continuity management;


### 28. welcomes that the ombudsman supports the importance of data protection , and commits to enhance further the awareness of users of the importance of online data protection; ### 28. welcomes that the ombudsman supports the importance of data protection , and commits to enhance further the awareness of users of the importance of online data protection; congratulates the ombudsman on her action plan for the eu dpr produced in 2018 aiming to adapt the institution to the new legislation , as well as the progress achieved implementing the 24 actions identified in the plan throughout 2019;


### 31. underlines the importance of a good functioning collaboration among the eno as union law and policies are increasingly important for the everyday life of citizens of the member states; welcomes the intense exchange with national ombudsmen offices , and the organising of meetings between national ombudsmen offices in order to identify topics for possible parallel inquiries; ### 31. underlines the importance of a good functioning collaboration among the eno as union law and policies are increasingly important for the everyday life of citizens of the member states;


### 32. highlights the second edition of the award for good administration , which dealt with 54 inspiring projects nominated from the main union institutions , as well as many agencies and other bodies , which shows the high interest in it; notes that the overall award for good administration went to the teams from the commission that worked on the union initiative to reduce plastic pollution and raise awareness about the problem; ### 32. highlights the second edition of the award for good administration launched by the ombudsman , which dealt with 54 inspiring projects nominated from the main union institutions , as well as many agencies and other bodies , which shows the high interest in it; notes that the overall award for good administration went to the teams from the commission that worked on the union initiative to reduce plastic pollution and raise awareness about the problem;


### 33. welcomes the ombudsman’s commitment to reducing its environmental footprint via concrete actions such as the extensive use of videoconference facilities for internal and inter-institutional meetings , and which have made it possible to reduce missions; notes the teleworking policy , which is used by many members of staff (and byall staff during the covid-19 crisis) , which limits individual transportation. ### 33. welcomes the ombudsman’s commitment to reducing its environmental footprint via concrete actions such as the extensive use of videoconference facilities for internal and inter-institutional meetings , and which have made it possible to reduce missions; notes the teleworking policy , which is used by many members of staff (and by all staff during the covid-19 crisis) , which limits individual transportation.


### 1. notes that the court of auditors (the ‘court’) , in its annual report for 2019 , observed that no significant weaknesses had been identified in respect of the audited topics relating to human resources and procurement for the committee of the regions (the ‘committee’); ### 1. notes with satisfaction that the court of auditors (the ‘court’) , in its annual report for 2019 , observed that no significant weaknesses had been identified in respect of the audited topics relating to human resources and procurement for the committee of the regions (the ‘committee’);


### 2. states with satisfaction that based on its audit work , the court concluded that the payments as a whole for the year ended 31 december 2019 , the administrative and other expenditure of the committee were free from material error and that the examined supervisory and control systems were effective; ### 2. welcomes that based on its audit work , the court concluded that the payments as a whole for the year ended 31 december 2019 , the administrative and other expenditure of the committee were free from material error and that the examined supervisory and control systems were effective;


### 5. underlines that the commitment execution rate for title 1 ‘expenditure relating to persons working with the institution’ was 99 ,6 % and for title 2 ‘buildings , furniture , equipment and miscellaneous operating expenditure’ 99 ,7 %; notes that approximately eur 400 000 (0 ,4 %) were uncommitted at the end of the year and thus returned to the union budget , which was a reductions compared to2018 where approximately eur 700 000 (0 ,7 %) were left uncommitted; ### 5. underlines that the commitment execution rate for title 1 ‘expenditure relating to persons working with the institution’ was 99 ,6 % and for title 2 ‘buildings , furniture , equipment and miscellaneous operating expenditure’ 99 ,7 %; notes with satisfaction that approximately eur 400 000 (0 ,4 %) were uncommitted at the end of the year and thus returned to the union budget , which was a reduction compared to 2018 where approximately eur 700 000 (0 ,7 %) were left uncommitted;


### 7. acknowledges the committee’s continued efforts to reinforce its political role and to face the increased need for permanent expertise in political and administrative domains; notes the talent pool created to motivate and retain experienced staff in the committee; notes that the first general internal competition in the history of the committee was finalised in the first half of 2019 with a total of 40 laureates out of 113 candidate staff members; ### 7. acknowledges the committee’s continued efforts to reinforce its political role and to face the increased need for permanent expertise in political and administrative domains; notes the talent pool created to motivate and retain experienced staff in the committee; notes that the first general internal competition in the history of the committee was finalised in the first half of 2019 with a total of 40 laureates out of 113 candidate staff members; asks the committee to explain the concrete professional prospects offered to the laureates;


### 8. acknowledges that the situation in terms of gender balance in middle and senior management positions has remained relatively stable since 2018 with 35 % of these positions being filled by women; acknowledges that a new equal opportunity strategy containing concrete objectives to be reached by 2025 is being adopted and should enter in force in 2020; ### 8. regrets that the situation in terms of gender balance in middle and senior management positions has not improved but has remained relatively stable since 2018 with 35 % of these positions being filled by women; acknowledges that a new equal opportunity strategy containing concrete objectives to be reached by 2025 is being adopted and should enter in force in 2020;


### 9. encourages the committee to continue its efforts to achieve gender balance at all hierarchal levels and welcomes actions such as the mandatory presence of both genders on selection panels , the active encouragement of female applicants for all managerial positions , specific training sessions for female staff who wish to prepare for a managerial career and more flexible working arrangements , including the possibility for part time work and telework; ### 9. encourages the committee to continue its efforts to achieve gender balance at all hierarchal levels and welcomes actions such as the mandatory presence of both genders on selection panels , the active encouragement of female applicants for all managerial positions , specific training sessions for female staff who wish to prepare for a managerial career and more flexible working arrangements , including the possibility for part time work and telework; notes the range of incentives put in place by the committee such as the formal recognition of management responsibilities below head of unit level and the creation of an informal network for gender balance in management launched with the support of the administration;


### 10. appreciates the committee’s focus on developing and upholding high-quality health and well-being services based on prevention and early intervention through close cooperation between the hr services concerned , and awareness-raising programmes among staff and managers; welcomes the training sessions held with managers at both junior , middle and senior level on the topic of absence management and successful integration of colleagues after long-term absence; ### 10. appreciates the committee’s focus on developing and upholding high-quality health and well-being services based on prevention and early intervention through close cooperation between the hr services concerned , and awareness-raising programmes among staff and managers; welcomes the training sessions held with managers at both junior , middle and senior level on the topic of absence management and successful integration of colleagues after long-term absence; notes that ten cases of burnout were registered in 2019; notes that the committee’s social service provides assistance during the illness period and upon return to work; asks the committee to include burnout detection in its health and well-being services;


### 11. underlines that the committee uses contract staff mainly to provide appropriate support in the form of replacements for mid to long term absences and for specific projects in different directorates with the objective of providing additional support to members of the committee; ### 11. underlines that the committee uses contract staff mainly to provide appropriate support in the form of replacements for mid to long term absences and for specific projects in different directorates with the objective of providing additional support to members of the committee; reminds , however , that the use of contract staff also entails considerable loss of knowledge and expertise for the committee at the end of their contracts and thus encourages the committee to keep on negotiating the enlargement of its establishment plan;


### 20. notes the guiding principles of the committee's building strategy which include the geographical concentration of buildings , the preference for ownership rather than lease , a sustainable building management and multi-annual planning; notes that the working group set up jointly with the european economic and social committee (eesc) established guidelines for the attribution of office space , taking into account the situation in other union bodies; appreciates that these parameters were presented to and discussed with staff representatives; acknowledges the committee’s transparent and cooperative approach vis-à-vis staff representatives; ### 20. notes the guiding principles of the committee's building strategy which include the geographical concentration of buildings , the preference for ownership rather than lease , a sustainable building management and multi-annual planning; notes that the working group set up jointly with the european economic and social committee (eesc) established guidelines for the attribution of office space , taking into account the situation in other union bodies; appreciates that these parameters were presented to and discussed with staff representatives; acknowledges the committee’s transparent and cooperative approach vis-à-vis staff representatives; notes that a total of 241 work stations are not in use and asks the committee to explain its plans for those work stations within the current building strategy;


### 21. recognises that the committee together with the eesc has given instructions to remove asbestos in autumn 2020 in full respect of the necessary protection measures during the works as requested in the 2018 discharge resolution; welcomes the fact that the buildings of both the committee and the eesc are either asbestos free or , as in the case of the vma building , asbestos-safe; ### 21. recognises that the committee together with the eesc has given instructions to remove asbestos in autumn 2020 in full respect of the necessary protection measures during the works as requested in the 2018 discharge resolution; welcomes the fact that most of the buildings of both the committee and the eesc are asbestos free; expresses its concerns over the health of the workers and the presence of asbestos in the vma building , although acknowledges that the committee has received an asbestos-safe certificate;


### 22. underlines that the committee formulates clear key performance indicators for its different administrative areas by formulating objectives , results and the related number of human resources; asks the committee to provide in addition to this very detailed setting a consolidated version of the major objectives and the results achieved in the next annual activity report; ### 22. underlines that the committee formulates clear key performance indicators for its different administrative areas by formulating objectives , results and the related number of human resources; asks the committee to provide in addition to this very detailed setting a consolidated version of the major objectives and the results achieved in the next annual activity report , in which it asks the committee to explore more reader-friendly data visualisation options for the key performance indicator tables;


### 24. notes that monitoring of the internal audit function is provided by the audit committee composed of one member per political group of the committee’s commission of financial and administrative affairs and one high-level external advisor; observes that in 2019 the audit committee held two meetings where the 2020 work programme was presented and members were informed about the progress achieved with regard to the state of play of ongoing audits and the open recommendations as well as the related risks; ### 24. notes that monitoring of the internal audit function is provided by the audit committee composed of one member per political group of the committee’s commission of financial and administrative affairs and one high-level external advisor; observes that in 2019 the audit committee held two meetings where the 2018 annual internal report and the 2020 work programme were presented and members were informed about the progress achieved with regard to the state of play of ongoing audits and the open recommendations as well as the related risks; notes that 57 % of very important recommendations were closed after 6 months (target for 2019-2020: 75%) and 100% of very important recommendations were closed after 12 months (target for 2019-2020: 100%); suggests the committee to include a summary of the audit recommendations in its annual activity report;


### 25. observes that the internal financial rules for the implementation of the committee’s budget were updated on 1 january 2019 by its decision no 0014/2018 and have been implemented throughout 2019 by including the operational agents as formal actors in the financial approval workflow and furthermore by appointing managers responsible for operational management as authorising officers by sub-delegation; ### 25. observes that the internal financial rules for the implementation of the committee’s budget were updated on 1 january 2019 by its decision no 0014/2018 and have been implemented throughout 2019; notes with satisfaction the inclusion of the operational agents as formal actors in the financial approval workflow and the appointment of managers responsible for operational management as authorising officers by sub-delegation;


### 27. calls on the committee to strengthen its efforts in analysing the situation to attain a fully paperless tendering environment for all procurement procedures; notes that this would make it necessary to acquire the public procurement management tool developed by the commission’s joint research entre) , alongside the development or acquisition of an improved back-office document management system; ### 27. calls on the committee to strengthen its efforts in analysing the situation to attain a fully paperless tendering environment for all procurement procedures; notes that this would make it necessary to acquire the public procurement management tool developed by the commission’s joint research centre , alongside the development or acquisition of an improved back-office document management system; notes that the existing 'paperless workflow from invoice to payment' procedure was extended to a number of additional units/directorates in the course of 2019 and that the committee’s objective for the coming years is to broaden the scope of the paperless workflows also to other types of transactions taking into account available it resources;


### 32. welcomes the cooperation agreement of 5 february 2012 which remains in place between the committee and parliament and which covers political cooperation between parliament and the committee and administrative cooperation between parliament , the committee and the eesc; asks the committee that it be informed on the outcome of the revision of this agreement; notes the agreement with the commission from 2005 with an addendum from 2007; notes that the negotiations for a new agreement for administrative cooperation with the eesc (the existing agreement has been entered into for the period 2016-2020) were postponed due to the covid-19-crisis which added to the complexity of the changes of mandate of the committee in early 2020 and the eesc in autumn 2020; notes that the committee and the eesc therefore agreed to extend the current agreement until 30 june 2021; ### 32. welcomes the cooperation agreement of 5 february 2012 which remains in place between the committee and parliament and which covers political cooperation between parliament and the committee and administrative cooperation between parliament , the committee and the eesc; asks the committee that it be informed on the outcome of the revision of this agreement; notes the agreement with the commission from 2005 with an addendum from 2007;


### 34. asks the committee to report back on any control mechanism to ensure an efficient management of the joint services; appreciates the importance of the administrative cooperation between the committee and the eesc via the joint services , where some 470 staff (of which around 170 staff belong to the committee) and more than eur 50 million yearly (of which some eur 22 million come from the committee) , excluding salary related expenditure , are pooled by the committee and the eesc ,; notes that together with the concerned salary related expenditure , the yearly monetary value of the joint services arrangement exceeds eur 100 million; ### 34. asks the committee to report back on any control mechanism to ensure an efficient management of the joint services; appreciates the importance of the administrative cooperation between the committee and the eesc via the joint services , where some 470 staff (of which around 170 staff belong to the committee) and more than eur 50 million yearly (of which some eur 22 million come from the committee) , excluding salary related expenditure , are pooled by the committee and the eesc; notes that together with the concerned salary related expenditure , the yearly monetary value of the joint services arrangement exceeds eur 100 million; notes that the negotiations for a new agreement for administrative cooperation with the eesc (the existing agreement has been entered into for the period 2016-2020) were postponed due to the covid-19-crisis which added to the complexity of the changes of mandate of the committee in early 2020 and the eesc in autumn 2020; notes that the committee and the eesc therefore agreed to extend the current agreement until 30 june 2021;


### 35. supports the committee and the eesc in the view that in the event of an extension of the current agreement or of a new agreement with parliament all outstanding issues such as the unbalanced situation for the committee and the eesc , which transferred a total of 60 translators to parliament (24 from the committee) and in exchange obtained only the use of the services of the european parliamentary research service must be settled; notes with concern that as a consequence the committee and the eesc had to hire contract staff and outsourced their translation services which resulted in an effective budget reduction; ### 35. supports the committee and the eesc in the view that in the event of an extension of the current agreement or of a new agreement with parliament all outstanding issues such as the unbalanced situation for the committee and the eesc , which transferred a total of 60 translators to parliament (24 from the committee) and in exchange obtained only the use of the services of the european parliamentary research service must be settled; notes with concern that as a consequence the committee and the eesc had to hire contract staff and outsourced their translation services which resulted in an effective budget reduction; is aware of the requests expressed by both the committee and the eesc in the frame of the discharge procedure for the ongoing cooperation agreement to be respected so that the committee and the eesc are compensated for the posts transferred to the european parliament research service (eprs); asks the three involved parties to jointly report to parliament’s committee on budgetary control concerning the ongoing revision of the agreement;


### 36. notes , however , that the cooperation with parliament at the administrative level is successful; agrees with the need to further enhance political cooperation with respect to the annual and multi-annual programming , the joint declaration of parliament , the council and the commission on legislative priorities and the monitoring of the annual work programme; ### 36. notes , however , that the cooperation with parliament at the administrative level is successful; agrees with the need to further enhance political cooperation with respect to the annual and multi-annual programming , the joint declaration of parliament , the council and the commission on legislative priorities and the monitoring of the annual work programme; supports the committee’s concrete recommendations to develop a more systematic approach to the political cooperation given the importance of the committee as the representative of regions and cities in the union;


### 39. underlines that on 5 december 2019 the committee adopted a code of conduct for its members laying down a detailed procedure in the event of alleged harassment of a member of staff by a committee member , which is largely based on parliament's bureau’s decision of 2 july 2018 on harassment complaints; notes that the code of conduct includes a number of sanctions in order to ensure its observance and that the committee has set up an advisory board on harassment; ### 39. underlines that on 5 december 2019 the committee adopted a code of conduct for its members laying down a detailed procedure in the event of alleged harassment of a member of staff by a committee member , which is largely based on parliament's bureau’s decision of 2 july 2018 on harassment complaints; welcomes that the code of conduct includes a number of sanctions in order to ensure its observance and that the committee has set up an advisory board on harassment;


### 44. recalls that the invalidity committee confirmed that the invalidity of the former internal auditor , mr mccoy , arose from an occupational disease , and that , consequently , on 26 june 2019 the committee formally endorsed this conclusion; notes that pursuant to article 78(5) of the staff regulations mr mccoy was reimbursed in july 2019 in respect of all his contributions to the pension scheme between the date he started receiving the invalidity allowance (1 july 2007) and the day before he started receiving retirement pension (31 july 2010); ### 44. recalls that the third invalidity committee unanimously confirmed that the former internal auditor was invalided out on occupational grounds and that , consequently , on 26 june 2019 the committee formally endorsed this conclusion; notes that pursuant to article 78(5) of the staff regulations mr mccoy was reimbursed in july 2019 in respect of all his contributions to the pension scheme between the date he started receiving the invalidity allowance (1 july 2007) and the day before he started receiving retirement pension (31 july 2010);


### 45. reminds that based on the 2017 discharge resolution the appointment of member of parliament sophie in't veld as mediator took place and that all parties entered into a mediation process lead by sophie in't veld to bring this dispute to an end with the objective of reaching an amicable settlement; acknowledges that the committee pursued the scheduled mediation meetings with mr mccoy which finally resulted in a committee’s proposal of 20 december 2020; ### 45. reminds that based on the 2017 discharge resolution the appointment of a member of parliament as mediator took place and that all parties entered into a mediation process to bring this dispute to an end with the objective of reaching an amicable settlement; acknowledges that the committee pursued the scheduled mediation meetings with mr mccoy which finally resulted in a committee’s proposal of 20 december 2020;


### 46. appreciates the exchange held in the context of the 2019 discharge procedure on 10 november 2020 with the mediator , the former internal auditor and a representative of the committee; underlines the importance of deescalating the situation and bringing the positions of the former internal auditor and of the committee together; welcomes the mediator’s suggestion of a meeting between the president of the committee and mr mccoy as a starting point for reconciliation before any negotiations will take place; ### 46. appreciates the exchange held in the context of the 2019 discharge procedure on 10 november 2020 with the mediator , the former internal auditor and a representative of the committee; underlines the importance of deescalating the situation and bringing the positions of the former internal auditor and of the committee together; welcomes the mediator’s suggestion of a meeting between the president of the committee and mr mccoy as a starting point for reconciliation before any negotiations will take place;


### 47. welcomes the letter of 10 november 2020 sent to the chairperson of parliament’s committee on budgetary control by the chairperson of the committee’s committee on financial and administrative affairs confirming the readiness of the committee’s president to meet the former internal auditor; notes that the committee’s president had a bilateral meeting with the former internal auditor on 19 november 2020 in order to prepare for the next steps; welcomes the follow-up meetings between the mediator , the 2019 discharge rapporteur , the former internal auditor and the committee’s representative in order to launch the negotiations for concluding definitively the affaire; appreciates the efforts made by all parties , acknowledges that an important first step was taken and believes an agreement should be reached soon; ### 47. welcomes the letter of 10 november 2020 sent to the chairperson of parliament’s committee on budgetary control by the chairperson of the committee’s committee on financial and administrative affairs confirming the readiness of the committee’s president to meet the former internal auditor; welcomes the follow-up meetings between the mediator , the 2019 discharge rapporteur , the former internal auditor and the committee’s representatives; warmly welcomes the letter of 4 december 2019 announcing that the first phase of the procedure for an agreement was concluded with a joint statement signed by the committee's representatives and the former internal auditor; encourage the parties to find an agreement to settle the financial part and reminds its disposal to support the negotiation; appreciates the efforts made by all parties , acknowledges that an important first step was taken and believes an agreement should be reached soon;


### 5. notes that the centre has continued the cooperation with the european training foundation , the european foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions and the european agency for safety and health at work; welcomes the new service agreement with european union agency for cybersecurity , in particular in the field of digitalisation , procurement , data protection and hr , and encourages the centre to continue to pursue synergies; ### 5. notes that the centre has regular coordination and cooperation with the european training foundation , the european foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions and the european agency for safety and health at work; encourages the centre to continue this collaboration which allows for creating synergies , sharing knowledge , expertise and best practices across the agencies , as well as avoiding overlaps by providing a common space where agencies can consult each other on the fulfilment of their mandate; welcomes the new service agreement with european union agency for cybersecurity , in particular in the field of digitalisation , procurement , data protection and hr;


### 8. notes with concern that the centre’s issues regarding the externalisation of its legal service highlighted by the discharge authority and the court are still not resolved but welcomes the measures taken so far to address them; calls on the centre to continue to report to the discharge authority on any developments in that regard; ### 8. notes with concern that the centre’s issues regarding the externalisation of its legal service highlighted by the discharge authority and the court under discharge 2018 are still not resolved and that the externalisation has increased the workload and cost for the centre; calls on the centre to consider reinstating the internal legal service to mitigate the high cost and to ensure a proper audit trail for legal expenditure , as well as to continue to report to the discharge authority on any developments in that regard;


### 12. notes the centre’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to secure transparency , prevention and management of conflicts of interest and whistle-blower protection; points out however , that the publication of 22 declarations of conflicts of interest and cvs are still pending; ### 12. notes the centre’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to secure transparency , prevention and management of conflicts of interest and whistle-blower protection; points out however , that the publication of 22 declarations of conflicts of interest and cvs from 163 members and alternates are still pending;


### 13. notes the absence of some declarations of interest and cvs of the management board and reiterates that all members and alternates who attend management board meetings , or exercise the right to vote , must submit a declaration of interest; ### 13. notes the absence of some declarations of interest and cvs of the management board and reiterates that all members and alternates who attend management board meetings , or exercise the right to vote , must submit a declaration of interest; calls on the centre to publish the declarations of interest and the cvs of all the members of the management board and to report to the discharge authority on the measures taken in this regard;


### 16. notes that the centre’s executive director , as authorising officer , has delegated the powers of budget implementation to the deputy director and heads of departments; notes that the deputy director’s delegation has no capped amount for transactions , while the delegation to the head of department for resources and support is capped at eur 1 500 000 per transaction concerning title 1 (staff expenditure) , with other delegations limited to the appropriations available under the specific budget lines and up to the ceiling of eur 1 000 000 per transaction; recommends to set financial caps for delegations in such a way that the need for flexibility is balanced with the need for oversight and hierarchical control over transactions; ### 16. notes that the centre’s executive director , as authorising officer , has delegated the powers of budget implementation to the deputy director and heads of departments; notes that the deputy director’s delegation has no capped amount for transactions , while the delegation to the head of department for resources and support is capped at eur 1 500 000 per transaction concerning title 1 (staff expenditure) , with other delegations limited to the appropriations available under the specific budget lines and up to the ceiling of eur 1 000 000 per transaction; welcomes that the centre sets financial caps for delegations in such a way that the need for flexibility is balanced with the need for oversight and hierarchical control over transactions;


### 1. grants the executive director of the fuel cells and hydrogen 2 joint undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2019 / postpones its decision on discharge to the executive director of the fuel cells and hydrogen 2 joint undertaking in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2019; ### 1. grants the executive director of the fuel cells and hydrogen 2 joint undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2019.


### 12. notes the berec office’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to secure transparency and prevention and management of conflicts of interest; acknowledges that cvs of most of the board members are published on its website; however , points out with concern that the berec office still does not publish the cvs of all board members on its website; ### 12. notes the berec office’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to secure transparency and prevention and management of conflicts of interest; acknowledges that cvs of most of the board members are published on its website; however , points out with concern that the berec office still does not publish the cvs and the declarations of interest of all board members on its website; calls on the berec office to publish the cvs and declarations of interest of all the members of the management board and to report to the european parliament on the measures taken in that regard;


### 13. notes that the berec office has established new rules on preventing and managing conflicts of interest concerning the members of the management board (decision no mb/2019/16) , based on the new rules the board members must submit their cvs together with the declarations of interest , which are published on the berec office’s website; however , notes that not all members of the board follow the new rules; calls on the berec office to take appropriate measures to ensure that internal rules are followed at all levels in the organisation; ### 13. notes with satisfaction that the berec office has established new rules on preventing and managing conflicts of interest concerning the members of the management board (decision no mb/2019/16) , based on the new rules the board members must submit their cvs together with the declarations of interest , which are published on the berec office’s website; however , notes that not all members of the board follow the new rules; calls on the berec office to take appropriate measures to ensure that internal rules are followed at all levels in the organisation;


### 7. expresses its growing concern over the adverse opinion of the court on the legality and regularity of expenditure due to the fact that the expenditure accepted in the accounts for the year ended 31 december 2019 is materially affected by error; ### 7. expresses concern over the adverse opinion of the court on the legality and regularity of expenditure due to the fact that the expenditure accepted in the accounts for the year ended 31 december 2019 is materially affected by error;


### (2) the system established by regulation (ec) no 182/2011 has , overall , proven to work well in practice and struck an appropriate institutional balance as regards the roles of the commission and the other actors involved. that system should therefore continue to function unchanged except for certain targeted amendments concerning specific aspects of procedure at the level of the appeal committee. these amendments are intended to ensure wider political accountability and ownership of politically sensitive implementing acts without , however , modifying the legal and institutional responsibilities for implementing acts as organised by regulation (eu) no 182/2011. ### (2) regulation (ec) no 182/2011 has , overall , proven to work efficiently in practice and struck an appropriate institutional balance as regards the roles of the commission and the other actors involved. the main elements of the system could therefore continue to function unchanged. however , certain targeted amendments concerning specific aspects of procedure at the level of the appeal committee seem to be justified. these amendments are intended to ensure wider political accountability and ownership of politically sensitive implementing acts without , however , modifying the legal and institutional responsibilities for implementing acts as organised by regulation (eu) no 182/2011. the further objective underlying the amendments is to improve union citizens' awareness of procedures related to implementing acts. in order to increase trust in the union’s institutions and bodies , it is essential not only to inform union citizens about decision-making but also to explain the reasons behind those decisions , as well as the decision-making process that leads to the decisions.


### (4) experience has shown that , in the vast majority of cases , the appeal committee repeats the outcome of the examination committee and results in no opinion being delivered. the appeal committee has therefore not helped in providing clarity on member state positions. ### (4) experience has shown that , in the vast majority of cases , the appeal committee repeats the outcome of the examination committee and results in no opinion being delivered. the appeal committee has therefore not helped in providing clarity on member state positions , or to overcome the absence of opinions in the examination procedure.


### (8) in order to increase the added value of the appeal committee its role should therefore be strengthened by providing for the possibility of holding a further meeting of the appeal committee whenever no opinion is delivered. the appropriate level of representation at the further meeting of the appeal committee should be ministerial level , to ensure a political discussion. to allow the organisation of such a further meeting the timeframe for the appeal committee to deliver an opinion should be extended. ### deleted


### (9) the voting rules for the appeal committee should be changed in order to reduce the risk of no opinion being delivered and to provide an incentive for member state representatives to take a clear position. to this end only member states which are present or represented , and which do not abstain , should be considered as participating member states for the calculation of the qualified majority. in order to ensure that the voting outcome is representative a vote should only be considered valid if a simple majority of the member states are participating members of the appeal committee. if the quorum is not reached before expiry of the time-limit for the committee to take a decision , it will be considered that the committee delivered no opinion , as is the case today. ### deleted


### (10) the commission should have the possibility , in specific cases , to ask the council to indicate its views and orientation on the wider implications of the absence of an opinion , including the institutional , legal , political and international implications. the commission should take account of any position expressed by the council within 3 months after the referral. in duly justified cases , the commission may indicate a shorter deadline in the referral. ### (10) in specific cases , at the request of the commission , the european parliament and the council may decide to express their views on the wider implications of the outcome of the vote in the appeal committee , including the institutional , legal , political and international implications. in such cases , those views should be expressed within three months of the commission’s request. in addition , the positions expressed by the european parliament , the council or both should also be sent , as appropriate , to the european parliament , to the council , to the european economic and social committee and to the committee of the regions without undue delay.


### (10) the commission should have the possibility , in specific cases , to ask the council to indicate its views and orientation on the wider implications of the absence of an opinion , including the institutional , legal , political and international implications. the commission should take account of any position expressed by the council within 3 months after the referral. in duly justified cases , the commission may indicate a shorter deadline in the referral. ### (10) in specific cases , at the request of the commission , the european parliament and the council may decide to express their views on the wider implications of the outcome of the vote in the appeal committees , including the institutional , legal , political and international implications. in such cases , those views should be expressed within 3 months.


### (11) transparency on the votes of member state representatives at the appeal committee level should be increased and the individual member state representatives' votes should be made public. ### (11) transparency should be increased throughout the entire legislative process. in particular , the votes of individual member state's representatives should be made public. where the act concerns particularly sensitive sectors , such as the protection of consumers or the health or safety of humans , animals or plants , greater importance should be given to the precautionary principle. substantive reasons for votes on those sensitive acts should be given by each member state representative. the commission should also provide information on the composition of committees , including the persons present and the authorities and organisations to which those persons belong.


### (11) transparency on the votes of member state representatives at the appeal committee level should be increased and the individual member state representatives' votes should be made public. ### (11) transparency on the votes of member state representatives throughout the advisory and examination procedures should be increased and the individual member state representatives' votes should be made public. additionally , the commission should provide information on the composition of committees , including the persons present and the authorities and organisations to which those persons belong.


### (1) in article 3(7) , the following sixth subparagraph is added: ### deleted


### in paragraph 1 , the following second subparagraph is added: ### deleted


### 3a. where no opinion is delivered in the appeal committee , the commission may refer the matter to the council for an opinion indicating its views and orientation on the wider implications of the absence of opinion , including the institutional , legal , political and international implications. the commission shall take account of any position expressed by the council within 3 months after the referral. in duly justified cases , the commission may indicate a shorter deadline in the referral. ### 3a. where no opinion has been delivered by the appeal committee , the commission may ask the european parliament and the council to express their views on the wider implications of the outcome of the vote in the appeal committee. those expressions of views shall be delivered within three months of the commission’s request.


### 3a. where no opinion is delivered in the appeal committee , the commission may refer the matter to the council for an opinion indicating its views and orientation on the wider implications of the absence of opinion , including the institutional , legal , political and international implications. the commission shall take account of any position expressed by the council within 3 months after the referral. in duly justified cases , the commission may indicate a shorter deadline in the referral. ### 3a. where no opinion has been delivered by the appeal committee , the commission may ask the european parliament and the council to express their views on the wider implications of the outcome of the vote in the appeal committee. those views shall be delivered within three months of the commission’s request. in addition , the positions expressed by the european parliament , the council or both shall also be sent , as appropriate , to the european parliament , to the council , to the european economic and social committee and to the committee of the regions without undue delay.


### the voting results including , in the case of the appeal committee , the votes expressed by the representative of each member state; ### the voting results , broken down by representative of each member state , together with the reasons for the vote or abstention and , where the act concerns particularly sensitive areas , such as the protection of consumers , the health or safety of humans , animals or plants , or the environment , the accompanying case-specific and detailed reasons for the vote or abstention;


### the voting results including , in the case of the appeal committee , the votes expressed by the representative of each member state; ### the voting results , broken down by representative of each member state , together with the reasons for the vote;


### 5. the references of all documents referred to in points (a) to (d) , (f) and (g) of paragraph 1 as well as the information referred to in points (e) and (h) of that paragraph shall be made public in the register. ### 5. all documents and information referred to in paragraph 1 shall be made public in the register.


### this regulation shall not apply to pending procedures on which the appeal committee has already delivered an opinion on the date of entry into force of this regulation. ### this regulation shall apply to pending procedures.


### (7) in order for the information to be digitally usable , entities should submit to the collection bodies the information in a data extractable format or , where required under union law , in a machine-readable format. entities should also accompany the information they submit to the collection bodies with the metadata requested by those collection bodies. the commission should be empowered to adopt implementing technical standards developed by the relevant european supervisory authority specifying the metadata for each piece of information , the data structuring of the information and information for which a machine-readable format is required and which machine-readable format is to be used in that case. ### (7) in order for the information to be digitally usable , entities should submit to the collection bodies the information in a data extractable format or , where required under union law , in a machine-readable format. entities should also accompany the information they submit to the collection bodies with the metadata requested by those collection bodies. the commission should be empowered to adopt implementing technical standards developed by the relevant european supervisory authority specifying the metadata for each piece of information , the data structuring of the information and information for which a machine-readable format is required and which machine-readable format is to be used in that case. in respect of standards concerning sustainability information , the joint committee of the european supervisory authorities should consult the european financial reporting advisory group (efrag) on the development of these draft implementing standards. all standards should seek to make esap future-proof and consider potential interoperability at a global level in the future , thus should draw upon global standards and best practices where relevant.


### (7) in order for the information to be digitally usable , the entities should submit to the collection bodies the information in a data extractable format or , where required under union law , in a machine-readable format. the entities should also accompany the information they submit to the collection bodies with the metadata requested by those collection bodies. the commission should be empowered to adopt implementing technical standards developed by the relevant european supervisory authority specifying the metadata for each piece of information , the data structuring of the information , and the information for which the machine-readable format is required and which machine-readable format is to be used in that case. ### (7) in order for the information to be digitally usable , the entities should submit to the collection bodies the information in a data extractable format or , where required under union law , in a machine-readable format. the entities should also accompany the information they submit to the collection bodies with the metadata requested by those collection bodies. the commission should be empowered to adopt implementing technical standards developed by the relevant european supervisory authority specifying the metadata for each piece of information , the data structuring of the information , and the information for which the machine-readable format is required and which machine-readable format is to be used in that case. in respect of standards concerning sustainability information , the joint committee of the european supervisory authorities should consult the european financial reporting advisory group (efrag) on the development of these draft implementing standards. all standards should seek to make esap future-proof and consider potential interoperability at a global level in the future , thus should draw upon global standards and best practices where relevant.


### a. whereas third party litigation funding (tplf) is a growing practice whereby commercial investors (‘litigation funders’) who are not a party to a dispute invest in legal proceedings and pay legal and other expenses , in exchange for a share of any eventual award; whereas tplf does not only occur in collective redress cases but also in arbitration and insolvency proceedings; ### a. whereas third party litigation funding (tplf) is a growing practice whereby commercial investors (‘litigation funders’) who are not a party to a dispute invest in legal proceedings and pay legal and other expenses , in exchange for a share of any eventual award; whereas collective redress cases are only one type of litigation where tplf is currently used , together with arbitration , insolvency proceedings , investment recovery , anti-trust claims and others;


### b. whereas litigation funders involved in legal proceedings act in their own economic interest , rather than in the interest of claimants; whereas they can seek to control the litigation and demand an outcome that pays them the greatest return3 ; ### b. whereas litigation funders involved in legal proceedings act in their own economic interest , rather than in the interest of claimants; whereas they may seek to control the litigation and demand an outcome that pays them the greatest return and in the shortest amount of time3;


### c. whereas litigation funders often demand a disproportionate share of the proceeds that exceed the typical returns of other types of investments; whereas the rates of returns for litigation funders can be up to 300% or in some cases even 3 000%4 , directly taking from the compensation available for claimants5 ; ### c. whereas , according to the scarcely available data , litigation funders sometimes may demand a disproportionate share of the proceeds that exceed the typical returns of other types of investments; whereas the rates of returns for litigation funders normally range from 20% to 50% across the eu3a;


### d. whereas litigation funders seem to argue that only they can provide access to justice , there are in fact other ways to seek redress , such as mediation , adr/odr , the ombudsman or through grievance systems managed by companies; whereas , those solutions could result in faster and more adequate compensation for claimants; ### d. whereas extrajudicial remedies also exist to seek redress , such as mediation , adr/odr , the ombudsman or internal grievance systems managed by companies; whereas those solutions could sometimes result in faster and more adequate compensation for claimants but are not all always necessarily effective enough in providing adequate redress; whereas claimants should always be given the possibility to directly seek judicial remedy;


### e. whereas , although tplf is widespread in australia , it has not had a positive impact on the administration of justice in that jurisdiction; whereas , empirical data6 show that litigation funders typically pick and choose between cases to find the best returns , and would not invest in cases they regard as too risky or not profitable enough; ### e. whereas tplf is favourably regarded in the uk as a key factor in ensuring access to justice3b; whereas empirical data6show that litigation funders typically select cases guaranteeing the best returns , which are usually the most robust ones , and would not invest in cases they regard as too risky or not profitable enough , therefore minimising the risk of excessive litigation;


### f. whereas the number of litigation funders is increasing with currently more than 45 known to operate in the eu; whereas , the practice of tplf however remains largely unregulated in the union , despite presenting material risks to the administration of justice; ### f. whereas the number of litigation funders is still limited , with only around 45 known to operate in the eu; whereas , the practice of tplf remains largely unregulated in the union , despite the fact that it could present not only benefits , but also material risks to the administration of justice that need to be addressed;


### g. whereas the current regulatory vacuum enables litigation funders to operate in secrecy , with the result that courts can , on occasion , make awards to claimants without realising that a large majority of the award will subsequently be redirected to litigation funders; whereas the lack of transparency can also mean that even the potential beneficiaries have little or no knowledge about the distribution of awards or the funding agreements , in particular in members states with an opt-out system; ### g. whereas the current regulatory vacuum enables litigation funders to operate in a non-transparent manner , with the result that courts can , on occasion , make awards to claimants without realising that a large share of the award will subsequently be redirected to litigation funders; whereas this lack of transparency can also mean that even the potential beneficiaries have little or no knowledge about the distribution of awards or the funding agreements , in particular in members states with an opt-out system;


### h. whereas directive (eu) 2020/1828 identifies certain safeguards relating to litigation funding , which are , however , limited to representative actions on behalf of consumers taken under that directive , and therefore exclude many other types of action or categories of claimants; whereas , effective safeguards should apply to all types of claims; ### h. whereas directive (eu) 2020/1828 identifies certain safeguards relating to litigation funding , which are , however , limited to representative actions on behalf of consumers taken under that directive , and therefore exclude many other types of action , such as business and human rights , or categories of claimants , such as human rights organisations or workers; whereas effective safeguards should apply to all types of claims;


### 1. observes that third party litigation funding is a rapidly expanding commercial practice in the union , which has a significant impact on justice systems as well as on european citizens. notes that litigation funding is so far largely unregulated in the union; ### 1. observes that third party litigation funding is a rapidly expanding commercial practice in the union , which plays an increasing role in the justice systems of some member states , as well as in the way european citizens can access justice , even more so for cross-border cases. notes that litigation funding is so far largely unregulated in the union;


### 2. firmly believes that in order to ensure that justice systems prioritise redress for victims of injustice , and not the interests of investors who may seek commercial opportunity from disputes , a regulatory regime addressing key issues relevant to litigation funding , including transparency , fairness , and proportionality , is necessary; ### 2. is convinced that in order to ensure that justice systems prioritise redress for victims of injustice , and not the interests of investors who may seek commercial opportunity from disputes , a regulatory regime addressing key issues relevant to litigation funding , including transparency , fairness , and proportionality , is necessary;


### 3. strongly believes that only the regulation of litigation funders will allow regulators to exercise effective oversight and adequately ensure that the interests of claimants are protected. points out that voluntary regulatory mechanisms and codes of conduct have not been subscribed to by the large majority of funders , leaving claimants significantly exposed; ### 3. believes that establishing eu common minimum standards for tplf will allow legislators to exercise effective oversight and adequately ensure that the interests of claimants are protected. points out that voluntary regulatory mechanisms and codes of conduct can play a positive role , but so far have not been subscribed to by the large majority of funders , leaving claimants significantly exposed;


### 4. recommends the establishment of a system of authorisation for litigation funders , permitting the introduction of corporate governance requirements and supervisory powers to protect claimants , and to ensure that funding is only provided by entities that are committed to complying with minimum standards in terms of transparency , governance and capital adequacy , and observing a fiduciary relationship vis-à-vis claimants and intended beneficiaries; ### 4. recommends the establishment of a system of authorisation for litigation funders , permitting the introduction of corporate governance requirements and supervisory powers to protect claimants , and to ensure that funding is only provided by entities that are committed to complying with minimum standards in terms of transparency , independence , governance and capital adequacy , and observing a fiduciary relationship vis-à-vis claimants and intended beneficiaries;


### 6. underlines that conflicts of interest may arise where there are relationships between litigation funders , qualified entities , law firms , aggregators , including claims-collection and award-distribution-platforms , and other actors who may be involved in claims. notes that there is a trend of an increasingly close cooperation , with , for example , litigation funders agreeing to finance law firms across a series of future cases (portfolio funding)7 . recommends that safeguards are adopted to prevent such conflicts , set out claimants’ rights and to require that details of relationships between litigation funders and the other involved parties are disclosed; ### 6. underlines that conflicts of interest may arise where there are undue relationships between litigation funders , qualified entities , law firms , aggregators , including claims-collection and award distribution platforms , and other actors who may be involved in claims; notes that there is an increasing trend of litigation funders agreeing to finance law firms across a series of future cases (portfolio funding)7; recommends that safeguards are adopted to prevent conflicts , set out claimants’ rights and require disclosure of details of relationships between litigation funders and the other involved parties;


### 7. believes that litigation funders should not be permitted to abandon funded parties in litigation , except in restricted and well-defined circumstances , leaving claimants solely responsible for all costs of the litigation , which may have only been pursued due to the involvement of the funder; ### 7. believes that litigation funders should not be permitted to abandon funded parties in litigation throughout the whole litigation process , except in restricted and well-defined circumstances , leaving claimants solely responsible for all costs of the litigation , which may have only been pursued thanks to the involvement of the funder;


### 10. considers that there should be transparency regarding the involvement of litigation funding in legal proceedings , including obligations for claimants and their lawyers to disclose funding agreements to courts and defendants. notes that , currently , courts or administrative authorities and defendants are often not aware that a claim is funded by a commercial actor. points out that this can also hinder a court or administrative authority in properly considering costs issues and in ensuring that awards compensate claimants adequately; ### 10. considers that there should be transparency regarding the involvement of litigation funding in legal proceedings , including obligations for claimants and their lawyers to disclose funding agreements to courts upon their request. notes that , currently , courts or administrative authorities are often not aware that a claim is funded by a commercial actor. points out that this can also hinder a court or administrative authority in properly considering costs issues and in ensuring that awards compensate claimants adequately;


### 11. is of the opinion that supervisory authorities , and courts and administrative authorities were appropriate in accordance with national procedural law , should have the powers to facilitate the enforcement of legislation adopted to achieve the goals set out above; recommends the establishment of a complaints system. considers that supervisory authorities , and courts and administrative authorities where appropriate in accordance with national procedural law , should have the powers to address abusive practices by authorised litigation funders; ### 11. is of the opinion that supervisory authorities , courts and administrative authorities were appropriate in accordance with national procedural law , should have the powers to facilitate the enforcement of legislation adopted to achieve the goals set out above; recommends the establishment of a complaints system. considers that supervisory authorities , and courts and administrative authorities where appropriate in accordance with national procedural law , should have the powers to address abusive practices by authorised litigation funders , while not hindering access to justice for claimants and intended beneficiaries;


### 12. requests the commission to submit a proposal for a directive to regulate third party litigation funding , following the recommendations set out in the annex hereto; ### 12. requests the commission to submit a proposal for a directive to establish common union minimum standards on third party litigation funding , following the recommendations set out in the annex hereto;