### 61. encourages the committee to integrate in its internal management strategy the lessons learned from the pandemic outbreak in terms of business continuity and crisis management approaches , it responsiveness , resilience of the organisation , effectiveness of the communication and flexibility of working processes , in particular a result-oriented management style on which a healthy work-life balance can be built. ### 61. encourages the committee to integrate in its internal management strategy the lessons learned from the pandemic outbreak in terms of business continuity and crisis management approaches , it responsiveness , resilience of the organisation , duty of care towards its staff , effectiveness of the communication and flexibility of working processes , in particular a result-oriented management style on which a healthy work-life balance can be built.


### f. whereas european development aid and public investments should promote joint priorities and policy objectives that include the eradication of poverty , climate and environmental action and economic and trade policies and should be fully aligned with the principles of fundamental human rights , democracy and good governance; ### f. whereas european development aid and public investments should promote joint priorities and policy objectives that include the eradication of poverty , climate and environmental action and economic and trade policies and should be fully aligned with the principles of fundamental human rights , democracy and good governance; whereas the results achieved as regards the intention for inclusive public policies are to promote shared growth and to help tackle social or geographical disparities;


### 4. notes the closure of the eighth edf and the commission’s intention to close the ninth edf as soon as possible; notes , in addition , that the closure of the ninth edf cannot be completed before 2023 , taking into account the fact that 19 decisions and 37 contracts are still ongoing , out of which 3 decisions concern south sudan and were decided after the sunset clause of the ninth edf came into effect , with contractual dates until 2023; calls on the commission to keep the discharge authority informed in a timely manner about the achievement of that intention; ### 4. notes the closure of the eighth edf and the commission's intention to close the ninth edf as soon as possible; notes , in addition , that the closure of the ninth edf cannot be completed before 2023 , taking into account the fact that 19 decisions and 37 contracts are still ongoing , out of which 3 decisions concern south sudan and were decided after the sunset clause of the ninth edf came into effect , with contractual dates until 2023; calls on the commission to keep the discharge authority informed in a timely manner about the achievement of that intention; takes note that the commission has accepted court’s recommendation in this regard and that it will report each year the progress made on the closure of the ninth edf in the annual activity report;


### 27. invites the commission to give preference to small local projects rather than focusing primarily on big projects with many intermediaries where fraud and corruption is more likely to happen; ### 27. believes that abetter focus on local smes , private sector and civil society organisations should be a core axis of cooperation in the management of the union delegations’ pipelines of projects;


### 42. notes with appreciation that in 2020 sub-saharan africa remains the largest recipient of budget support with a share of 38 % (36 % in 2019); observes , moreover , that lower-middle-income countries account for 52 ,4 % (47 % in 2019) of the total ongoing commitments; notes with concern that low-income countries account for 29 ,4 % of total commitments , confirming the decreasing trend noted in 2019 (32 % compared to 38 % in 2018); notes that , altogether , 47 % of the ongoing budget support programmes are being implemented in least-developed countries; ### 42. notes with appreciation that in 2020 sub-saharan africa remains the largest recipient of budget support with a share of 38% (36% in 2019); observes , moreover , that lower-middle-income countries account for 52 ,4% (47% in 2019) of the total ongoing commitments; notes that low-income countries account for 29 ,4% of total commitments , confirming the decreasing trend noted in 2019 (32% compared to 38% in 2018); notes that , altogether , 47% of the ongoing budget support programmes are being implemented in least-developed countries;


### 46. reiterates its call on dg intpa to strictly assess in its policy dialogue the risks related to corporate tax avoidance , tax evasion and illicit financial flows affecting , in particular , developing countries; encourages dg intpa to assess the fiscal impact and to help establish oriented investment objectives; ### 46. reiterates its call on the commission services to continue assessing strictly in its policy dialogue the risks related to corporate tax avoidance , tax evasion and illicit financial flows affecting , in particular , developing countries; stresses the importance of addressing domestic revenue mobilisation and public finance management at large , which forms part of the budget support criteria; encourages the commission to assess the fiscal impact and to help establish oriented investment objectives;


### 1. grants the executive director of the key digital technologies joint undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020 / postpones its decision on discharge to the executive director of the key digital technologies joint undertaking in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020; ### 1. grants the executive director of the key digital technologies joint undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020;


### 8. notes total payments of eur 11 503 768 ,06 corresponding to 93 ,16 % of the 2020 budget (compared to 89 ,51 % in 2019); notes the limited number of payments executed beyond the 30 days (3 as in 2019); ### 8. notes total payments of eur 11 503 768 ,06 corresponding to 93 ,16 % of the 2020 budget (compared to 89 ,51 % in 2019); notes with satisfaction that in 2020 , out of a total of 537 payments made , 99.4% were executed on time , with an average payment time of 11.9 days , thus significantly below the maximum of 30 days allowed;


### 13. observes that in 2020 , in order to support the strategy ‘towards 2024’ , the ombudsman reviewed its organisational chart; notes with satisfaction the positive results of the new organisational structure , which included enhancing the impact and the efficiency of the inquiry process through the elimination of excessive hierarchy; facilitating internal communication , coordination and collaborative work between teams; empowering staff to acquire managerial experience as team leaders; and ensuring a versatile and flexible workforce; believes that the establishment of peer review teams will facilitate consistency and a uniform approach and will result in the improved quality of case work; ### 13. observes that in 2020 , in order to support the strategy ‘towards 2024’ , the ombudsman reviewed its organisational chart; notes with satisfaction the positive results of the new organisational structure which relies to a large extent on a system based on trust in the staff and includes elements such as enhancing the impact and the efficiency of the inquiry process through the elimination of excessive hierarchy; facilitating internal communication , coordination and collaborative work between teams; empowering staff to acquire managerial experience as team leaders; and ensuring a versatile and flexible workforce; believes that the establishment of peer review teams will facilitate consistency and a uniform approach and will result in the improved quality of case work;


### 14. is aware that in the new context a more efficient allocation of workload has been pursued by assigning assistants to the handling of complaints outside the ombudsman’s mandate; ### 14. is aware that in the new context a more efficient allocation of workload has been pursued by assigning assistants to the handling of complaints outside the ombudsman’s mandate , i.e. dismissing such complaints while advising complainants to contact the authority best placed to deal with them; welcomes that this policy decision allowed assistants to handle 22% of all outside-the-mandate complaints received thus freeing time for case handlers to focus on inquiries;


### 15. observes that the ombudsman also developed a new set of key performance indicators (kpis) , organised under six themes on which the office will focus in 2021 , to help measure the implementation of the strategy ‘towards 2024’ objectives; takes note that the kpis were included for the first time in the annual management plan for 2021 and the results will be included in the 2021 annual activity report; welcomes the accomplishment of relevant performance results , even during the pandemic , notably on key performance indicators that exceeded internal targets; ### 15. observes that the ombudsman also developed a new set of key performance indicators (kpis) , together with the actions organised under six themes in the annual managment plan (amp) 2020 , on which the office will focus in 2021 , to help measure the implementation of the strategy ‘towards 2024’ objectives; takes note that the kpis were included for the first time in the annual management plan for 2021 and the results will be included in the 2021 annual activity report; welcomes the accomplishment of relevant performance results , even during the pandemic , notably on key performance indicators that exceeded internal targets;


### 20. highlights that the percentage of complaints within the 2020 mandate was 34 % , which is above the target (33 %) but below 2019 (39 %); notes with satisfaction that the efficient turnaround of cases made it possible to carry over a record low number of inquiries (92) from 2020 to 2021 (compared to 117 inquiries carried over from 2019 to 2020); ### 20. highlights that in 2020 the percentage of complaints within the ombudsman's mandate was 34 % , which is above the target (33 %) but below 2019 (39 %); notes with satisfaction that the efficient turnaround of cases made it possible to carry over a record low number of inquiries (92) from 2020 to 2021 (compared to 117 inquiries carried over from 2019 to 2020);


### 27. welcomes the ombudsman’s quick reaction to the limitations imposed by the covid-19 pandemic and the adoption of telework as the standard working regime , flexibility of working hours , and a return to office on a voluntary basis and in compliance with both safety measures taken by the union institutions and the respective national rules; ### 27. welcomes the ombudsman’s quick reaction to the limitations imposed by the covid-19 pandemic and the adoption of telework as the standard working regime , flexibility of working hours , and a return to office on a voluntary basis and in compliance with both safety measures taken by the union institutions and the respective national rules; notes that the institution temporarily lifted the limitation of 15 days per year for teleworking from abroad and extended this possibility to trainees;


### 32. acknowledges that the unforeseen consequences of the covid-19 pandemic have obliged the ombudsman to postpone the update of the diversity and inclusion policy; is aware that diversity and inclusion policy is present in the activities of the offices , including training , the composition of selection panels and the dissemination of the calls for traineeships; encourages the ombudsman to resume the process with a view to strengthening diversity and making the ombudsman a more inclusive workplace , notably for persons with disabilities; ### 32. acknowledges that the unforeseen consequences of the covid-19 pandemic have obliged the ombudsman to postpone the update of the diversity and inclusion policy; is aware that diversity and inclusion policy is present in the activities of the offices , including training , the composition of selection panels and the targeted dissemination of the calls for traineeships; encourages the ombudsman to resume the process with a view to strengthening diversity and making the ombudsman a more inclusive workplace , notably for persons with disabilities;


### 36. notes that despite the covid-19 pandemic , the ombudsman welcomed 13 trainees in 2020; welcomes that the ombudsman aimed to ensure the best possible traineeship conditions by slightly reducing and staggering the new arrivals and organising only one rather than two annual selections; ### 36. notes that despite the covid-19 pandemic , the ombudsman welcomed 13 trainees in 2020; welcomes that the ombudsman aimed to ensure the best possible traineeship conditions by slightly reducing and staggering the new arrivals and organising only one rather than two annual selections; welcomes that the ombudsman provides all the trainees with a decent remuneration;


### 40. suggests a survey is conducted in order to assess the awareness of members of staff of the ethical framework of the institution; ### 40. suggests a survey is conducted in order to assess the awareness of members of staff of the ethical framework of the institution , as the court recommends to the audited institutions in its special report 13-2019 the ethical frameworks of the audited eu institutions: scope for improvement;


### 43. is aware that the european data protector supervisor (edps) carried out an inspection in 2019 and sent its recommendations to the ombudsman in november 2020; asks that the ombudsman be informed about the finalisation of the process; ### 43. is aware that the european data protector supervisor (edps) carried out an inspection in 2019 and sent its recommendations to the ombudsman in november 2020; asks the ombudsman to inform the budgetary authority about the finalisation of the process in its annual report;


### 59. notes that 170 , out of the overall 2 148 new complaints dealt with in 2020 , were covid-19 related , but only 34 fell within the ombudsman’s mandate; welcomes the ombudsman’s recommendations to the commission and the council regarding how to maintain high transparency and accountability standards for decisions during the covid-19 pandemic , as well as the series of inquiries and initiatives into the covid-19 response in the union administration carried out in 2020; ### 59. notes that 170 , out of the overall 2 148 new complaints dealt with in 2020 , were covid-19 related , but only 34 fell within the ombudsman’s mandate; welcomes the ombudsman’s recommendations to the commission and the council regarding how to maintain high transparency and accountability standards for decisions during the covid-19 pandemic; congratulates the ombudsman on the series of inquiries and initiatives into the covid-19 response in the union institutions and agencies carried out in 2020 , which assisted the eu administration to keep the highest standards of good administration even during challenging times and thus , contributed positively to the citizens’ trust in the eu;


### 61. encourages the ombudsman to integrate in its internal management strategy the lessons drawn from the covid-19 pandemic , including , but not limited to , business continuity and crisis management plans , it responsiveness , resilience of the organisation , protection of the health and well-being of members f staff , effectiveness of internal communication , and flexibility of working processes; ### 61. encourages the ombudsman to fully integrate in its internal management strategy the lessons drawn from the covid-19 pandemic in terms of business continuity and crisis management plans , it responsiveness and resilience of the organisation , duty of care towards its staff , effectiveness of internal communication , and flexibility of working processes;


### 1. grants the executive director of the circular bio-based europe joint undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020 / postpones its decision on discharge to the executive director of the circular bio-based europe joint undertaking in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020; ### 1. grants the executive director of the circular bio-based europe joint undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020;


### 7. notes that the court’s report on the joint undertaking’s accounts calls the attention to the fact that the industry members total in-kind contributions to additional activities only achieved 53 % of the minimum amount of eur 1 755 000 000 , established in regulation (eu) no 560/2014; notes , in addition , that at the end of 2020 , the industry members reported approximately eur 95 700 000 of in-kind contributions to operational activities out of the eur 433 000 000 committed after all horizon 2020 calls had been launched; notes , therefore , that this situation indicates a high risk that , by the end of the horizon 2020 programme , the joint undertaking will not achieve the expected targets for its industry members’ in-kind contributions as established in regulation (eu) no 560/2014 and adopted annual work plans; notes the joint undertaking’s reply that in its opinion , this gap will be significantly reduced in the coming years given that the declaration and certification of in-kind contributions will significantly increase in line with the closure of the joint undertaking’s projects and that , moreover , the industry members committed for additional investment targets for 2021 and beyond in their financial perspective presented to the joint undertaking’s governing board; calls on the joint undertaking to report to the discharge authority of any development in that regard; ### 7. notes with concern that the court’s report on the joint undertaking’s accounts calls the attention to the fact that the industry members total in-kind contributions to additional activities only achieved 53 % of the minimum amount of eur 1 755 000 000 , established in regulation (eu) no 560/2014; notes , in addition , that at the end of 2020 , the industry members reported approximately eur 95 700 000 of in-kind contributions to operational activities out of the eur 433 000 000 committed after all horizon 2020 calls had been launched; notes , therefore , that this situation indicates a high risk that , by the end of the horizon 2020 programme , the joint undertaking will not achieve the expected targets for its industry members’ in-kind contributions as established in regulation (eu) no 560/2014 and adopted annual work plans; notes the joint undertaking’s reply that in its opinion , this gap will be significantly reduced in the coming years given that the declaration and certification of in-kind contributions will significantly increase in line with the closure of the joint undertaking’s projects and that , moreover , the industry members committed for additional investment targets for 2021 and beyond in their financial perspective presented to the joint undertaking’s governing board; calls on the joint undertaking to report to the discharge authority of any development in that regard;


### 10. acknowledges that during 2020 the covid-19 outbreak had an impact on the budget of the cjeu; observes that additional costs were incurred in order to purchase it equipment , due to the generalised telework for staff , and personal protective equipment (ppe) and disinfectant; observes that savings were instead realised on several budget lines , in particular the budget lines related to translation , freelance interpretation , professional training , missions , buildings (cleaning , security and surveillance) , furniture , protocol-related activities , meetings and conferences; ### 10. acknowledges that during 2020 the covid-19 outbreak had an impact on the budget of the cjeu; observes that additional costs were incurred in order to purchase it equipment , due to the generalised telework for staff , as well as personal protective equipment (ppe) and disinfectant; observes that savings were instead realised on several budget lines , in particular the budget lines related to translation , freelance interpretation , professional training , missions , buildings (cleaning , security and surveillance) , furniture , protocol-related activities , meetings and conferences; notes in particular that a significant number of training activities , budgeted to cost eur 170 000 , could not take place;


### 12. notes that the cjeu made 14 budget transfers pursuant to article 29 of the financial regulation , representing a total of eur 20 ,4 million , or 4 ,7 % of the final appropriations; observes that a significant number of training activities , amounting to eur 170 000 , could not take place; observes that the largest transfer was intended to cover an advance payment under a lease-purchase contract relating to buildings , with the aim of reducing the financial burden of future charges concerning the 5th extension to the buildings of the cjeu; notes that other transfers were made to purchase ppe for members and staff of the cjeu , representatives of parties and visitors; ### 12. notes that the cjeu made 14 budget transfers pursuant to article 29 of the financial regulation , representing a total of eur 20 ,4 million , or 4 ,7 % of the final appropriations; observes that the largest transfer was intended to cover an advance payment under a lease-purchase contract relating to buildings , with the aim of reducing the financial burden of future charges concerning the 5th extension to the buildings of the cjeu; notes that other transfers were made to purchase ppe for members and staff of the cjeu , representatives of parties and visitors;1a


### 13. is aware that a large proportion of the appropriations carried over from 2019 to 2020 was used (84 ,78 % in 2020 , which amounts to eur 24 553 736 , compared to 87 ,21 % in 2019); ### 13. is aware that a large proportion of the appropriations carried over from 2019 to 2020 was used (84 ,78 % in 2020 , which amounts to eur 20 816 958 ,83 , compared to 87 ,21 % in 2019);


### 21. notes an unchanged overall gender ratio compared to 2019 of 61 % women and 39 % men; observes that the number of women is higher than the number of men in almost every nationality group (officials , temporary agents and contract agents); notes , furthermore , the gender ratio of ad members of staff is 54 % women and 46 % men and 40 % women and 60 % men in senior management positions; regrets that for middle management the percentage of women decreased from 41 % in 2019 to 39 % in 2020; congratulates the cjeu on its actions towards achieving equality , such as mentoring and talent management , to encourage women to apply for senior and middle management positions; ### 21. notes an unchanged overall gender ratio compared to 2019 of 61 % women and 39 % men; observes that the number of women is higher than the number of men in almost every staff category (officials , temporary agents and contract agents); notes , furthermore , the gender ratio of ad members of staff is 54 % women and 46 % men and 40 % women and 60 % men in senior management positions; welcomes that for middle management the percentage of women increased from 39 % in 2019 to 41 % in 2020; congratulates the cjeu on its actions towards achieving equality , such as mentoring and talent management , to encourage women to apply for senior and middle management positions;


### 29. notes that an administrative inquiry was launched in response to one complaint introduced in 2020 alleging moral and sexual harassment; expects that , in the meantime , the cjeu has taken any measure necessary to protect the alleged victim; ### 29. notes that an administrative inquiry was launched in response to one complaint introduced in 2020 alleging moral and sexual harassment; is aware that at the end of the administrative enquiry and on the basis of its conclusions , the appointing authority decided that there had been no harassment , either moral or sexual;


### 40. notes that the court of justice and the general court were forced to cancel or postpone all hearings scheduled to take place between mid-march and early june 2020; notes that the court of justice decided to replace a number of hearings with questions requiring a written answer; observes that a similar solution could not be implemented at the general court as the rules of procedure provide that a hearing must be held when a main party submits a reasoned request to that effect; praises the deployment of human , technical and financial resources to design and implement a single , secure videoconferencing system with potentially simultaneous interpretation for the 24 official languages for the benefit of parties’ representatives unable to travel to luxembourg due to travel restrictions in the member states; ### 40. notes that the court of justice and the general court were forced to cancel or postpone all hearings scheduled to take place between mid-march and early june 2020; notes that the court of justice decided to replace a number of hearings with questions requiring a written answer; observes that a similar solution could not be implemented at the general court as the rules of procedure provide that a hearing must be held when a main party submits a reasoned request to that effect; praises the deployment of human , technical and financial resources to design and implement a single , secure videoconferencing system with potentially simultaneous interpretation for the 24 official languages for the benefit of parties’ representatives unable to travel to luxembourg due to travel restrictions in the member states; congratulates the cjeu on winning the european ombudsman's award for good administration in the category of excellence in innovation/transformation for its system for remote hearings;


### 41. notes with interest the high rate of utilisation of e-curia at the cjeu in 2020 , increased during the covid-19 pandemic; ### 41. notes with interest the high rate of utilisation of e-curia in 2020 , increased during the covid-19 pandemic , that translates into an increase of 12 % in the number of accounts (7 378 accounts by the end of 2020 compared to 6 588 by the end of 2019) and high percentages of procedural documents lodged before the court of justice and the general court (79 % and 95 % respectively); highlights that the confidence of the users in that system and the growing interest of all the parties concerned for the utilisation of digital tools led to a significant increase of the accounts opened by national courts and tribunals (from 45 accounts at the end of 2019 to 121 at the end of 2020);


### 70. encourages the cjeu to fully integrate in the internal management strategy the lessons drawn from the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic , in terms of business continuity and crisis management approaches , it responsiveness , resiliency of the organisation , effectiveness of communication and flexibility of working processes. ### 70. encourages the cjeu to fully integrate in the internal management strategy the lessons drawn from the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic , in terms of business continuity and crisis management approaches , it responsiveness , resiliency of the organisation , duty of care towards its staff , effectiveness of internal communication and flexibility of working processes.


### 1. grants the executive director of the clean hydrogen joint undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020 / postpones its decision on discharge to the executive director of the clean hydrogen joint undertaking in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020; ### 1. grants the executive director of the clean hydrogen joint undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020;


### a. whereas the european external action service (eeas) is responsible for the management of the administrative expenditure of its headquarter (hq) in brussels and for the network of the 143 union delegations and offices; ### a. whereas the european external action service (eeas) is responsible for the management of the administrative expenditure of its headquarter (hq) in brussels and for the network of the 144 union delegations and offices;


### e. whereas under the eeas internal rules the secretary general of the eeas acts as authorising officer by delegation for the institution and the director general for budget and administration has the role of principal subdelegated authorising officer; ### e. whereas under the eeas internal rules the secretary general of the eeas acts as authorising officer by delegation for the institution and the director general for resource management has the role of principal subdelegated authorising officer;


### 7. notes that the approved amounts are earmarked for financing the action plan against disinformation , the reinforcement of security in delegations and hq , investments in cyber-security , the replacement of a number of cost-free national experts with officials , an increase to the stipend amount for trainees in delegations , , strengthening the structures of the common security and defence policy (csdp) , and some reinforcements of the geographical departments in high-priority key areas; ### 7. notes that the approved additional amounts are earmarked for financing the action plan against disinformation , the reinforcement of security in delegations and hq , investments in cyber-security , the replacement of a number of cost-free national experts with officials , an increase to the stipend amount for trainees in delegations , , strengthening the structures of the common security and defence policy (csdp) , and some reinforcements of the geographical departments in high-priority key areas;


### 13. welcomes that following the “innovative 2019” exercise , aiming at fostering simplification and modernisation of working procedures and processes , several actions were launched in 2020 , in particular the centralisation of high-value calls for tenders , the treasury functions and the payment of individual entitlements; notes that in 2020 some operations , in particular pre-award matters for all procurement procedures , have been increasingly centralised at hq level to improve the quality of the procurement procedures and to alleviate the workload of the delegations; notes with satisfaction that the full centralisation is expected during year 2021; supports the planned workload assessment on delegations in 2022 as an appropriate review mechanism to help prioritise resources and organisational aspects of the delegation network; ### 13. welcomes that following the “innovative 2019” exercise , aiming at fostering simplification and modernisation of working procedures and processes , several actions were launched in 2020 , in particular the centralisation of high-value calls for tenders , the treasury functions and the payment of individual entitlements; notes that in 2020 some operations , in particular pre-award matters for all procurement procedures , have been increasingly centralised at hq level to improve the quality of the procurement procedures and to alleviate the workload of the delegations; notes with satisfaction that the full centralisation is expected during year 2022 supports the planned workload assessment on delegations in 2022 as an appropriate review mechanism to help prioritise resources and organisational aspects of the delegation network;


### 18. notes that in 2020 the eeas published 40 high-value procurement procedures (with a value above eur 500 000); notes that the court examined fifteen procurement procedures for personal protective equipment (ppe) supplies organised in 2020 by some institutions , including eeas; observes that the court detected some problems in the procedures used by the audited institutions when procuring urgently required protective masks; observes that these institutions had set strict minimum requirements in the tender specifications (including european reference quality standards for medical face masks and delivery dates); ### 18. notes that in 2020 the eeas published 40 high-value procurement procedures (with a value above the directive thresholds for services and supplies and above eur 500 000 for works); notes that the court examined fifteen procurement procedures for personal protective equipment (ppe) supplies organised in 2020 by some institutions , including eeas; observes that the court detected some problems in the procedures used by the audited institutions when procuring urgently required protective masks; observes that these institutions had set strict minimum requirements in the tender specifications (including european reference quality standards for medical face masks and delivery dates);


### 21. welcomes that the nomenclature of errors regarding procurement procedures , used for both ex ante and ex post controls at the eeas , has been aligned with the one used by the court , allowing for a better comparison of the results; appreciates that , following the court’s assessment of the eeas annual activity report for 2019 , the eeas internal audit strategy was amended to provide more accurate information on the error rates used for the annual statement of assurance , making a clear distinction between the detected errors and the residual errors and thus , providing more accurate information regarding the action taken to correct the errors detected during the ex-post control exercise; ### 21. welcomes that the nomenclature of errors regarding procurement procedures , used for ex post controls at the eeas , has been aligned with the one used by the court , allowing for a better comparison of the results; appreciates that , following the court’s assessment of the eeas annual activity report for 2019 , the eeas internal audit strategy was amended to provide more accurate information on the error rates used for the annual statement of assurance , making a clear distinction between the detected errors and the residual errors and thus , providing more accurate information regarding the action taken to correct the errors detected during the ex-post control exercise;


### 25. highlights that the union is confronted with a volatile international environment and an increasing number of crises , which has led to increasing demands on the union to play an important role at an international level; notes that the enhanced role of the eeas in dealing with new challenges such as disinformation shall be underpinned by a corresponding staff increase; supports the eeas’ call on the budgetary authority for sufficient human resources in order to deliver the union’s effectiveness as a global actor; underlines in particular the need to use flexibly available resources such as a higher number of snes from member states to adjust to new requests; ### 25. highlights that the union is confronted with a volatile international environment and an increasing number of crises , which has led to increasing demands on the union to play an important role at an international level; notes that the enhanced role of the eeas in dealing with new challenges such as disinformation shall be underpinned by a corresponding staff increase; supports the eeas’ call on the budgetary authority for sufficient human resources in order to deliver the union’s effectiveness as a global actor; underlines in particular the urgent need to use flexibly available resources such as a higher number of snes from member states to adjust to new requests;


### 28. notes that in the ast and ast/sc categories the percentage of women decreased to 65.35 % compared to 66.3 % in 2019; stresses that imbalances remained among the different grades , with women representing 66.2 % of staff in the lower grades (ast2 to ast9) but only 33.3 % in the higher grades (ast10 to ast11); points out the gender balance reached with regard to contract agents (59.4 %) and local agents (54.5 %) , while the majority of seconded national experts were men (75.2 %); ### 28. notes that in the ast and ast/sc categories the percentage of women decreased to 65.35 % compared to 66.3 % in 2019; stresses that imbalances remained among the different grades , with women representing 66.2 % of staff in the lower grades (ast2 to ast9) but only 33.3 % in the higher grades (ast10 to ast11); points out the gender balance reached with regard to contract agents (59.4 %) and local agents (54.5 %) , while the majority of seconded national experts were men (75.2 % , mostly due to the limited female presence in the member states military);


### 39. notes that the eeas medical service provides guidance and accompanying measures to mitigate the risks of burnout , including psychological support , advice on appropriate local assistance , trainings on stress management and a helpline; welcomes that the eeas adopted a set of rules to maintain the right to disconnect for all members of staff with specific rules on the use of email and telephone outside working hours; ### 39. notes that the eeas provides guidance and accompanying measures to mitigate the risks of burnout , including psychological support , advice on appropriate local assistance , training on stress management and a helpline; welcomes that the eeas adopted a set of rules to maintain the right to disconnect for all members of staff with specific rules on the use of email and telephone outside working hours;


### 40. commends the eeas’ attention to social dialogue and underlines the positive impact of the direct participation of members of staff having first-hand experience of the measures submitted for discussion; welcomes in particular the broad consultation on the future of the eeas where more than 500 colleagues from both hq and delegations took part and seven focus groups channelled all reflections into concrete working proposals , a project known as #eeas20; encourages the eeas to keep this approach in order to respond to the expectation of members of staff while addressing the needs of the service; ### 40. commends the eeas’ attention to social dialogue and underlines the positive impact of the direct participation of members of staff having first-hand experience of the measures submitted for discussion; welcomes in particular the broad consultation on the future of the eeas where more than 500 colleagues from both hq and delegations took part and seven focus groups channelled all reflections into concrete working proposals , a project known as #eeas@20; encourages the eeas to keep this approach in order to respond to the expectation of members of staff while addressing the needs of the service;


### 43. notes that in 2020 the eeas recruited 41 remunerated blue book trainees for a 5-month traineeship in its hq; notes that 385 trainees were employed for 101 delegations , for traineeships with an average length of 5 months; points out that 39 traineeships were unpaid; notes that all the trainees received a personal computer to telework; calls on the eeas to take the appropriate steps to ensure that all its trainees receive a decent remuneration; ### 43. notes that in 2020 the eeas recruited 57 remunerated blue book trainees for a 5-month traineeship in its hq; notes that 385 trainees were employed for 101 delegations , for traineeships with an average length of 5 months; points out that 39 traineeships were unpaid; notes that all the blue book trainees received a personal computer to telework; calls on the eeas to take the appropriate steps to ensure that all its trainees receive a decent remuneration;


### 59. points out that the eeas has managed a total budget of eur 65 600 000 for 2020 covering security services; notes that the total amount spent on security installations & maintenance for delegations was eur 12 942 311; observes that the whole budget for secure communications amounted to eur 18 163 000; ### 59. points out that the eeas has managed a total budget of eur 65 600 000 for 2020 covering security services; notes that the total amount spent on security installations & maintenance for delegations was eur 12 942 311; observes that the whole budget for secure communications amounted to eur 18 163 000; takes notes of the expected challenges for the protection of eu delegations identified by the eeas and , in particular , the lack of autonomous action to mobilise any defence capabilities in case of crises and evacuations; notes that the eeas has reached agreements with some members states to support , in some countries , the evacuation of expatriate staff and dependant , which has the negative aspect that this option limits the autonomy of the eeas and eu delegations to stay in host countries during crises; reiterates its call for fully using the potential of the lisbon treaty provisions to works towards a european defence union and its support for more cooperation , increased investment and pooling resources to create synergies at eu level in order to better protect europeans;


### 66. notes the success of many eeas media campaigns on key issues , such as ’we take you home’ on the repatriation of union citizens due to covid-19 , ’eu in action’ on the work on the ground of the union as a security provider and ’bethewave’ on climate issues; highlights that that eeas social media account is one of the global leaders in terms of engagement amongst diplomatic services and its website received 13 million views in 2020; ### 66. notes the success of many eeas media campaigns on key issues , such as ’we take you home’ on the repatriation of union citizens due to covid-19 , ‘united in distance’ to showcase stories of solidarity across the world in times of crisis , ’eu in action’ on the work on the ground of the union as a security provider , and ’bethewave’ on climate issues; points out that eeas channels have also contributed to enhance visibility of 'team europe' worldwide; highlights that that eeas social media account is one of the global leaders amongst diplomatic services with over 700 thousand followers and evident growth in terms of audience interactions , while its website received 21 million page views and 13 million unique page views in 2020;


### 72. notes that following the withdrawal of the united kingdom from the union on 31 january 2020 , the eeas established , in close cooperation with the commission and parliament , an eu delegation in london and a uk division within its hq structure; understands that the establishment agreement replaces any temporary provisions and ensures that the delegation in london , its members of staff and property , enjoy privileges and immunities equivalent to those referred to in the vienna convention in a similar way as the other 143 delegations and offices; notes that by the end of 2020 , almost 40 positions (including expatriate and local staff) were filled out of the 43 positions available in total; is aware that the delegation is located in the building , property of the union , used in the past by the representation of the commission and the european parliament liaison office (eplo); ### 72. notes that following the withdrawal of the united kingdom from the union on 31 january 2020 , the eeas established , in close cooperation with the commission and parliament , an eu delegation in london and a uk division within its hq structure; understands that the establishment agreement replaces any temporary provisions and ensures that the delegation in london , its members of staff and property , enjoy privileges and immunities equivalent to those referred to in the vienna convention in a similar way as the other 144 delegations and offices; notes that by the end of 2020 , almost 40 positions (including expatriate and local staff) were filled out of the 43 positions available in total; is aware that the delegation is located in the building , property of the union , used in the past by the representation of the commission and the european parliament liaison office (eplo);


### 78. supports that in a number of countries additional measures were taken to reduce the medical risks posed to members of staff because the health care systems were deemed fragile; points out that all members of staff in hq were provided with a corporate laptop and that over 5 000 were dispatched to the delegations , together with ppe and medical supplies for those who were most exposed , despite the challenging delivery in countries with quarantine or lockdown measures; acknowledges that the it infrastructure was ramped up rapidly to meet the requirements of full-scale teleworking , including increasing the internet capacity and the capacity for video conferencing; ### 78. supports that in a number of countries additional measures were taken to reduce the medical risks posed to members of staff because the health care systems were deemed fragile; highlights that the eeas shipped vaccines to the 72 delegations asking for support , which were provided to around 4 ,000 people , including expatriate staff in delegations , their family members and to local agents; points out that all members of staff in hq were provided with a corporate laptop and that over 5 000 were dispatched to the delegations , together with ppe and medical supplies for those who were most exposed , despite the challenging delivery in countries with quarantine or lockdown measures; acknowledges that the it infrastructure was ramped up rapidly to meet the requirements of full-scale teleworking , including increasing the internet capacity and the capacity for video conferencing;


### 79. notes that the covid-19 pandemic outbreak also exposed the union’s strategic and systemic vulnerabilities , such as supply chains or pharmaceutical products , and drew attention to the need for the union to strengthen its own resilience and autonomy , while at the same time to pursue more assertively international partnerships; acknowledges the pandemic also brought further impetus to on-going processes , not only towards the twin digital and green transitions , but also at global level; ### 79. notes that the covid-19 pandemic outbreak also exposed the union’s strategic and systemic vulnerabilities , such as supply chains or pharmaceutical products , and drew attention to the need for the union to strengthen its own resilience and autonomy , while at the same time to pursue more assertively international partnerships; acknowledges the pandemic also brought further impetus to on-going processes , not only towards the twin digital and green transitions , but also at global level , such as moving the eu-africa partnership to the next level , re-invigorating the european union-united states relationship , paying additional attention to latin america , and putting the strategic outlook to china in practice;


### 82. supports the eeas’ approach to calling for an assertive and comprehensive response as a main tool to aid recovery from a deep geopolitical crisis and to “build back better” at home and globally; encourages the eeas to fully integrate in the internal management strategy the lessons drawn from the pandemic outbreak , in terms of business continuity and crisis management approaches , it responsiveness , resilience of the organisation , effectiveness of communication and flexibility of working processes. ### 82. supports the eeas’ approach to calling for an assertive and comprehensive response as a main tool to aid recovery from a deep geopolitical crisis and to “build back better” at home and globally; encourages the eeas to fully integrate in the internal management strategy the lessons drawn from the pandemic outbreak , in terms of business continuity and crisis management approaches , it responsiveness , resilience of the organisation , duty of care towards its staff , effectiveness of internal communication and flexibility of working processes.


### 3. notes the remaining gender and geographical imbalances within the eeas staff , despite slightly positive trends in previous years; reiterates the importance of ensuring a balanced distribution of staff in terms of gender and geographical origin within different categories and grades , particularly at middle and senior management levels; points also to a remaining overrepresentation of some member states’ diplomats among the heads of delegation and calls for further efforts to address those imbalances; ### 3. notes the remaining gender and geographical imbalances within the eeas staff , despite slightly positive trends in previous years; reiterates the importance of ensuring an intersectional distribution of staff in terms of race , ethnicity , religion or belief , health , status , age , class , caste and sexual orientation and gender identity within different categories and grades , particularly at middle and senior management levels; points also to a remaining overrepresentation of some member states’ diplomats among the heads of delegation and calls for further efforts to address those imbalances;


### 12. emphasises that the court examined more in particular the eu institutions’ public procurement procedures for the purchase of personal protective equipment for their members of staff in 2020; notes that the court checked three procurement procedures organised by parliament to purchase protective masks , temperature detectors and covid-19 tests; stresses that the court , in one case related to the purchase of fabric masks , found that the requirements set by parliament in the tender specifications were too broad to allow assessment of compliance , and that the successful bidders did not include full evidence in their offer that all minimum quality requirements were met at the time of contracting , such as evidence related to compliance with technical specifications or to the durability of masks; highlights that the offers were accepted nonetheless; acknowledges that the urgent procurement of equipment in the early stages of the covid-19 pandemic was challenging due to surging demand and competition between contracting authorities and countries; ### 12. emphasises that the court examined more in particular the eu institutions’ public procurement procedures for the purchase of personal protective equipment for their members of staff in 2020; notes that the court checked three procurement procedures organised by parliament to purchase protective masks , temperature detectors and covid-19 tests; regrets the cost caused by successive decisions to purchase and use different models of temperature detectors until the most suitable one for the current needs was found; stresses that the court , in one case related to the purchase of fabric masks , found that the requirements set by parliament in the tender specifications were too broad to allow assessment of compliance , and that the successful bidders did not include full evidence in their offer that all minimum quality requirements were met at the time of contracting , such as evidence related to compliance with technical specifications or to the durability of masks; highlights that the offers were accepted nonetheless; acknowledges that the urgent procurement of equipment in the early stages of the covid-19 pandemic was challenging due to surging demand and competition between contracting authorities and countries;


### 20. asks the secretary-general to forward this resolution to the bureau , highlighting 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 demands and recommendations contained in parliament’s discharge resolutions and to include the actions taken and implemented in the annual monitoring document; ### 20. asks the secretary-general to forward this resolution to the bureau , highlighting 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 demands and recommendations contained in parliament’s discharge resolutions and to include the actions taken and implemented in the annual monitoring document; asks the secretary-general and the vice-president responsible for budget to hold regular discussions with parliament’s committee on budgetary control on issues concerning the implementation of the said action plan;


### 26. welcomes the fact that strasbourg part-sessions were suspended for the most part in the year 2020 and that digitalised processes included the organisation of remote meetings and remote voting systems in plenary and parliamentary committees; calls on the president of the parliament to allow for a remote participation of members until the covid-19 pandemic is brought to safe levels; ### 26. welcomes the fact that strasbourg part-sessions were suspended for the most part in the year 2020 and that digitalised processes included the organisation of remote meetings and remote voting systems in plenary and parliamentary committees; notes that the suspension of strasbourg part-sessions contributed to total savings of eur 26 260 608 according to parliament’s secretariat , while also significantly reducing parliament’s carbon footprint; highlights that the court estimates that “the end of moving from strasbourg to brussels could generate annual savings of eur 114 million plus a one-off saving of eur 616 million if the strasbourg buildings are successfully divested , or a one-off cost of eur 40 million if they are not"1a; considers that given the current climate crisis , retaining the strasbourg seat is irresponsible , calls on the council to take parliament’s position into account and act on it as a matter of urgency;


### 30. deplores the fact that there is no system in place to ensure that members who are temporarily absent for a justified reason , such as maternity leave , parental leave , long-term sick leave or career’s leave , can continue to carry out their core duties , first and foremost to speak in debates and to vote; calls on the committee on constitutional affairs to provide for the continuation of remote participation and for providing for the substitution of a member - whether female or male - while on parental leave and in the above mentioned cases; ### 30. deplores the fact that there is no system in place to ensure that members who are temporarily absent for a justified reason , such as maternity leave , parental leave , long-term sick leave or career’s leave , can continue to carry out their core duties , first and foremost to speak in debates and to vote; deems this problematic as it can negatively impact citizens’ representation in parliament; underlines that younger , particularly female , members and their voters are disproportionately affected when no such arrangements are provided for; emphasizes that a vote for a female member of parliament should not lead to a lack of representation; calls on the committee on constitutional affairs to provide for the continuation of remote participation and for providing for the substitution of a member - whether female or male - while on parental leave and in the above mentioned cases; by revising parliament’s rules of procedure and the european electoral law; also calls for maintaining the option of remote participation for members , particularly for members in the aforementioned situations;


### 52. calls on parliament to publish a list of all friendship groups in parliament on its website; ### 52. is concerned with the legitimacy that some parliamentary friendship groups may provide to regimes with dubious records regarding human rights and democracy where such groups do not make sufficiently clear that they do not represent parliament’s official position; considers full transparency and more oversight of these groups essential to prevent reputational damage and conflicts of interest; calls therefore on parliament to publish a list of all friendship groups in parliament on its website , including its participants; also calls on the quaestors to proactively request annual declarations outlining the support and funding received which the participating members have not declared individually already and create an accessible and up-to-date register of these declarations; calls on the quaestors to develop the rules on such support further;


### 55. calls on the advisory committee on the conduct of members to regularly publish on parliament’s website any investigations , decisions and sanctions related to potential or real breaches of the code of conduct , rather than doing so in the annual report; further calls on parliament to publish decisions and sanctions imposed by the advisory committee against members on the respective member’s page on parliament’s website; ### 55. calls on the advisory committee on the conduct of members to regularly publish on parliament’s website any investigations , decisions and sanctions related to potential or real breaches of the code of conduct , rather than doing so in the annual report; further calls on parliament to publish decisions and sanctions imposed by the advisory committee against members on the respective member’s page on parliament’s website; notes with interest that according to a study by transparency international1a , the advisory committee could be strengthened further with independent experts on ethics and integrity or with an external committee consisting of independent experts only as well as by strengthening the committee’s competences;


### 56. strongly supports parliament’s services’ ongoing project to make plenary voting records available on a dedicated space where users will have access to clear and reader-friendly documents , and welcomes the new layout for the roll-call votes in which the individual voting record of each member will be published , giving the option to visualise the distribution of votes according to inter alia political group affiliation and/or nationality; regrets that it is not yet technically possible for parliament’s services to allow for the display of the text of each amendment along with the voting record as it is offered by several private providers; calls on parliamentary services to make available all amendments and roll-call voting records at committee level and to include them in the new layout; further asks parliament’s services to provide the possibility to members to test a beta version of the new tool and provide feedback to be taken into account during the development of the tool; ### 56. strongly supports parliament’s services’ ongoing project to make plenary voting records available on a dedicated space where users will have access to clear and reader-friendly documents , and welcomes the new layout for the roll-call votes in which the individual voting record of each member will be published , giving the option to visualise the distribution of votes according to inter alia political group affiliation and/or nationality; regrets that it is not yet technically possible for parliament’s services to allow for the display of the text of each amendment along with the voting record as it is offered by several private providers; calls on parliamentary services to make available all amendments and roll-call voting records at committee level and to include them in the new layout; also calls on the services to extend the information available to include up-to-date timetables and voting lists , including the final compromise(s) agreed on by the rapporteur and shadows , as per the recommendations from the focus group on strengthening parliamentary prerogatives; further asks parliament’s services to provide the possibility to members to test a beta version of the new tool and provide feedback to be taken into account during the development of the tool;


### 59. recalls that pursuant to rule 11(4) of parliament’s rules of procedure , parliament provides members already with the possibility of publishing a voluntary audit or confirmation of their gea expenses; regrets that only five voluntary declarations on the use of the gea were submitted during the calendar year 2020; calls on parliament’s services to send an annual reminder to members in relation to this possibility; ### 59. recalls that pursuant to rule 11(4) of parliament’s rules of procedure , parliament provides members already with the possibility of publishing a voluntary audit or confirmation of their general expenditure allowance expenses; regrets that only five voluntary declarations on the use of the general expenditure allowance were submitted during the calendar year 2020; calls on parliament’s services to send an annual reminder to members in relation to this possibility; calls on the bureau to periodically inform the discharge authority of the number of members who have followed these recommendations;


### 65. welcomes the possibility offered by the secretary-general’s decision of 31 march 2021 to work away from the place of employment; regrets , however , that this was only possible on a part-time basis with the corresponding reduction of the salary; notes with great concern that the obligation to telework from the place of employment during periods of near-complete lockdown has increased feelings of isolation and fueled mental health problems among members of staff; calls on the administration to lift the obligation for all categories of staff , including trainees , in the future to telework from their place of employment in such exceptional and time-limited periods such as periods of near-complete lockdowns in place during parts of 2020; ### 65. welcomes the possibility offered by the secretary-general’s decision of 31 march 2021 to work away from the place of employment; regrets , however , that this was only possible on a part-time basis with the corresponding reduction of the salary; regrets that such decision forced staff and apas out of belgium at that time to choose between returning to parliament’s places of work , at a time traveling was strongly discouraged , or the said loss of earnings; notes with satisfaction that the bureau on 17 april acknowledged the unsound nature of this decision and established a series of criteria under which staff would be able to telework full time (including medical conditions , travel restrictions and border closures); notes with great concern that the obligation to telework from the place of employment during periods of near-complete lockdown has increased feelings of isolation and fueled mental health problems among members of staff; calls on the administration to lift the obligation for all categories of staff , including trainees , in the future to telework from their place of employment in such exceptional and time-limited periods such as periods of near-complete lockdowns in place during parts of 2020;


### 68. notes that two directorates-general (dgs) put in place specific policies framing the right to disconnect while five others raised awareness among managers of the right to disconnect; calls upon the parliament to adopt guidelines on the right to disconnect for every dg and make sure all dgs put them in place; ### 68. notes that two directorates-general put in place specific policies framing the right to disconnect while five others raised awareness among managers of the right to disconnect; calls upon parliament to adopt guidelines on the right to disconnect including every category of staff for every directorate-general and make sure all directorates-general put such guidelines in place;


### 69. welcomes the achievements made so far as a result parliament’s gender mainstreaming policy , in reaching gender parity at the level of directors and 40% of women employed at the level of heads of unit; notes that there is still significant room for improvement at the level of directors-general with currently 23% of women employed at this level; calls on parliament to aim to reach gender parity at all three levels by 2024; reiterates that it is essential for staff representatives to be heard when the bureau discusses general matters affecting its staff policy , and repeats its request to the secretary-general to take the appropriate measures to implement this key approach; reiterates its request to the secretary-general to take further steps to ensure transparency and fairness during senior management appointment procedures , in particular in light of the court of justice’s judgment from 14 july 2021 in case t670 / 19 against the european parliament; asks for the full implementation of the measures recommended in parliament’s resolution of 18 april 2018 , notably that officials from staff representative bodies sit on parliament’s senior management selection panels; calls , furthermore , to ensure consistency when it comes to external publications of senior management posts and diligence in the publication of these posts as and when they fall vacant; ### 69. welcomes the achievements made so far as a result parliament’s gender mainstreaming policy , in reaching gender parity at the level of directors and 40% of women employed at the level of heads of unit; notes that there is still significant room for improvement at the level of directors-general with currently 23% of women employed at this level; calls on parliament to aim to reach gender parity at all three levels by 2024; reiterates that it is essential for staff representatives to be heard when the bureau discusses general matters affecting its staff policy , and repeats its request to the secretary-general to take the appropriate measures to implement this key approach; reiterates its request to the secretary-general to take further steps to ensure transparency and fairness during senior management appointment procedures , in particular in light of the court of justice’s judgment from 14 july 2021 in case t670 / 19 against the european parliament; asks for the full implementation of the measures recommended in parliament’s resolution of 18 april 2018 , notably that officials from staff representative bodies sit on parliament’s senior management selection panels , even if that means a modification of the staff regulations; calls , furthermore , to ensure consistency when it comes to external publications of senior management posts and diligence in the publication of these posts as and when they fall vacant;


### 70. regrets that political , rather than competency criteria seem to determine the internal “passerelle” competitions; calls on parliament to ensure in future competitions that candidates are chosen based on skills and competence rather than political affiliation; ### 70. regrets that political , rather than competency criteria seem to determine the internal “passerelle” competitions; calls on parliament to ensure in future competitions that candidates are chosen based on skills and competence rather than political affiliation; points out the staff committee’s resolution of 18 october on a new scheme put in place to offer contract agent posts to trainees; is of the opinion that recruitment procedures must be merit-based , competitive , fair and transparent while there must be no privileged access to contract agent posts or discrimination against staff and apas; asks the administration to reconsider the new scheme involving the staff in the process;


### 71. notes that 17 new harassment cases were opened in 2020; stresses that efforts still need to be made to ensure that the two advisory committees dealing with harassment complaints concerning members and all members of staff gain more trust from victims of harassment , who may fear that their career or position in parliament would be at stake if they go through the whole harassment procedure , gather evidence and build their case; ### 71. notes with serious concern that 17 new harassment cases were opened in 2020; stresses that efforts still need to be made to ensure that the two advisory committees dealing with harassment complaints concerning members and all members of staff gain more trust from victims of harassment , who may fear that their career or position in parliament would be at stake if they go through the whole harassment procedure , gather evidence and build their case; urges the bureau and secretariat to implement the actions as repeatedly called for in the resolutions on harassment of 26 october 2017 (217/2897 (rsp))1a , 28 november 2019 (2019/2855 (rsp))1b and 10 december 2021 (2021/2986 (rsp))1c , including , notably , publishing the results of an external audit on the current anti-harassment structure in place and making anti-harassment training mandatory for all members and staff , including persons in managerial roles in the different directorates-general and political groups;


### 77. welcomes the completion of the new wing at the wayenberg creche; calls on dg pers to make sure that changes in the creche’s working time arrangements are introduced and communicated to parents in due time to allow them to perform their working obligations with minimum interruptions; reiterates its call to dg pers to conduct a satisfaction survey among both the creche’s employees and children’s parents to regularly get relevant feedback on the provider; takes note of the new call for tender in relation to the future management of the wayenberg creche before the summer 2022; calls on dg pers to closely follow the quality of services of the current provider , so they stay at the same level until the expiry date of their contract and to do the same in respect of the services of the new provider; ### 77. welcomes the completion of the new wing at the wayenberg creche; regrets the successive changes and prolonged closures of sections due to the internal covid-19 protocol which are also communicated with minimal notice and without time to react; calls for a review of the covid-19 health protocols to bring them in line with national protocols and to ensure that this important service continues to be provided as far as possible; calls on dg pers to make sure that changes in the creche’s working time arrangements are introduced and communicated to parents in due time to allow them to perform their working obligations with minimum interruptions; reiterates its call to dg pers to conduct a satisfaction survey among both the creche’s employees and children’s parents to regularly get relevant feedback on the provider; takes note of the new call for tender in relation to the future management of the wayenberg creche before the summer 2022; calls on dg pers to closely follow the quality of services of the current provider , so they stay at the same level until the expiry date of their contract and to do the same in respect of the services of the new provider , which would retain existing workers to avoid the detriment to the children that staff turnover can cause; calls for a constant monitoring to ensure that the new provided offers good working conditions that help retain quality personnel;


### 79. calls for a debate on the space needs of parliament in light of the effects of the covid-19 pandemic , current and future increase in teleworking and , if appropriate , for the adaptation of its long-term building strategy; requests , in particular , that the building policy be reviewed to ensure a dedicated office space for each staff member , as this policy would result in significant office space being unused during large parts of the working week; considers that e.g. two staff members teleworking for 3 days a week should be able to share one work station; ### 79. calls for a debate on the space needs of parliament in light of the effects of the covid-19 pandemic , current and future increase in teleworking and , if appropriate , for the adaptation of its long-term building strategy; requests , in particular , that the building policy be reviewed to ensure a dedicated office space for each staff member , as this policy would result in significant office space being unused during large parts of the working week; considers that e.g. two staff members teleworking for three days a week should be able to share one work station; points out , in addition , that consideration should be given to the detrimental effects on health and staff satisfaction of practices such as open spaces , collaborative spaces and ‘hot desking’;


### 83. raises concerns on the clearly overpriced purchase price of the scholl building , purchased at 74.9 million eur , while the market price of the building was previously estimated to be between 42 and 65 million eur; ### 83. raises concerns on the clearly overpriced purchase price of the scholl building , particularly in light of the reduced need for additional space following adapted working methods since covid-19 , purchased at eur 74 ,9 million , while the market price of the building was previously estimated to be between eur 42 and 65 million;


### 86. takes note of the decision of the bureau of 23 october 2019 to approve the creation of an idea lab in 2020 with the aim of testing new , innovative solutions in the context of offices and facility management; notes that the decision of the bureau was not based on any specific cost estimate; further notes that as part of the idea lab , one member’s office , at a cost of 486.012 eur , and adjacent showroom , at a cost of at least 203.978 euro , were built and equipped over the course of 2020; considers the testing of innovative office and facility management solutions useful in general but strongly rejects that the extensive costs incurred in this case are justifiable to taxpayers; further raises a strong concern about the fact that the renovated office space is now occupied by the chair of the bureau’s building working group responsible for the project; ### 86. takes note of the decision of the bureau of 23 october 2019 to approve the creation of an idea lab in 2020 with the aim of testing new , innovative solutions in the context of offices and facility management; notes that the decision of the bureau was not based on any specific cost estimate; further notes that as part of the idea lab , one member’s office , at a cost of eur 486 012 , and adjacent showroom , at a cost of at least eur 203 978 , were built and equipped over the course of 2020; considers prudent and expedient use of budget allocated to pilot projects of this nature to be important; reminds the bureau that clear budget lines should be set prior to such projects and that expenditure should be accounted for transparently; considers the testing of innovative office and facility management solutions useful in general but strongly rejects that the extensive costs incurred in this case are justifiable to taxpayers; further raises a strong concern about the fact that the renovated office space is now occupied by the chair of the bureau’s building working group responsible for the project; finds it important that pilot projects benefit from the assessment of a range of members and assistants so as to guarantee the most valid test results;


### 87. welcomes the fact that the extension of the wayenberg nursery in brussels was completed in september 2020 , and that the new facilities have been gradually put to use; ### 87. welcomes the fact that the extension of the wayenberg nursery in brussels was completed in september 2020 , and that the new facilities have been gradually put to use; regrets that the works have continued while children and their families have been attending school , in some cases having to pass very close to the works , considering the danger that this entailed;


### 90. recalls that the fund was set up in 1990 to provide members with an additional pension scheme on a voluntary basis; recalls that before the members statute was introduced in 2009 , members were already eligible for a pension equivalent to that of their colleagues in the national parliaments , with the exception of italian , french and luxembourgish members , who could therefore contribute to special pension schemes of the european parliament , which were created in 1981 solely for the needs of the aforementioned three nationalities; recalls therefore that the voluntary pension fund has always constituted a purely supplementary pension; ### 90. recalls that the fund was set up in 1990 to provide members with an additional pension scheme on a voluntary basis; recalls that before the members statute was introduced in 2009 , members were already eligible for a pension equivalent to that of their colleagues in the national parliaments , with the exception of italian , french and luxembourgish members , who could therefore contribute to special pension schemes of the european parliament , which were created in 1981 solely for the needs of the aforementioned three nationalities; recalls therefore that the voluntary pension fund has always constituted a purely supplementary pension1a;


### 93. observes with concern that the european court of justice estimates that the fund will be insolvent by 2024; reiterates that the bureau’s own commitment to guaranteeing the fund does not constitute a legal obligation to guarantee particular levels of payouts of the fund as no contract between the fund and parliament exists; appeals to the bureau , the board of directors and the members of the voluntary pension fund to support measures aiming at limiting the deficit of the voluntary pension fund , while considering any further measures in this light; ### 93. observes with concern that the european court of justice estimates that the fund will be insolvent by 2024 , while the fund’s last payouts are estimated to be made only by 2091; reiterates that the bureau’s own commitment to guaranteeing the fund does not constitute a legal obligation to guarantee particular levels of payouts of the fund as no contract between the fund and parliament exists; appeals to the bureau , the board of directors and the members of the voluntary pension fund to support measures aiming at limiting the deficit of the voluntary pension fund , while considering any further measures in this light;


### 94. notes with interest that , according to parliament’s legal service , it follows from the two judgments that the court of justice confirms that acquired rights as such , of members who have already fulfilled all the necessary conditions for the acquisition of the right to the additional voluntary pension , are fully protected under the general principles of union law; notes , however , that the judgments also confirm that this does not prevent the bureau from modifying the conditions as well as modalities of this group of members on the condition that the principle of proportionality is duly respected , as well as for those members who have not yet fulfilled all the conditions for the acquisition of pension rights and who therefore only hold future entitlements under the pension scheme , a situation which is further confirmed in case c-223/19: ys v nk; asks the secretary-general to guarantee that no taxpayer money is used for any future bail-out; considers that a review of the financial model of the fund would not be sufficient to prevent additional taxpayers money from being used for future payments; urges the secretary-general therefore to also propose measures on adjusting the modalities of the fund , including a further increase of the retirement age and a reduction of pension benefits paid out; ### 94. notes with interest that , according to parliament’s legal service , it follows from the two judgments that the court of justice confirms that acquired rights as such , of members who have already fulfilled all the necessary conditions for the acquisition of the right to the additional voluntary pension , are fully protected under the general principles of union law; notes , however , that the judgments also confirm that this does not prevent the bureau from modifying the conditions as well as modalities of this group of members on the condition that the principle of proportionality is duly respected , as well as for those members who have not yet fulfilled all the conditions for the acquisition of pension rights and who therefore only hold future entitlements under the pension scheme , a situation which is further confirmed by the judgement of the court of justice of 25 september 2020 in case c-223/19 , ys v nk1a; asks the secretary-general and the bureau to guarantee that no taxpayer money is used for any future bail-out; considers that a review of the financial model of the fund would not be sufficient to prevent additional taxpayers money from being used for future payments; urges the secretary-general therefore to also propose measures on adjusting the modalities of the fund , including a further increase of the retirement age and a reduction of pension benefits paid out;


### 59. underlines that the board of directors is made up of member states’ representatives and that vice-presidents are nominated by member states; notes that the eib president calls on the member states to ensure diversity when selecting new members and urges the eib to encourage the members states also to consider gender balance when putting forward nominees for vice-presidencies; ### 59. underlines that the board of directors is made up of member states’ representatives and that vice-presidents are nominated by member states; notes that the eib president calls on the member states to ensure diversity when selecting new members; call on member states to evaluate the situation of gender balance in the board of eib and nominate more women in this important body for vice-presidencies;


### 1. grants the executive director of the innovative health initiative joint undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020 / postpones its decision on granting the executive director of the innovative health initiative joint undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020; ### 1. grants the executive director of the innovative health initiative joint undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020;


### 5. notes that out of the eur 1 425 000 000 of in-kind and cash contributions to be made by industry members to the operational activities of the imi2 joint undertaking , in-kind contributions of eur 317 206 000 and cash contributions of eur 20 717 000 were reported and validated , and that additionally , eur 7 064 000 in cash and eur 34 972 000 of in-kind contributions by associated members were reported and validated; notes that , consequently , at the end of 2020 , the total contributions of industry members and associated partners to the horizon 2020 activities of the imi2 joint undertaking amounted to 379 959 000 , compared to the union’s total cash contribution of eur 643 180 000; notes that , regarding the 2020 budget available for horizon 2020 projects , the implementation rates for commitment and payment appropriations were 100 % and 99 ,7 % respectively; notes that during 2020 , 92 projects were running under the imi2 joint undertaking , of which 6 ended by 31 december 2020; notes that the increase of commitments in 2020 of eur 200 400 000 (union funding) and eur 182 300 000 (the industry and associated partner commitment) , results from the conclusions of 19 new signed grant agreements for the imi2 joint undertaking , including 8 projects for the emergency call for proposals on coronavirus treatments and diagnostics; ### 5. notes that out of the eur 1 425 000 000 of in-kind and cash contributions to be made by industry members to the operational activities of the imi2 joint undertaking , in-kind contributions of eur 317 206 000 and cash contributions of eur 20 717 000 were reported and validated , and that additionally , eur 7 064 000 in cash and eur 34 972 000 of in-kind contributions by associated members were reported and validated; notes that , consequently , at the end of 2020 , the total contributions of industry members and associated partners to the horizon 2020 activities of the imi2 joint undertaking amounted to 379 959 000 , compared to the union’s total cash contribution of eur 643 180 000; acknowledges that pre-financing rules are set by the financial regulation and the model grant agreement and expects that industry contributions will match union input at programme level by the end of the imi2 joint undertaking; notes that , regarding the 2020 budget available for horizon 2020 projects , the implementation rates for commitment and payment appropriations were 100 % and 99 ,7 % respectively; notes that during 2020 , 92 projects were running under the imi2 joint undertaking , of which 6 ended by 31 december 2020; notes that the increase of commitments in 2020 of eur 200 400 000 (union funding) and eur 182 300 000 (the industry and associated partner commitment) , results from the conclusions of 19 new signed grant agreements for the imi2 joint undertaking , including 8 projects for the emergency call for proposals on coronavirus treatments and diagnostics;


### 8. notes from the court’s report that the imi2 joint undertaking’s practice of reactivating unused payment appropriations from previous years to the extent of open administrative commitments , results in an accumulation of unused payment appropriations and that , aggravated by the impact of the covid-19 pandemic , it resulted in a low budget implementation rate for the imi2 joint undertaking’s administrative budget of 51 %; notes the imi2 joint undertaking’s reply that rigid budget planning and the amendment mechanism did not allow appropriate adjustments to be made to the fast changing and uncertain global pandemic-driven crisis situation , and that for 2021 it is planning to carry over a lower amount of administrative payment appropriations than the amount of commitments carried forward to 2021 under title 2 infrastructure expenditure , and that it plans to pay the difference out of the current year budget; ### 8. notes from the court’s report that the imi2 joint undertaking’s practice of reactivating unused payment appropriations from previous years to the extent of open administrative commitments , results in an accumulation of unused payment appropriations and that , aggravated by the impact of the covid-19 pandemic , it resulted in a low budget implementation rate for the imi2 joint undertaking’s title 2 administrative budget of 51%; acknowledges that the unspent amount of title 2 payment appropriations was eur 3 ,2 million , against the amount of eur 234 ,5 million of the grand total budgeted payment appropriations; notes the imi2 joint undertaking’s reply that rigid budget planning and the amendment mechanism did not allow appropriate adjustments to be made to the fast changing and uncertain global pandemic-driven crisis situation , and that for 2021 it is planning to carry over a lower amount of administrative payment appropriations than the amount of commitments carried forward to 2021 under title 2 infrastructure expenditure , and that it plans to pay the difference out of the current year budget;


### 16. notes that during the lockdown period , the imi2 joint undertaking staff switched to full time teleworking , with staff able to access all the files , tools and resources they needed from day one , the switch to working from home was also facilitated by the fact that the imi2 joint undertaking had adopted a number of the commission’s standard tools , such as ares , sysper and the full set of horizon 2020 programme management it tools; notes , moreover , that the imi2 joint undertaking and the other joint undertakings who work in the same building agreed on a single set of rules for staff who exceptionally have to work at the office , to ensure staff safety and wellbeing , and also outlined a phased return to the office; ### 16. notes that during the lockdown period , the imi2 joint undertaking staff switched to full time teleworking , with staff able to access all the files , tools and resources they needed from day one , the switch to working from home was also facilitated by the fact that the imi2 joint undertaking had adopted a number of the commission’s standard tools , such as ares , sysper and the full set of horizon 2020 programme management it tools; notes , moreover , that the imi2 joint undertaking and the other joint undertakings who work in the same building agreed on a single set of rules for staff who exceptionally have to work at the office , to ensure staff safety and wellbeing , and also outlined a phased return to the office; notes with concern the challenges associated with the covid-19 pandemic for staff , especially taking into account different living situations , lack of access to office space and possible effects of isolation; asks the imi2 joint undertaking to focus on staff wellbeing , stress management and work and life balance; asks management to ensure there is appropriate support structures in place to ensure the psychological well-being of staff;


### 11. notes that not all cvs of administrative board members have been published on the agency's website; calls on the agency to report to the discharge authority on the actions taken in that regard; notes that the administrative board secretariat as well as the internal control coordinator reminds and urges administrative board members to submit missing documents and that declarations of interest of administrative board are stored on the agency’s document management system; ### 11. notes that not all cvs of administrative board members have been published on the agency's website; reiterates its calls on the agency to publish the cvs of all the members of the administrative board and to report to the discharge authority on the actions taken in that regard; notes that the administrative board secretariat as well as the internal control coordinator reminds and urges administrative board members to submit missing documents and that declarations of interest of administrative board are stored on the agency’s document management system;


### – having regard to its resolutions of 8 october 2020 on the rule of law and fundamental rights in bulgaria13 and of 29 april 2021 on the assassination of daphne caruana galizia and the rule of law in malta14 , ### – having regard to its resolutions of 8 october 2020 on the rule of law and fundamental rights in bulgaria13 of 29 april 2021 on the assassination of daphne caruana galizia and the rule of law in malta14 , of 8 july 2021 on the breaches of eu law and of the rights of lgbtiq citizens in hungary as a result of the adopted legal changes in the hungarian parliament14a and of 21 october 2021 on the rule of law crisis in poland and the primacy of eu law14b ,


### – having regard to its study of 20 may 2021 entitled ‘the largest 50 beneficiaries in each eu member state of cap and cohesion funds’ , ### – having regard to the study of 20 may 2021 requested by its committee on budgetary control entitled ‘the largest 50 beneficiaries in each eu member state of cap and cohesion funds’ ,


### a. whereas the budgetary authorities adopted the mff 2021-2027 package , which together with the nextgenerationeu recovery instrument amounts to eur 1.8 trillion in total of funding over the coming years to support recovery from the covid-19 pandemic and the eu’s long-term priorities across different policy areas; ### a. whereas the budgetary authorities adopted the mff 2021-2027 package , which together with the nextgenerationeu recovery instrument amounts to eur 1.8 trillion in total of funding to support recovery from the covid-19 pandemic and the eu’s long-term priorities across different policy areas;


### c. whereas the protection of the eu’s financial interests is a key element of the eu policy agenda to strengthen and increase the confidence of the public and ensure that taxpayer money is used properly; whereas the implementation of the mff 2021-2027 budgetary package must be in line with the general principles enshrined in the treaties and in the financial regulation; ### c. whereas the protection of the eu’s financial interests is a key element of the eu policy agenda to strengthen transparency , democratic accountability and the ability to respond to citizens’ needs , increase the trust of the general public and ensure that taxpayers’ money is spent properly; whereas the implementation of the mff 2021-2027 budgetary package must be in line with the general principles enshrined in the treaties , in particular the values set out in article 2 teu , in the rule of law conditionality regulation and in the financial regulation;


### d. whereas on a regular basis , different media outlets all over europe provide their readers with scandals covering fraud , conflict of interest , corruption and other illegal activities damaging the euʼs financial interests and involving high-level political representatives in eu member states; ### d. whereas cases of fraud , conflict of interest , corruption and other illegal activities which are damaging to the euʼs financial interests and involve high-level political representatives in eu member states undermine the trust of european citizens in the eu and its institutions;


### 2. adds that in the current eu political context , the term ‘oligarchy’ is being used as a way of pointing out the influence of the wealthy and powerful in politics and government , an influence that is typically used to benefit the few at the expense of the many; ### 2. adds that in the current eu political context , the term ‘oligarchy’ is being used as a way of pointing out the influence of the wealthy and powerful in politics and government , an influence that is typically used to benefit the few at the expense of the many; highlights that members of national governments and other holders of political positions are part of the oligarchy in some member states , and have actively sought to use eu funds to benefit themselves financially;


### 3. notes , with particular concern , that the occurrence of such oligarchic groups , which sometimes do not refrain from using criminal practices , has reached an unprecedented magnitude in the past several years; ### 3. notes , with particular concern , that the occurrence of such oligarchic groups , which do not refrain from using criminal practices , has reached an unprecedented magnitude in the past several years;


### 4. considers that promoting competition , enhancing transparency and assuring functional implementation of public procurement rules and free access to markets is fundamental to prevent oligarchs from seizing control of the economy and financial market , which would result in them self-reinforcing; ### 4. considers that effective management and control systems , promoting competition , enhancing transparency and assuring functional implementation of public procurement rules and free access to markets are fundamental to preventing oligarchs from seizing control of the economy and the financial market , which would further reinforce oligarchic tendencies;


### 7. welcomes the publication of the commissionʼs guideline on the conflict of interest which brings about a necessary degree of explanation for its users as to its correct interpretation , in particular by giving examples of terms not specified in article 61 of the financial regulation , such as the adoption of appropriate measures to prevent conflict of interest from arising and to address situations ‘which may objectively be perceived as a conflict of interest’; ### 7. welcomes the publication of the commissionʼs guideline on conflicts of interest which aims to raise awareness and to promote a uniform interpretation and application of the rules on avoiding conflicts of interest rules among member states , in particular by giving examples of terms not specified in article 61 of the financial regulation , such as the adoption of appropriate measures to prevent conflict of interest from arising and to address situations ‘which may objectively be perceived as a conflict of interest’; deplores , however , that conflict-of-interest cases affecting high-profile politicians continue to persist in some member states; calls on the commission to evaluate whether all the relevant provisions of the financial regulation are sufficiently effective in preventing and addressing conflicts of interest;


### 13. emphasises that as far as cohesion policy is concerned , the most frequently detected types of fraudulent irregularities for projects financed under the programming period 2014-2020 for european structural and investment funds concern incorrect , missing and false or falsified supporting documents , infringement of contract provisions , eligibility and infringement of public procurement rules , and breaches in relation to ethics and integrity including conflict of interest and corruption; ### 13. notes that eu cohesion policy contributes to strengthening economic , social and territorial cohesion in the european union and aims to correct imbalances between member states and regions; emphasises that as far as cohesion policy is concerned , the most frequently detected types of fraudulent irregularities for projects financed under the programming period 2014-2020 for european structural and investment funds concern incorrect , missing and false or falsified supporting documents , infringement of contract provisions , eligibility and infringement of public procurement rules , and breaches in relation to ethics and integrity including conflict of interest and corruption;


### 15. points out that the study on the implementation of the cap funds revealed that the disbursement of eu agriculture funds is a highly problematic issue in at least five member states and that there is a clear inequality between fund allocations for big and small farmers , with systemic advantages for the big farms , whose managers sometimes have close ties to the ruling political parties in their countries; ### 15. notes that one of the main objectives of eu agricultural policy is to ensure a fair income to farmers; underlines that , given the problems of conflict of interests in the distribution of agricultural funds , it is undesirable that members of the european council , agricultural ministers , functionaries , or their family members should be taking decisions on income support; points out that the study on the implementation of the cap funds revealed that the disbursement of eu agriculture funds is a highly problematic issue in at least five member states19a and that there is a clear inequality between fund allocations for big and small farmers , with systemic advantages for the big farms , whose managers sometimes have close ties to the ruling political parties or are themselves members of these in their countries; urges the commission and member states to immediately step up measures against land-grabbing , irregular tenders or other allocation procedures and misuse of eu-money , especially when national governments and authorities are involved;