The European Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control is preparing to sharpen its oversight on the Court of Auditors’ management of the EU budget for 2024, aiming to tighten financial discipline, boost transparency, and enhance digital and ethical governance. Stakeholders expected to weigh in include the Court of Auditors staff and leadership, the European Parliament itself, other EU institutions such as the Commission and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), and EU taxpayers who fund these operations.
This detailed draft report was published on December 16, 2025, by the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control, with Rapporteur Pasquale Tridico at the helm. It serves as the Parliament's official instrument in the budget discharge process, specifically reviewing Section V—Court of Auditors of the general EU budget for the financial year 2024.
The draft is a motion document proposing whether to grant or postpone discharge to the Secretary-General of the Court of Auditors for 2024. It includes concrete measures such as budgetary figures, internal KPIs, planned digital initiatives, staff composition reviews, and requests for enhanced data system access—with explicit deadlines and operational recommendations rather than vague calls for improvements.
This report signals an expansion in audit reach, emphasizing comprehensive access to administrative and financial systems like ARACHNE and FENIX, alongside calls to broaden audit mandates to include entities like the European Investment Bank. It also pushes for internal reforms addressing recruitment, gender balance among senior staff, and converting temporary recovery fund posts into permanent positions. Ethics and transparency concerns feature prominently, with the document urging cooperation with the EPPO and full registration in the Transparency Register. Cybersecurity receives increased focus following a 2024 cyberattack.
Impacts ripple across multiple fronts: EU taxpayers may see improved accountability but potentially increased administrative costs; Court staff face operational changes and heightened scrutiny; the European Parliament gains strengthened oversight tools; and the EPPO’s ability to investigate fraud might improve if cooperation increases. These trade-offs highlight competing priorities between enhanced regulatory oversight and administrative burdens.
Institutionally, this draft marks a pivotal checkpoint in the discharge process, setting the stage for Council and Commission reactions. The Parliament’s final decision will likely influence future budget cycles, audit mandates, and interinstitutional cooperation frameworks, making it a key moment in the EU’s financial governance story.