Procedure

Discharge 2023: EU general budget – European Council and Council

2024/2021(DEC)·10th term·AFCO / CONT·DEC - Discharge procedure·Completed

Subjects: 2023 discharge

Rapporteur (the Member appointed to lead Parliament's work on this text): BRUDZIŃSKI Joachim Stanisław (ECR)

Summary

This discharge dossier concerns the 2023 implementation of the EU general budget for the European Council and the Council. The amendments assert Parliament's prerogative to grant discharge under the Treaty, deplore the Council's continued refusal to cooperate with the discharge procedure for over a decade and the resulting harm to transparency and accountability, and debate unanimity voting, a Treaty revision and the Council's appointment of Court of Auditors members.

Procedure timeline

Committee amendments tabled
12 Dec 2024 – 10 Sep 2025
Plenary vote — Adopted
7 May 2025 · On the proposed decision
Plenary vote — Adopted
7 May 2025 · On the motion for a resolution · the text as a whole
Plenary vote — Adopted
22 Oct 2025 · On the motion for a resolution · the text as a whole
Procedure completed

Amendments

distinct, in window

Members

tabled at least one

Committees

12 Dec 2024 – 10 Sep 2025

Dates

Plenary votes

15 roll-call votes

In plenary, Parliament usually votes in steps: first on amendments to the text (sometimes split into parts, so Members can accept one half of a sentence and reject the other), then on the text as a whole. The “main vote” is the one that adopts or rejects the text itself. Each vote below shows exactly which step it was. How voting works →

Where each group stood at the decisive votes

Group				Shift
EPP	For100%	For99%	For98%	consistent
S&D	For100%	For100%	For100%	consistent
Renew	For100%	For100%	For100%	consistent
Greens/EFA	For100%	For100%	For100%	consistent
ECR	For79%	For86%	Abstained83%	For → Abstained
The Left	For95%	For100%	For87%	consistent
Patriots	Against96%	Against61%	Against100%	consistent
ESN	Against95%	For95%	Against96%	consistent
Non-attached	Against38%	For77%	Against43%	consistent

Milestones are the votes that adopt or reject text (not every amendment vote) — the percentage is the share of the group’s Members behind that position. Click a column heading to open the vote below.

Show the 12 earlier votes
1. 7 May 2025Rejected
  On amendment 1 · paragraph 20
  Official label: § 20 - Am 1 · what was voted ↗
  105 for430 against130 abstentions54 did not vote
  For
  Against
  Abst.
  Click a group to see each Member’s position.
2. 7 May 2025Rejected
  On amendment 2 · text to be inserted after paragraph 20
  Official label: Après le § 20 - Am 2 · what was voted ↗
  283 for358 against20 abstentions58 did not vote
  For
  Against
  Abst.
  Click a group to see each Member’s position.
3. 7 May 2025Rejected
  On amendment 3 · text to be inserted after paragraph 22
  Official label: Après le § 22 - Am 3 · what was voted ↗
  293 for352 against15 abstentions59 did not vote
  For
  Against
  Abst.
  Click a group to see each Member’s position.
4. 7 May 2025Rejected
  On amendment 5 · text to be inserted after paragraph 22
  Official label: Après le § 22 - Am 5 · what was voted ↗
  246 for383 against20 abstentions70 did not vote
  For
  Against
  Abst.
  Click a group to see each Member’s position.
5. 7 May 2025Rejected
  On amendment 7 · text to be inserted after paragraph 23
  Official label: Après le § 23 - Am 7 · what was voted ↗
  229 for400 against20 abstentions70 did not vote
  For
  Against
  Abst.
  Click a group to see each Member’s position.
6. 7 May 2025Adopted
  On amendment 4 · paragraph 52
  Official label: § 52 - Am 4 · what was voted ↗
  379 for260 against22 abstentions58 did not vote
  For
  Against
  Abst.
  Click a group to see each Member’s position.
7. 7 May 2025Rejected
  On amendment 8 · text to be inserted after paragraph 57
  Official label: Après le § 57 - Am 8 · what was voted ↗
  316 for327 against17 abstentions59 did not vote
  Decided by 11 votes. The contested ground: ECR (split 9 For / 64 Against) · Non-attached (split 7 For / 7 Against)
  Broke with their group’s line18 Members voted against their group’s majority
  Beatrice TIMGREN
  ECR
  Voted For
  Bert-Jan RUISSEN
  ECR
  Voted For
  Charlie WEIMERS
  ECR
  Voted For
  Dick ERIXON
  ECR
  Voted For
  Fernand KARTHEISER
  ECR
  Voted For
  Kristoffer STORM
  ECR
  Voted For
  Lara MAGONI
  ECR
  Voted For
  Roberts ZĪLE
  ECR
  Voted For
  Individual positions: HowTheyVote.eu (ODbL). A group’s line = the majority of its expressed votes.
  For
  Against
  Abst.
  Click a group to see each Member’s position.
8. 7 May 2025Main voteAdopted
  On the motion for a resolution · the text as a whole
  Official label: Proposition de résolution (ensemble du texte) · what was voted ↗
  526 for119 against20 abstentions54 did not vote
  For
  Against
  Abst.
  Click a group to see each Member’s position.
9. 7 May 2025Main voteAdopted
  On the proposed decision
  Official label: Proposition de décision · what was voted ↗
  588 for62 against16 abstentions53 did not vote
  For
  Against
  Abst.
  Click a group to see each Member’s position.
10. 22 Oct 2025Rejected
  On amendment 3 · text to be inserted after paragraph 15
  Official label: Après le § 15 - Am 3 · what was voted ↗
  181 for451 against15 abstentions72 did not vote
  For
  Against
  Abst.
  Click a group to see each Member’s position.
11. 22 Oct 2025Adopted
  On paragraph 17 (part 2 of a split vote)
  Official label: § 17/2 · what was voted ↗
  445 for178 against17 abstentions79 did not vote
  For
  Against
  Abst.
  Click a group to see each Member’s position.
12. 22 Oct 2025Adopted
  On amendment 1 · paragraph 16
  Official label: § 16 - Am 1 · what was voted ↗
  461 for173 against16 abstentions69 did not vote
  For
  Against
  Abst.
  Click a group to see each Member’s position.
22 Oct 2025Adopted
On amendment 2 (part 1 of a split vote) · text to be inserted after paragraph 16
Official label: Après le § 16 - Am 2/1 · what was voted ↗
459 for161 against28 abstentions71 did not vote
For
Against
Abst.
Click a group to see each Member’s position.
22 Oct 2025Adopted
On amendment 2 (part 2 of a split vote) · text to be inserted after paragraph 16
Official label: Après le § 16 - Am 2/2 · what was voted ↗
334 for285 against15 abstentions85 did not vote
For
Against
Abst.
Click a group to see each Member’s position.
22 Oct 2025Main voteAdopted
On the motion for a resolution · the text as a whole
Official label: Proposition de résolution (ensemble du texte) · what was voted ↗
441 for125 against73 abstentions80 did not vote
For
Against
Abst.
Click a group to see each Member’s position.

Vote data: HowTheyVote.eu (ODbL, attribution) / European Parliament · roll-call votes only

Plenary amendments12 tabled on this text

Amendments tabled for the plenary sitting on this text, in their own numbering series. This is a different set from the committee amendments tracked elsewhere on AmendEU, and is not counted in any of the site’s amendment totals.

Amendment 1The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 20
Current text
20. ~~Notes~~ the Council’s tradition of not questioning the appointments of individual Member States for most ~~positions;~~
Amendment
20. Regrets the Council’s tradition of not questioning the appointments of individual Member States for most positions which means that the professional qualifications of candidates are not thoroughly checked; insists, therefore, on the need for a review of the Council’s prerogative with a view to guaranteeing and strengthening the participation of the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies concerned and increasing the legitimacy of those appointed; suggests that one possibility to ensure that candidates have the necessary qualifications would be to apply the same screening by an external panel used for the nominations of the judges and advocates-general of the Court of Justice of the Eu…
Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
official amendment document ↗
Amendment 2The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 20 a (new)
Amendment
20 a. Regrets that the Council has so far ignored Parliament’s resolution of 17 December 2020 on the need for a dedicated Council configuration on gender equality1a and insists that a dedicated institutional forum would ensure stronger integration of gender equality in Union policies and strategies as well as essential coordination and progress in the main files related to gender equality; _________________ 1a OJ C 445, 29.10.2021, p. 150.
official amendment document ↗
Amendment 3The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 22 a (new)
Amendment
22 a. Expresses its deep concern regarding the increasing role of the European Council in legislative files, despite the fact that it has neither a legislative nor an executive function and that it does not apply the same transparency standards as the Council, meaning that it is not being held accountable;
official amendment document ↗
Amendment 4The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 52
Current text
52. Regrets the fact that the participation of the Member States’ Permanent Representatives in the mandatory transparency register, set up by the interinstitutional agreement of 20 May 2021 between Parliament, the Council and the Commission, is completely voluntary as the application of the conditionality principle is left to the discretion of each Member State’s Permanent Representation; notes that only eight Member States and the Union institutions abide by the best practice of applying a mandatory broad-scope definition of lobbyist in their regulatory framework and insists that all Permanent Representations should take an active part in the mandatory transparency register before, during a…
Amendment
52. Regrets the fact that the participation of the Member States’ Permanent Representatives in the mandatory transparency register, set up by the interinstitutional agreement of 20 May 2021 between Parliament, the Council and the Commission, is completely voluntary as the application of the conditionality principle is left to the discretion of each Member State’s Permanent Representation; notes that only eight Member States and the Union institutions abide by the best practice of applying a mandatory broad-scope definition of lobbyist in their regulatory framework and insists that all Permanent Representations should take an active part in the mandatory transparency register before, during a…
Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
official amendment document ↗
Amendment 5S&DMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 22 a (new)
Amendment
22 a. Notes that the use of the unanimity voting procedure in the Council on certain policy areas can negatively affect the Union’s decision-making process and therefore making it prone to blackmailing by Member States, especially those who fail to respect the rule of law; calls on the Council to apply the qualified majority voting procedures whenever provided by the Treaties; notes that a shift to a qualified majority voting procedure in the Council may be one avenue towards more efficient policy-making;
official amendment document ↗
Amendment 6Greens/EFAMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 12 a (new)
Amendment
12 a. Stresses that the protracted unwillingness and continued failure of the Council to respond and engage in legislative proceedings initiated by the Parliament constitutes a breach of its obligations under Article 265 TFEU; regrets, in particular, the deadlock and delays in negotiations with the Council on the right of inquiry and the European electoral law as well as the non-action of the European Council on the Article 48 TEU procedure on treaty changes; deplores the fact that the Council did not engage sufficiently with Parliament with the aim of holding formal discussions; calls on the Council to comply with the principle of mutual sincere cooperation enshrined in Article 13(2) TEU an…
Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
official amendment document ↗
Amendment 7Greens/EFAMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 23 a (new)
Amendment
23 a. Raises concerns over the use of unanimity requirement in the Council and European Council, which impedes crucial decision-making in critical areas of foreign policy, enlargement procedures, budgetary matters and transparency; notes that unanimity requirement has caused significant impediment to effectively respond to Russia’s action, in particular on the imposition of sanctions which are subject to renewal every three months; expresses concern that efforts to support for Ukraine have been weakened due to the need for unanimity; calls on the Council to shift to qualified majority voting in critical areas in order for the Union to be able to act effectively in the face of global challeng…
Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
official amendment document ↗
Amendment 8Greens/EFAMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 57 a (new)
Amendment
57 a. Regrets the Council’s dismissive and inappropriate response to a legitimate written question by Members of the European Parliament regarding the accommodation arrangements during the European Political Community and informal European Council meetings in Budapest; stresses that written questions are an essential instrument for parliamentary scrutiny and accountability; calls on the Council to fully respect Parliament’s right of scrutiny by providing serious, informative, and respectful answers to queries raised by its Members;
official amendment document ↗
Amendment 9PfEMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 5
Current text
5. Deeply regrets that, since 2009, and again for the financial year 2022, Parliament has had to refuse discharge to the Council because the Council continues to refuse to cooperate with Parliament on the discharge procedure, preventing Parliament from taking an informed decision based on a serious and thorough scrutiny of the implementation of the Council’s budget;
Amendment
5. Deeply regrets that, since 2009, and again for the financial year 2022, Parliament has had to refuse discharge to the Council because the Council continues to refuse to cooperate with Parliament on the discharge procedure, preventing Parliament from taking an informed decision based on a serious and thorough scrutiny of the implementation of the Council’s budget; this raises questions about the rule of law and democracy in Europe since 2009, without the Council appearing to show any concern;
official amendment document ↗
Amendment 10PfEMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 18
Current text
18. Notes that, given the Council’s lack of cooperation with Parliament, observations in the following sections primarily rely on aggregated information publicly available, which provides limited detail;
Amendment
18. Notes that, given the Council’s lack of cooperation with Parliament, observations in the following sections primarily rely on aggregated information publicly available, which provides limited detail; which is contrary to the principle of transparency and protection of financial interests and what Europeans are entitled to expect;
official amendment document ↗
Amendment 11PfEMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 41
Current text
41. ~~Notes~~ that, given the Council’s lack of cooperation with Parliament, observations in this section primarily rely on aggregated information published on the Council’s website which provides limited detail;
Amendment
41. Regrets that, given the Council’s lack of cooperation with Parliament, observations in this section primarily rely on aggregated information published on the Council’s website which provides limited detail;
official amendment document ↗
Amendment 12PfEMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 42
Current text
42. ~~Notes the other initiatives taken by the Secretariat to become a more diverse and inclusive workplace; welcomes that~~ the Council ~~received the 2023 Ombudsman’s award for Good Administration~~ in ~~the~~ ~~category~~ ~~‘Excellence~~ in ~~diversity and inclusion’ for its Positive Action Programme~~ ~~for~~ ~~Trainees~~ with ~~Disabilities~~ which ~~meant~~ ~~that~~ 6 trainees with disabilities ~~were~~ hosted in the Secretariat in 2023;
Amendment
42. Congratulates the Council on its affirmative action programme in support of trainees with disabilities, which resulted in six trainees with disabilities being hosted by the Secretariat in 2023;
official amendment document ↗