The European Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control recommended, on Thursday 1 October, that the Parliament refuse discharge to the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) for the budgetary year 2018. An identical decision was again taken with regard to the 2018 administrative expenditure of the Council of the EU and the European Council.
These recommendations, which will be submitted to a forthcoming plenary session of the European Parliament, follow a decision by the Parliament in May 2020 to postpone the discharge for these two institutions.
Adopting (25 votes in favour, one vote against and three abstentions) the report by Tomáš Zdechovský (EPP, Czech Republic), MEPs stressed their disappointment with EESC's slow progress in solving and rectifying a high level harassment case reported by OLAF in 2020. The European Parliament calls for support for victims so that they can resume their work in their previous positions, as well as a reform in the code of conduct of EESC Members.
The recommendation on the postponement of the EU Council's discharge was endorsed with 28 votes in favour, one against and no abstentions. The European Parliament has denied discharge to the EU Council every year since 2011. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)