During a meeting of the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT), a report authored by PiS MEP Joachim Budziński on granting discharge to the European Council and the Council for the year 2023 was presented. In the report, the PiS politician calls for the budget implementation of these two EU institutions not to be approved, citing a lack of cooperation between them, which “hinders transparency and undermines citizens’ trust in the management of the Union’s finances.”
The PiS politician recalled that for nearly two decades, the Parliament had upheld the practice of granting discharge to every EU institution, thereby strengthening good governance and democratic oversight. Unfortunately, as he noted, in 2023 the Council refused to cooperate fully in the discharge procedure. “Despite a detailed questionnaire sent by the Parliament on September 20, 2024, and a hearing held on November 12, the Council refused to participate and did not provide substantive answers, thereby violating the spirit of cooperation we see with other institutions,” — emphasized the EP rapporteur.
Joachim Brudziński pointed out that the lack of cooperation hinders Parliament’s ability to fulfill its democratic duty—to thoroughly examine budget implementation and make decisions. “The Council’s repeated refusals not only hinder transparency but also undermine citizens’ trust in the management of the Union’s finances,” the MEP noted.
In this context, he cited reports by the European Ombudsman and recent rulings by the Court of Justice, which confirmed the public’s right to transparency, including access to documents drafted by Council working groups that are of a legislative nature. “It is essential that the Council respect these rulings and adjust its activities accordingly,” he emphasized.
At the same time, the PiS politician noted that the Commission cannot oversee the budgets of other institutions, including the Council, and that Parliament’s long-standing practice of granting discharge to each institution separately remains essential to ensuring democratic oversight.
“In light of these facts, I call on the Council in my report to break this deadlock through constructive dialogue, while respecting Parliament’s prerogative as the guardian of the budget and the principle of democratic accountability,” said the rapporteur.
The author of the report called for swift negotiations “aimed at restoring trust and transparency,” but emphasized that the discharge for 2023 should be rejected.
