EU Agencies 2024 Budget Clearance and Performance Review

Discharge decisions

• The European Parliament approved the 2024 accounts of 31 EU decentralised agencies, confirming that money was spent correctly and that financial rules were followed.
• The decision gives each agency a discharge, meaning they can keep using the budget they spent in 2024.
• Examples of agencies that received discharge:
• European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER)
• European Medicines Agency (EMA)
• European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
• European Banking Authority (EBA)
• European Environment Agency (EEA)
• European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA)
• European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)
• European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)
• European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex)

Closure of accounts

• For the same 31 agencies, the Parliament also approved the closure of the 2024 accounts, a bookkeeping step that finalises the year’s financial statements.

Observations and recommendations

• Accountability & transparency – Agencies must publish budgets, contracts and performance reports promptly and keep a public register of meetings with industry to avoid conflicts of interest.
• Performance & value for money – Set measurable goals (KPIs) and report on outcomes, not just spending; a common performance framework is needed.
• Budget management – The total budget rose from €3.6 bn in 2023 to €4.1 bn in 2024; future increases must be justified and resources used efficiently.
• Procurement & contracts – Strengthen controls, improve documentation, and train staff to prevent irregularities such as non‑competitive awards or over‑payments.
• Cybersecurity – Adopt zero‑trust IT architectures, improve incident reporting, and train staff under the new 2023/2841 regulation.
• Staffing & gender balance – Reduce reliance on temporary staff, create clearer career paths, and improve gender balance in senior roles.
• Fund‑raising & self‑financing – Agencies that generate revenue from fees must keep clear records and ensure this money does not influence regulatory decisions.
• Carry‑overs & late payments – Avoid large carry‑overs and pay suppliers on time to prevent interest costs.
• Fundamental rights & rule of law – All agencies must respect EU fundamental rights and the rule of law.
• Specific agency actions – Detailed recommendations for individual agencies (e.g., ENISA’s procurement planning, Eurojust’s business‑continuity plan, EMA’s conflict‑of‑interest procedures).

Bottom line

• 31 EU agencies have been formally cleared for their 2024 budgets and their accounts closed.
• The Parliament issued comprehensive observations calling for greater transparency, stronger performance measurement, tighter procurement rules, improved cybersecurity, and more efficient use of resources.
• These decisions and observations will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union (L series) and will guide the agencies’ work in the coming years.

Broader Context

The discharge procedure is an annual check by the European Parliament on how EU bodies spent their money the year before. It confirms accounts are correct and closes the books, while giving instructions for better work. This covers decentralised agencies, which handle tasks like safety checks, disease tracking, and border control across EU countries. In 2024, their total budget grew to €4.1 billion from €3.6 billion in 2023, costing about €1 per EU citizen. europarl.europa

Impact on People Living in the EU

Clearance lets agencies keep protecting people through safer flights (EASA), medicine approvals (EMA), food safety (EFSA), and disease alerts (ECDC). Better rules on money use, buying, and cybersecurity mean stronger defenses against hacks and fairer spending of taxes. Improved transparency and performance tracking ensure agencies deliver real value, like secure borders (Frontex) and clean air (EEA). wired-gov

Budget Growth Reasons

Budgets rose due to more tasks in energy (ACER), cyber (ENISA), and space (EUSPA). Agencies now partly self-fund via fees, like from airlines or drug firms, but must track this clearly to stay independent. europarl.europa