Reviewing How the EU Spent Its Money in 2024

The European Parliament's Review of the EU Budget

The European Parliament (EP) completed a review of how the European Union (EU) spent its money in 2024. This review was conducted by the Court of Auditors, which acts as the EU's external auditor.

The EP's decision, known as a discharge, signifies that the Parliament approves the Court of Auditors' work and gives the Court the green light to continue its operations.

Parliament's Decision

The Parliament's decision included three main points:

• Discharge Granted: The EP officially approved the Court of Auditors' work on the 2024 EU budget.
• Observations Attached: The EP provided its own comments and suggestions. These are not new rules but serve as guidance for the Court and other EU bodies.
• Communication: The final decision will be shared with the Council, the Commission, and the Court, and published in the Official Journal of the EU.

How the Court Spent the 2024 Budget

The Court's total budget for 2024 was €13.3 billion, representing 6.9% of the entire EU budget.

Key spending areas included:

• Staff Costs: This was the largest expense, accounting for 69% of the Court's spending (salaries, pensions, etc.).
• Buildings & IT: The Court spent €5.7 million on its physical infrastructure and technology.
• Mission Costs: €2.86 million was allocated for staff travel, training, and missions.
• Other: The remaining 10.5% covered equipment, energy, and communications.

Overall, the spending was highly efficient:

• 97.3% of the money planned for spending was actually used.
• 94.8% of the money promised was paid out.
• The Court maintained a quick payment process, keeping the average time to pay invoices below 11 days.

Key Achievements in 2024

The Court reported significant activity across several areas:

• Audits: The Court examined 70 transactions. While 16 (23%) contained errors, the overall level of error was considered acceptable.
• Reports: 40 reports were published, covering annual, specific, special, and review topics.
• Recommendations: The Court successfully implemented 93% of the recommendations it had made back in 2020.
• Technology: The Court upgraded its website, adopted a secure remote-access system, and began using AI tools like Microsoft Copilot.
• Security: It adopted password-less login and zero-trust principles, and conducted a major cybersecurity exercise.
• Environment: Emissions dropped by 15% since 2014. Energy use also decreased, falling 24% for electricity and 22% for heating.

Parliament's Main Observations

The Parliament highlighted several areas where the Court should improve its work:

• Scope of Audits: The Parliament requested that the Court audit all EU institutions and agencies, not just a select few.
• Data Access: The Court needs full, real-time access to key EU data systems (such as ARACHNE and FENIX) to speed up its audits.
• Gender Balance: Although women make up 54% of the staff, they only hold 30% of senior roles. The Parliament urged for better gender balance.
• Transparency: The Court should continue improving how it displays its spending and how it audits other EU bodies.
• Ethics: The Court must clarify its rules regarding when it can lift immunity for staff investigated by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).
• Anti-Fraud: The Court should join the EU’s Transparency Register and maintain close cooperation with OLAF and the EPPO.
• Sustainability: While the sustainability report was praised, the Parliament requested more progress on reducing paper use and waste.

Future Focus Areas

The Court plans to continue focusing on several key areas:

• Expanding Audits: It will continue its effort to audit every EU institution and agency.
• Improving Data: It is working with the Commission to gain full, timely access to major databases.
• Gender Equality: It will continue monitoring and improving the representation of women in senior roles.
• Digitalization: It will roll out AI tools, enhance cybersecurity, and maintain its accessible website.
• Environment: It will continue efforts to cut energy use, reduce paper, and support green purchasing.

Broader context

The discharge procedure is an annual ritual in EU governance. Every year, the European Parliament reviews how each EU institution spent its budget the previous year. If satisfied, it grants a "discharge" — essentially a formal sign-off. This happens for all major EU bodies: the Commission, Parliament itself, the Court of Justice, and others, including the Court of Auditors.

The Court of Auditors is the EU's independent financial watchdog. It does not have the power to punish anyone — it audits, reports, and recommends. Its findings feed into decisions made by the Parliament and the Commission.

The €13.3 billion figure refers to the Court of Auditors' own operating budget, not the entire EU budget (which is roughly €190 billion per year).

Key bodies mentioned:

Impact on people living in the EU

The Court of Auditors' work directly affects how safely EU money — funded by taxes from EU citizens and member states — is managed.

When the Court flags errors or fraud risks, it helps ensure that EU funds for farming, regional development, research, and social programmes actually reach the people they are meant for, rather than being lost to mismanagement or fraud.

The Parliament's push for real-time data access (ARACHNE, FENIX) means auditors could catch problems faster, reducing the time public money sits in wrongly awarded contracts or projects.

The call for broader audit coverage — including agencies and intergovernmental structures — matters because many EU bodies (such as those managing border control or banking supervision) currently receive less scrutiny, even though they handle significant public resources.

The gender balance issue at the Court (54% women overall, only 30% in senior roles) reflects a broader pattern across EU institutions and is relevant to anyone interested in how the EU models workplace equality standards it promotes across member states.