Court of Justice 2024 Budget Review

Parliament's Decision on the Court of Justice (CJEU)

The European Parliament has approved the "discharge" of the CJEU for the 2024 financial year. This means the Parliament confirmed that the Court spent its budget correctly, its accounts are reliable, and it followed EU rules.

Financial Overview

• Total Budget: The CJEU's budget was €503.8 million in 2024, an increase from €487.5 million in 2023.
• Spending Focus: The largest expense remains personnel costs (salaries and pensions), which account for about 80% of the budget.
• Spending Rate: The Court spent almost all the money it was given, with an implementation rate of 97.72%.

Workload and Operations

The Court handled a significant increase in cases in 2024:

• New Cases: 920 new cases were recorded (up from 821 in 2023).
• Cases Closed: 863 cases were closed (up from 783).
• Case Duration: The average time to resolve a case was 17.7 months. However, urgent cases saw a reduction in time, now taking 3.3 months (down from 4.3 months).

The Court also implemented several improvements:

• Digital Tools: Online filing (e-Curia) was used for 91% of documents. A new "One-stop-shop" software was launched to speed up case handling.
• Workload Balance: Some preliminary-ruling work was transferred to the General Court to balance the workload.

Staff and Equality

The Court is actively working on staff diversity and well-being:

• Staff Numbers: There were 1,354 officials, with 60% being women.
• Gender Balance: While women make up 60% of the staff, they only represent 35% in senior roles, which the Parliament noted needs improvement.
• Recruitment: The Parliament requested that trainee salaries be adjusted to match EU standards, as some trainees declined offers due to high living costs.
• Training: The Court is focusing on staff training, including a new Code of Conduct.

Transparency and Ethics

The Court has made efforts to increase public trust and transparency:

• Ethics: A new Code of Conduct was adopted in March 2024, covering conflicts of interest and confidentiality.
• Public Access: Judges must publish their declarations of interest online, and the policy for recusing judges with conflicts is mandatory.
• Accessibility: Hearings are now live and recorded on the Curia website.

Technology and Environment

The Court is investing in modernizing its operations:

• Digitalization: The Court is implementing AI assistants in all departments, accompanied by strict rules to protect the independence of judicial decisions.
• Cybersecurity: While spending on projects decreased, the focus on services increased, and the Court analyzed 142 incidents per month.
• Sustainability: The Court reported significant environmental improvements, including:
  • An 18% reduction in energy costs compared to forecasts.
  • Using only renewable energy for electricity and biomass for heating.
  • A 64% drop in paper consumption.

Cooperation and Outreach

The Court works closely with other EU bodies and the public:

• Internal Cooperation: Services like IT, HR, and finance are shared with the Commission and Parliament.
• Public Engagement: The Court saw 16,319 visitors in 2024. Its online presence grew significantly, with major increases in YouTube views and LinkedIn followers.

Summary of Findings

Overall, the Parliament was satisfied with the Court's financial management, its commitment to transparency, and its progress in digital tools and sustainability. Areas identified for future improvement include:

• Long-term planning for personnel costs.
• Improving gender balance in senior leadership.
• Providing more comprehensive training on ethics and AI.
• Making case law clearer and easier for the public to understand.

Broader context

The discharge procedure is an annual process where the European Parliament reviews how EU institutions spent their budgets. It is essentially a democratic accountability check — Parliament acts as a watchdog on behalf of EU citizens and taxpayers. Every major EU institution (Commission, Parliament itself, Court of Justice, etc.) goes through this process each year.

The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) is the highest court in the EU. It has two parts: the Court of Justice (handles cases from national courts and between EU institutions) and the General Court (handles cases brought by companies and individuals directly against EU institutions). Its rulings affect laws in all 27 member states.

Impact on people living in the EU

Your taxes fund this court. The CJEU's €503.8 million budget comes from EU member states' contributions. For context, that is about €1.10 per EU citizen per year.

The Court directly shapes your rights. CJEU rulings have established things like the right to be forgotten online, limits on mass data surveillance, and consumer protections. With 920 new cases in 2024, the Court continues to produce judgments that national courts — including in your country — must follow.

Faster justice is being worked on. The average case still takes nearly 18 months, which matters if you or a business ever needs the Court to resolve a dispute. The reforms mentioned (transferring some cases to the General Court, new digital tools) are meant to speed this up over time.

AI is entering the courtroom's back office. The pilot giving all departments AI assistants is significant — the institution that rules on EU tech law is now itself using AI. Strict safeguards are in place to keep judges' decisions human-made, but Parliament is watching this closely.

Transparency improvements mean you can now watch hearings live on the Curia website, and judges' declarations of interest are publicly accessible online — useful if you ever want to check for potential conflicts of interest in a case that affects you.