European Parliament to begin its scrutiny of the EU’s 2024 accounts

The Budgetary Control committee will review the European Court of Auditor's (ECA) Annual Report 2024 for the first time, and meet EU Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin, on Thursday.

The main conclusions of the annual report of the Court of Auditors concerning financial year 2024 will be presented by the President of the Court, Tony Murphy.

Commissioner Serafin will present the Commission's integrated financial and accountability reporting package for 2024, providing information on the implementation, performance, results, financial management and protection of the EU budget.

The Budgetary Control committee meeting will begin at 8.30 and it will be webstreamed.

The presentation of ECA's Annual Report is a decisive point in the discharge cycle. The first 2024 discharge hearings however have already taken place with the exchange of views with the Directors-General of the Commission in September 2025.

Background

The EU’s “discharge procedure” is a key mechanism through which the European Parliament exercises democratic oversight over the budget’s implementation. It serves to hold the European Commission and other EU institutions accountable for the management and disbursement of EU funds.

Based on reports from the Commission and the European Court of Auditors (ECA), the Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) reviews the financial management of the EU budget in a given financial year, considers irregularities, and holds hearings with the relevant officials. CONT then recommends whether to grant or refuse budgetary “discharge”. The full Parliament votes to approve or reject these decisions – refusal of discharge can result in remedial action, stricter financial controls, or political consequences.