Discharge procedure: how Parliament scrutinises the EU budget

Vote on the EU budget discharge ©BELGA/BELPRESS/P.Clement
Vote on the EU budget discharge ©BELGA/BELPRESS/P.Clement

MEPs scrutinise how money has been spent by the European Commission and the other EU institutions and agencies in a procedure known as discharge. Over the years, the procedure has become a very important tool to check how public funds have been spent and EU projects carried out.

The European Parliament has the exclusive right to approve the budget implementation of the EU institutions. On 28 April MEPs debated and voted on the discharge of the 2013 annual budget. Read on to find out more.