Council Decision (EU) 2024/1809 of 21 June 2024 on the granting of daily allowances to and the reimbursement of travel expenses of members of the European Economic and Social Committee and their alternates, and repealing Decisions 2013/471/EU and (EU) 2023/1013

The members of the European Economic and Social Committee (the ‘Committee’) and their alternates (together referred to as the ‘beneficiaries’) shall be entitled to a daily allowance for meeting days, to the reimbursement of their travel expenses and to distance and duration allowances in accordance with this Decision.

1 The daily allowance for beneficiaries attending in-person meetings shall be set at EUR 367. The Committee may decide to increase the daily allowance by a maximum of 50 %: (a) where a beneficiary duly invited to one or more meetings is obliged to pay for overnight accommodation at the meeting venue both before the first meeting and after the last meeting; or (b) in the event of a mission outside Brussels, where the rates of the hotels selected as accommodation for the beneficiaries exceed EUR 190 per night.

2 The daily allowance may be paid to beneficiaries for a maximum of two days bridging the gap between two meetings, where that allowance is less than the reimbursement of the travel expenses which would otherwise be incurred by the beneficiary in making a return journey between those meetings.

1 The daily allowance for beneficiaries attending meetings remotely by electronic means shall be set at EUR 149.

2 The granting of the daily allowance referred to in paragraph 1 shall only be applicable to meetings that have been authorised in accordance with the internal rules of the Committee, except for Bureau meetings, plenary sessions of the Assembly, meetings of sections and meetings of the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change.

3 In duly justified and exceptional circumstances, the daily allowance referred to in paragraph 1 shall also be granted for any other duly authorised meeting other than for those for which the daily allowance is granted in accordance with paragraph 2, provided that such a meeting cannot be organised fully in person and that it is essential in guaranteeing the Committee’s institutional and business continuity.

The travel expenses of beneficiaries shall be reimbursed on the basis of the expenses actually incurred. The Committee shall set appropriate reimbursement ceilings, with a view to ensuring that its travel-related expenditure does not exceed the level contained within its voted annual budget.

Beneficiaries shall be entitled to distance and duration allowances. In the case of journeys between the beneficiary’s place of residence and Brussels, the beneficiary shall be entitled to allowances in relation to one journey to Brussels and one journey back from Brussels in respect of each week of work at the Committee.

The Committee shall adopt detailed rules implementing Articles 2, 3, 4 and 5 by 2 December 2024.

The distance allowance referred to in Article 5 shall be calculated as follows: (a) for the part of the journey between 0 and 50 km: EUR 18,98; (b) for the part of the journey between 51 and 500 km: EUR 0,10/km; (c) for the part of the journey between 501 and 1000 km: EUR 0,05/km; (d) for the part of the journey between 1001 and 3000 km: EUR 0,03/km; (e) for the part of the journey exceeding 3000 km: no allowance.

The duration allowance referred to in Article 5 shall be calculated as follows: (a) for a journey of a total duration of between two and four hours: an amount equivalent to one eighth of the daily allowance provided for in Article 2; (b) for a journey of a total duration of between four and six hours: an amount equivalent to one quarter of the daily allowance provided for in Article 2; (c) for a journey of a total duration of more than six hours and not requiring an overnight stay: an amount equivalent to half the daily allowance provided for in Article 2; (d) for a journey of a total duration of more than six hours and requiring an overnight stay: an amount equivalent to the daily allowance provided for in Article 2, subject to the presentation of supporting documents.

1 Within the 12 months preceding the start of the 5-year term of office of the Committee, the Council shall consider an adjustment of the amounts referred to in Article 2(1), Article 3(1) and Article 7.

2 Following a request by the Committee, the Council may also consider an adjustment of the amounts referred to in Article 2(1), Article 3(1) and Article 7 when the accumulated yearly inflation has exceeded 6 % according to Eurostat’s Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) for the EU27 since the last adjustment agreed by the Council.

The Committee shall, by 30 April of each year, submit to the European Parliament and to the Council a detailed report on the reimbursement of travel expenses and allowances paid to beneficiaries in the preceding year. That report shall detail the number of beneficiaries, the number of journeys, the destinations, the travel class and the travel costs incurred and reimbursed, as well as the allowances paid, including for both in-person and remote attendance to meetings. The report shall also include any budgetary savings and environmental benefits associated with remote attendance.

By 31 December 2026, the Committee shall submit to the Council an evaluation report on the application of this Decision, and particularly on its budgetary impact. That evaluation report shall include the elements that will enable the Council to determine, as necessary, the allowances of beneficiaries.

Decisions 2013/471/EU and (EU) 2023/1013 are repealed with effect from 1 September 2024.

This Decision shall enter into force on 1 September 2024. Article 9 shall be applicable from 1 January 2026.