(1)

Council Decision (EU) 2021/1072 (1) introduced a temporary derogation from Articles 2, 3 and 4 of Council Decision 2013/471/EU (2) as regards the payment of daily allowances and the reimbursement of travelling expenses to members of the European Economic and Social Committee (the ‘Committee’) and their alternates (together referred to as the ‘beneficiaries’), entitling beneficiaries who attend meetings remotely by electronic means to a daily allowance.

(2)

The temporary derogation was deemed necessary in order to guarantee that the Committee’s activities could take place in an appropriate and sustainable manner at all times in order to ensure institutional continuity for the period of continued travel difficulties or sanitary restrictions to physical meetings caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Union.

(3)

The reports submitted by the Committee on the application of the temporary derogation have shown the budgetary and environmental benefits of having a daily allowance for beneficiaries who attend meetings remotely by electronic means as well as the advantages and efficiency gains in relation to the Committee’s institutional and business continuity. Those benefits remain relevant irrespective of cases of travel difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Union, as shown by the Committee’s request to the Council for a structural solution allowing for the possibility to grant a daily allowance to beneficiaries who attend certain types of meetings of the Committee remotely by electronic means.

(4)

It is therefore appropriate to replace the temporary derogation introduced by Decision (EU) 2021/1072 with a structural solution allowing for the possibility to grant a daily allowance to beneficiaries who attend remotely by electronic means those meetings that have been duly 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. It is also appropriate that, in case of duly justified and exceptional circumstances, where it is impossible to organise meetings of the Committee fully in person, the daily allowance for beneficiaries for remote attendance by electronic means be granted in relation to any other duly authorised meeting of the Committee which is essential in guaranteeing the Committee’s institutional and business continuity.

(5)

Actual administrative costs incurred by a beneficiary who attends a meeting remotely by electronic means are lower than the rate of the daily allowance currently applicable for the attendance of in-person meetings, while the time spent by a beneficiary remains the same. It is therefore appropriate that the daily allowance granted to beneficiaries who attend meetings remotely by electronic means is adapted accordingly.

(6)

Detailed rules related to the granting of the daily allowance to beneficiaries who attend meetings remotely by electronic means should be established by the Committee with the aim to maximise the benefits resulting from remote attendance while at the same time ensuring there is no unjustified increase in the number of meetings organised by the Committee.

(7)

The Committee should submit to the Council regular reports on the application of the daily allowance to beneficiaries who attend meetings remotely by electronic means so as to allow the Council to evaluate its impact, in line with the reporting requirements set out in Decision 2013/471/EU. The reports should in particular indicate the evolution in the number of meetings of the Committee attended remotely by electronic means and their duration, as well as any budgetary and environmental savings associated with such meetings.

(8)

This Decision should be part of a future comprehensive revision of Decision 2013/471/EU, to be undertaken before the end of the current term of office of the Committee.

(9)

Decision (EU) 2021/1072 should be repealed,