The error rate in EU budget expenditure is increasing. In 2023, as reported, 5.6 percent of a total of 191.2 billion euros was not spent correctly. A third of the financial aid in the context of the Corona Development Fund totaling 48 billion euros was not spent correctly. The critical annual report of the European Court of Auditors (ERA) on the income and expenditure of the international community can thus be summarized concisely. However, the European Commission does not see the alarm bells ringing nearly as loudly.
The Brussels authority stressed in a statement that the error rate estimated by the Court of Auditors is not a measure of fraud, inefficiency or waste, but rather represents administrative irregularities. These do not affect the end result of a project and are usually corrected.
Below you can view the annual report in detail:
However, the Commission recognizes the need for improvement and wants to act accordingly, for example if expenditure regulations are too complex. She also points out that the Commission and the Court of Auditors sometimes used different methods when calculating the errors, which could lead to different results.
ÖVP warns: “Trend not acceptable”
Angelika Winzig, deputy head of delegation and budget spokesperson for the ÖVP in the European Parliament, is alarmed by the report: “Last year, almost eleven billion euros from the EU budget was not spent correctly – this represents a significant increase compared to previous years. This trend is unacceptable and contradicts our commitment to efficient use of European taxpayers’ money.”
FPÖ insists on self-management of the funds
The leader of the FPÖ delegation in the EU Parliament, Harald Vilimsky, is also outraged by the report’s findings. He calls for stricter control over EU spending and more transparency in the handling of the Union’s funds: “Member States should be able to decide for themselves how to use their tax money instead of sending the money to Brussels where it is then inefficiently is managed.”
He also criticizes the Court’s failure to check whether a project’s original objective has been achieved and calls for reform of the EU institution.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
