Brussels appeases:

Errors in EU spending only of an “administrative” nature

Ursula von der Leyen's authority emphasizes that the Court of Auditors uses different methods to calculate errors, which could lead to different results.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD)

The error rate in spending from the EU budget is increasing. In 2023, 5.6% of a total of €191.2 billion was reportedly spent incorrectly. Of the €48 billion in financial aid under the Corona Recovery Fund, a third was not spent correctly. This is how the critical annual report of the EU Court of Auditors (ECA) on the income and expenditure of the international community can be summarized in a nutshell. However, the EU Commission does not see the alarm bells ringing quite so shrilly.

In a statement, the Brussels authority emphasizes that the error rate estimated by the ECA is not a measure of fraud, inefficiency or waste, but represents administrative irregularities. These would not affect the final outcome of a project and would usually be corrected.

You can view the annual report in detail below:

However, the Commission recognizes the need for improvement, and intends to act accordingly, for example in the case of overly complex spending rules. It also points out that the Commission and the Court of Auditors sometimes use different methods when calculating errors, which could lead to different results. 

ÖVP alarmed: "Trend unacceptable"
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 were not spent correctly - this marks a significant increase compared to previous years. This trend is unacceptable and contradicts our claim to the efficient use of Europeans' tax money."

FPÖ insists on self-administration of funds
The FPÖ head of delegation in the EU Parliament, Harald Vilimsky, is also outraged by the results of the report. He calls for stricter control of EU spending and more transparency in the handling of EU funds: "The member states must be able to decide for themselves how they use their tax money instead of sending the money to Brussels, where it is then managed inefficiently." He also criticizes the fact that the Court of Auditors does not check whether the original objective of a project has been achieved and calls for a reform of the EU body. 

SPÖ: "This jeopardizes the project as a whole"
Hannes Heide (SPÖ), member of the Regional Committee, commented on the report as follows: "The results we have received once again confirm how essential communication and transparency are in the allocation of EU funds. The high error rate in the disbursement of the Cohesion Fund is particularly worrying. If the money does not get to where it is needed, we lose the trust of local people and jeopardize the project as a whole."