Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis has rejected allegations that Spain misused NextGenerationEU recovery funds for current pension expenditure, stating that the Spanish Court of Auditors' observations concern national budgetary procedures, not EU law. In a written answer to a parliamentary question from four Spanish MEPs, Dombrovskis clarified that the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) Regulation prohibits using funds for current expenditure, and that Spain's plan contains no milestones or targets linked to pensions, which are ineligible under the RRF. He emphasised that every payment request is thoroughly assessed before disbursement, safeguarding EU financial interests.
The question, submitted on 27 July 2026 by Isabel Benjumea Benjumea, Raúl de la Hoz Quintano, Fernando Navarrete Rojas, Elena Nevado del Campo, and Esteban González Pons — all from the European People's Party (PPE) — cited an audit report by the Spanish Court of Auditors. The report found that the government allocated EUR 2 389 million from the RRF to cover pension shortfalls via budgetary amendments, which the MEPs argued violates the RRF Regulation. The auditors reportedly issued a dissenting opinion over the approval of the 2024 General State Account.
Dombrovskis' answer provides no concrete proposals or new measures, instead reaffirming existing safeguards. The Commission's position is that the matter falls under Spanish budgetary law, not EU competence, effectively deflecting calls for intervention. This leaves the Spanish government free from immediate EU scrutiny on this issue, while the PPE MEPs may pursue further parliamentary or legal avenues. The response signals the Commission's reluctance to challenge member state budgetary decisions unless clear EU rule breaches are proven, prioritising procedural compliance over substantive spending oversight.