MEP Mathilde Androuët (Patriots for Europe) has questioned the European Commission on the design and effectiveness of the Temporary Decarbonisation Fund, arguing that it merely compensates for damage caused by the EU's own climate policies and fails to provide a genuine reindustrialisation strategy.
In a written parliamentary question dated 3 June 2026, Androuët, co-signed by MEP Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain (PfE), cites a critical opinion from the European Court of Auditors (Opinion 13/2026) which warns that the fund relies on retroactive payments linked to production in 2026 and 2027, with disbursement only in 2028 and 2029. The auditors note that such payments limit the awarding authority's influence over funded actions and pose risks to sound financial management.
whether the Commission acknowledges that the fund corrects the negative impact on European industry created by its own ETS and CBAM architecture; how retroactive payment can serve as a genuine reindustrialisation and decarbonisation strategy; and whether the Commission intends to slow down the phase-out of free allowances for strategic sectors such as fertilisers to safeguard European industrial and agricultural sovereignty.
The question targets the Commission's climate policy architecture, which phases out free ETS allowances while introducing CBAM. Androuët's line of questioning suggests that the Temporary Decarbonisation Fund is an inadequate remedy, and that the Commission should reconsider the pace of free allowance phase-out for sectors critical to food security and industrial supply chains.
The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. Its response will signal whether it is open to adjusting the timeline for free allowances or redesigning the fund's payment mechanism.