Dutch MEP Auke Zijlstra (Patriots for Europe) has challenged the European Commission over its decision to pledge EUR 75 million for the restoration of the New Safe Confinement at the Chornobyl nuclear site, arguing the commitment was made without prior consultation of the European Parliament, in breach of interinstitutional rules.
The written question, submitted on 23 June 2026, refers to information the Commission sent to Parliament’s Committee on Budgets on 18 June 2026 concerning an undertaking given during the G7 summit. The committee has already indicated that the move contradicts paragraph 39 of the new Framework Agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the European Commission, which requires the Commission to inform and consult Parliament before making financial commitments of this kind.
Zijlstra asks whether it is common for the Commission to take such decisions before consulting Parliament, whether the Commission was in a hurry in this particular case, and whether its President came under pressure from the G7 to reach the decision. He also asks whether the Commission still sees value in interinstitutional consultation and in following official procedures.
The question does not specify a deadline for the pledge or detail the exact terms of the G7 undertaking, but it frames the issue as a test of the Commission's commitment to the Framework Agreement and to parliamentary oversight of EU budget commitments.
Under the rules governing written questions, the Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. The answer will signal whether the Commission considers the G7 pledge a justified exception to normal procedures or acknowledges a procedural shortcoming.
The exchange touches on a recurring cleavage between executive efficiency and parliamentary scrutiny, with potential implications for the balance of power between EU institutions in foreign policy and budget decisions. If the Commission is found to have bypassed Parliament, it could reinforce calls for stricter enforcement of the Framework Agreement.