MEP Jean-Paul Garraud (PfE) has challenged the European Commission over its management of the rescEU civil protection reserve, citing a critical report from the European Court of Auditors. In a parliamentary question submitted on 29 June 2026, Garraud pressed the Commission on three key issues: the lack of a harmonised methodology to assess existing national capacities before funding new rescEU assets, the absence of performance indicators to evaluate cost and operational effectiveness, and whether future rescEU development will be made conditional on proven economic and operational value. The question directly targets EU taxpayers and national civil protection authorities, who bear the cost of potential duplication, as well as EU regulatory bodies and the Commission itself, which faces scrutiny over its governance of the reserve.
The question follows the publication of the European Court of Auditors’ Special Report No 17/2026, which identified weaknesses in planning, governance, and assessment of EU-funded civil protection capacities. Garraud’s first query asks how the Commission justifies funding new rescEU capacities without a harmonised methodology to prevent overlap with national schemes. His second query demands concrete performance indicators for assessing cost, mobilisation time, and operational added value compared to direct use of Member State assets. The third query seeks a commitment to condition future rescEU expansion on prior demonstration of effectiveness, in line with the auditors’ recommendations and the principle of subsidiarity.
The question signals a push for greater accountability and efficiency in EU disaster response spending. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks, and its answer will indicate whether it plans to tighten oversight of rescEU or maintain current practices. Garraud’s intervention aligns with broader concerns among some MEPs about EU fund management and the balance between EU-level and national competences in civil protection.