In a written answer published on 31 July 2026, Executive Vice-President Fitto, on behalf of the European Commission, provided detailed figures on how EU cohesion funds were reallocated to support Ukrainians displaced by the war, responding to a parliamentary question from Jorge Buxadé Villalba (PfE). The answer reveals that Spain allocated €260 million from cohesion policy programmes to support displaced Ukrainians, while 18 Member States and the UK mobilised a total of €1.4 billion for such measures. Fitto also outlined the traceability mechanisms in place, including regular monitoring and an ex post evaluation covering the Ukrainian refugee crisis.
The question had highlighted that the EU made €193.3 billion available to Ukraine, of which €17 billion was supposedly directed to Member States for refugee support, and queried how much Spain had certified and what traceability mechanisms existed. Fitto's answer clarifies that the €17 billion figure was not a direct grant but rather flexibility introduced through a set of regulations for refugees in Europe, which provided additional liquidity of about €13.7 billion overall, with €1.8 billion for Spain. This liquidity was intended to relieve pressure on national budgets affected by the Russian aggression.
Fitto specified that 18 Member States and the UK mobilised €1.4 billion from cohesion policy programmes, with Spain allocating €0.26 billion for accommodation, healthcare, employment orientation, and social and psychological support for displaced Ukrainians. The Commission's monitoring relied on programme data reported by Member States, including common output indicators. Additionally, Member States had to explain in their final implementation reports how they fulfilled CARE (Cohesion's Action for Refugees in Europe) requirements, and an ex post evaluation covering the Ukrainian refugee crisis was conducted.
The answer provides concrete numbers and confirms the Commission's oversight role, but it does not offer a breakdown of how much each Member State certified beyond the aggregate figures. The response underscores the Commission's position that cohesion policy supports a broad range of migration-related measures, and that the flexibility mechanisms were designed to ease the burden on national budgets. This is a routine parliamentary answer, providing transparency on fund allocation but not introducing new policy initiatives. The impact is primarily on national authorities and EU institutions, with limited direct effect on other stakeholders.