Two European Parliament members from the European Conservatives and Reformists group, Dick Erixon and Bert-Jan Ruissen, have submitted a written question to the European Commission on 21 May 2026, pressing for tighter controls on the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) after a European Court of Auditors (ECA) report found significant transparency gaps. The MEPs warn that taxpayers' money may be at risk of overfunding or inefficient use, and that the RRF could become a model for future EU spending without proper safeguards.
The parliamentary question references the ECA's Special Report 14/2026, which identified insufficient information on final recipients, contractors, actual costs, and results achieved. The auditors found that for 15 out of 19 completed measures in four Member States, actual costs were lower than estimated—in some cases by up to 25%—raising concerns that savings may not have been reallocated. Payments under the RRF are made based on milestones and targets rather than actual costs, making efficiency assessments difficult.
Concrete asks and policy direction
The MEPs ask three specific questions. First, how the Commission intends to ensure value for money and prevent overfunding or inefficient expenditure. Second, why the Commission does not systematically request actual cost data per measure, noting that 70% of Member States already collect such data, which could allow benchmarking across countries. Third, whether the Commission will guarantee that future EU instruments include binding requirements on full traceability, actual costs, and public transparency, following ECA best practices.
The questions signal a push for greater fiscal accountability and transparency, with a focus on shifting from milestone-based payments to cost-based verification. This would increase oversight by EU institutions and reduce Member States' flexibility in using funds, potentially affecting national administrations and contractors who benefit from less stringent reporting.
Expected follow-up
The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. Its response will indicate whether it plans to tighten RRF controls or maintain the current performance-based model, and whether future EU spending instruments will incorporate the ECA's recommendations. The outcome could impact the design of post-2027 EU budget programmes and the balance between trust in Member States and rigorous EU-level oversight.
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