MEP Giuseppe Antoci (The Left) has asked the European Commission whether the growing use of EU financing for climate emergencies could increase the risk of infiltration by organised crime, and what steps it will take to strengthen anti-fraud controls. In a written parliamentary question on 6 July 2026, Antoci pointed to recent extreme weather events in Sicily and other vulnerable areas, where substantial public investment and infrastructure projects coincide with a heightened presence of criminal organisations. He cited Europol reports on environmental crime and a joint Europol-OLAF report on NextGenerationEU, which highlight how criminal groups exploit crisis contexts and regulatory gaps for profit.
first, a Commission assessment of whether rising emergency spending raises infiltration risks; second, a call for stepped-up cooperation between Europol, OLAF and the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) to prevent and combat mafia fraud; and third, a request for additional monitoring, transparency and control tools for EU resources, especially in high-risk areas. Antoci anchors his concerns in Article 191 TFEU, which makes combating climate change a key EU environmental objective, and the 2021 EU adaptation strategy, which notes the rising economic costs of climate change.
As a parliamentary question, the Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. The answer will signal whether the executive shares Antoci's assessment and is willing to tighten oversight of climate-related spending, particularly in regions with entrenched organised crime networks. The question targets a potential tension between the urgency of climate adaptation and the need to safeguard EU funds from criminal infiltration, affecting EU taxpayers, regional authorities in vulnerable areas, and law enforcement bodies such as Europol, OLAF and EPPO.