The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has issued a critical report regarding the management of the Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRP) in the European Union, pointing out significant failures and a lack of oversight.

Despite its crucial role in the EU's post-pandemic recovery, the €650 billion Recovery Fund is marred by a lack of transparency and clear information on outcomes and actual costs, leaving citizens unaware of the benefits they are receiving.

Implementation of the RRF is lagging, with many measures needing completion by August 2026, which raises doubts about the achievement of its objectives.

The ECA has recommended against repeating the current funding model, yet the EU Commission plans to incur an additional €150 billion in debt for member states without parliamentary oversight.

The ECA criticized the European Commission for its lenient management of the Recovery Fund, which allows full payments to member states even when procurement irregularities occur, provided that milestones are met.

There is an ongoing disagreement between EU institutions, with the Court of Auditors asserting that the Commission prioritizes outputs over actual outcomes of funded measures.

The auditors highlighted that the financing model permits member states to receive funds based solely on the formal achievement of milestones, without adequate proof of actual results or costs incurred.

The findings indicate a troubling uncertainty regarding what has been achieved through the funding and who the actual beneficiaries are, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the program.

The lack of proper oversight over disbursed funds, as member states are responsible for this, has rendered Brussels powerless to ensure accountability.

The Commission maintains that disbursements are contingent on meeting established objectives and milestones, which are monitored through a dedicated portal for transparency.

Concerns have also been raised by the European Central Bank, emphasizing the need to focus on achieving quality results rather than merely meeting timelines, which could lead to wasteful spending.

In response to the Court's findings, Executive Vice President Raffaele Fitto argued that the Recovery Facility is driving essential reforms in sectors such as employment and education.