World
Auditors slam poor oversight of cohesion spending
The EU’s cohesion funds aim to reduce social and economic disparities between the richest and poorest regions, but both the Commission and member states are failing to adequately oversee their spending, according to a new report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA).
The EU’s control system over more than a third of its budget has failed in recent years to significantly curb spending errors, auditors in Luxembourg said in a report published today (8 July) – meaning that cohesion money is not being spent according to the EU and national rules.
“We see that the Commission’s and member states system checks are not robust enough,” Helga Berger, the lead auditor, told Euronews.
In the 2014-2020 budget cycle, the overall error rate in cohesion spending fell from 6% to 4.8% – an improvement, but still well above the 2% threshold.
“The system should prevent errors, but if errors happen, the system should help to detect and correct them,” Berger noted, indicating substantial room for improvement in cohesion policy.
There are three levels of control over EU cohesion funds. First, cohesion spending is checked by the national managing authorities, then by the member states’ audit authorities, and thirdly by the Commission, which is ultimately responsible for implementing the EU budget.
Despite these layers of oversight, the ECA’s external auditors found 171 additional cases of errors, 170 of which could have been prevented by the audit authorities.
Spain, Germany, and Portugal were found to have a disproportionate number of errors relative to the funds received.
“We consider that these three member states in particular need to strengthen the detection capacity of their audit authorities, supported by the Commission,” the report stated.
The EU auditors identified three root causes of irregularities in cohesion spending: inadequate management by member states, negligence or suspected deliberate non-compliance by beneficiaries, and problems with the interpretation of the rules.
“Managing authorities are very decisive here,” Berger stressed. If these authorities fail to identify problems, subsequent checks depend on the effectiveness of the previous ones.
The auditors estimated that national managing authorities could have prevented more than a third of the errors found between 2017 and 2022.
EU Commission has work to do, say auditors
While campaigning for a second mandate, Commission president Ursula von der Leyen pledged to simplify the EU budget, eliminate redundancies, and enhance efficiency. She even hinted at the possibility of linking the hundreds of billions of cohesion funds to economic reforms.
However, the EU auditors cautioned that the Commission must improve its tools for detecting, preventing, and correcting errors in cohesion spending (which currently amounts to €392bn) to make these funds more effective.
For example, the auditors recommend providing clearer guidance to member states, simplifying the rules, and conducting more compliance checks.
“The Commission is currently focusing on a lot of desk audits,” Berger said, noting that these are insufficient for detecting erroneous spending.
Berger emphasized the need for more compliance audits, as they offer greater value but are currently limited in number.
“Both the Commission and the member states should work hand in hand with all players in the field to improve the system,” the lead auditor concluded.
The EU executive does not have to give an official response to the review, as it does with its audit reports – but the auditors claim that despite some disagreement over the robustness of the control system, the Commission agrees that the error rate is above the 2% threshold.
new video loaded: W.H.O. Chief Visits Ebola-Struck Region: ‘It’s Time to Move Fast’
transcript
transcript
W.H.O. Chief Visits Ebola-Struck Region: ‘It’s Time to Move Fast’
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the World Health Organization, told The New York Times on a flight to the Democratic Republic of Congo that swift international support was necessary to contain the Ebola virus, which is spreading rapidly there.
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“Of course there are different scenarios, but it’s in our hands. We move fast, we will catch up. If we don’t, it will be a very serious problem. So it’s time to really move fast.” A dire warning from the World Health Organization chief as we approach Ituri, the province at the center of Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak. More than 1,000 suspected Ebola cases and over 200 suspected deaths have been reported here. With no vaccines and no treatment for the virus species fueling the outbreak, containment is where immediate efforts should focus, health officials say. It’s not easy. Testing capacity is still very low. Protective supplies are short. Both the facilities for isolation and the region’s overall health care infrastructure are insufficient. “We cannot tell them what the problem is, Ebola is one but there are many problems and we have to listen to them.” It’s not the first Ebola outbreak for Congo, and as a glimmer of hope, officials say at least one health care worker was discharged earlier this week after recovering. But international commitments to fund their response aren’t enough. Only one-third of the needed funds have been delivered, the W.H.O. chief says. “Do you think the world is moving fast enough right now?” “It’s starting to understand now, but I still don’t think it’s enough.”
By Bethlehem Feleke, Michael Anthony Adams and Alisa Shodiyev Kaff
May 30, 2026
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Russia and the Taliban government in Afghanistan have signed a military cooperation pact, cementing an alliance that further solidifies Moscow’s influence in Central Asia, according to reports.
The deal, finalized Wednesday at an international security forum in Russia, followed a meeting between Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu and Afghan Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob.
The Taliban Defense Ministry announced on X that Yaqoob had traveled to Russia to attend the conference.
Yaqoob is the Taliban’s former military chief and the son of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar.
AL QAEDA REMAINS MOST DANGEROUS TERRORIST GROUP 24 YEARS AFTER 9/11, EXPERT WARNS
Russia and the Taliban government in Afghanistan have signed a new military-technical cooperation pact, cementing an alliance that solidifies Moscow’s influence in Central Asia. (Photo by Elke Scholiers / Getty Images)
Omar had formed a close alliance with Osama bin Laden and provided a safe haven from which al Qaeda planned the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
As of Thursday, neither Russia nor the Afghan side had shared the further details of the new military agreement.
“Afghanistan and Russia have long and historical relations. In this direction, we want to move further. We have expanded bilateral relations,” Yaqoob said at the meeting.
The pact follows statements from a senior Russian security official who noted that Moscow has established a “full-fledged partnership” with Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban and is encouraging other countries in the region to expand cooperation with Kabul, Reuters reported.
The Taliban had regained power in August 2021, after overthrowing the U.S.-backed Afghan government run by President Ashraf Ghani.
In 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the possibility of dropping Russia’s classification of the Taliban as a terrorist organization.
FORMER AFGHAN TRANSLATOR WARNS OF STARVATION, HUMANITARIAN CRISIS: ‘BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED IN 2001’
In 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the possibility of dropping Russia’s classification of the Taliban as a terrorist organization. (Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo/AP, File)
In 2024, he called the Taliban “allies in the fight against terrorism” and Russia became the first country to formally recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
“After several years of vacillation, Russia has become the first country in the world to officially recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan,” Nikita Smagin, an expert on Iranian foreign and domestic policies, Islamism and Russia’s policy in the Middle East, said in a report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“It’s more of a symbolic gesture than something driven by trade or economic considerations,” Smagin added, describing how when Taliban militants entered the Afghan capital in August 2021, “Russia was already deemed eligible for special treatment.”
“Its diplomatic mission was immediately provided with security, and Russian Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov became the first foreign diplomat to meet with the new rulers of Afghanistan,” he explained.
On Wednesday, Shoigu also called for Western countries to unfreeze sanctioned Afghan assets.
AFGHANISTAN’S ONLY WOMEN-LED RADIO STATION TO RESUME OPERATIONS AFTER TALIBAN LIFTS SUSPENSION
Russia has become the first country in the world to officially recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan. (Photo by Elke Scholiers / Getty Images)
“We are convinced that Western countries should unfreeze blocked Afghan assets, fully recognize their responsibility for their 20-year presence in Afghanistan, and bear the burden of the country’s post-conflict reconstruction,” Shoigu said, according to reports.
“Moscow needs to take steps that will restore its image as an influential power that holds the initiative, and recognition of the Taliban regime serves precisely that purpose,” Smagin added.
“The status of the first country to establish official diplomatic relations with the Taliban government should ensure Russia has a leading role in discussions of regional security issues.”
The recognition of the Taliban, he said, was an attempt by Russia to “prove itself as a leading global force that is not afraid to break established norms and set precedents for other countries.”
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Moscow continues to emphasize the need to work directly with Kabul as it faces severe, ongoing security threats from various rival Islamist militant groups operating throughout Central Asia and the Middle East, Reuters said.
Shoigu also said Moscow was building a “pragmatic dialogue” with the Taliban that included security, trade, culture and humanitarian support, the outlet reported May 14.
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