Auditors Say Erroneous EU Spending Has Become a ‘Concerning Trend’

The European Court of Auditors said the rise was largely due to errors made in the spending of EU cash handed out to bolster development in poorer regions.

A European Union flag flutters outside European Commission headquarters in Brussels on Feb. 1, 2023. Yves Herman/Reuters

The EU’s spending watchdog has estimated that at least 9.03 billion euros ($9.87 billion) of the union’s budget in 2023 was spent erroneously, in a report released on Oct. 10.

Representing an “error rate” of 5.6 percent, this marks a rise from 4.2 percent in the previous year and 3 percent from two years before.