Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash The EU’s financial watchdog says there are still “many obstacles” facing EU citizens who want to work or set up a business in another member state. Getting professional qualifications recognised continues to be a problem, according to a report by the European Court of Auditors. The EU adopted a directive in 2005…
Photo by Precious Madubuike on Unsplash The EU’s CO2 emissions reduction targets for new passenger cars will not be achievable as long as important prerequisites are missing, says a report published today by the European Court of Auditors. Despite lofty ambitions and strict requirements, most passenger cars on EU roads still emit the same quantity of CO2 as 12 years…
The European Court of Auditors (ECA) says it welcomes the European Commission’s proposed new rules for managing the fines it imposes on firms that breach EU law and the penalties it imposes on countries that fail to apply it. In particular, the proposal is intended to ensure that firms and countries receive reasonable compensation if…
The EU has missed its self-imposed target of spending at least 20% of its 2014-2020 budget on climate action, according to a special report published on Monday by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). The European Commission had announced that the EU had met the 20% target, reporting that it had spent €216 billion on…
The number of cyberattacks on EU bodies is increasing sharply. The level of cybersecurity preparedness within EU bodies varies and is overall not commensurate with the growing threats. Since EU bodies are strongly interconnected, a weakness in one can expose others to security threats. This is the conclusion of a special report by the European…
Energy taxation can support efforts to combat climate change, but current tax levels do not reflect the extent to which different energy sources pollute. A review published today by the European Court of Auditors outlines how energy taxes, carbon pricing and energy subsidies contribute to achieving the EU’s climate objectives. Even though renewable-energy subsidies almost…
In a special report published yesterday, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) calls for new impetus to boost the roll-out of 5G, the new global wireless standard for mobile networks, in the EU. Member States have experienced considerable delays in implementing their 5G networks, which is jeopardising the achievement of the EU’s objectives in terms…
EU action has had little impact in advancing fundamental rule of law reforms in the Western Balkans, according to a special report published by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). Some technical and operational reforms have taken place in the region. But in a context of insufficient political will and a lack of engagement, EU…
The European Court of Auditors has an obligation to report each year on any financial risk arising from legal proceedings relating to the Single Resolution Mechanism (SRM), the EU system managing the orderly winding-up of failing banks within the Banking Union. For the 2020 financial year, the Single Resolution Board (SRB) has not reported any…
In recent years, EU auditors have repeatedly highlighted various weaknesses affecting the delivery of large transport projects in the EU. How does the EU’s performance compare, however, to other countries in the world, such as Australia, Canada and the US? To answer this question, the European Court of Auditors has carried out a review comparing…
