The EU’s ambition is zero water pollution by 2030. In view of this, we assessed EU actions to address ship-source seawater pollution. Overall, EU rules improved, but implementation weaknesses existed and data was insufficient to measure results. While the European Maritime Safety Agency develope...
This audit examined the progress made regarding the EU policy on military mobility, focusing on the EU’s second Action Plan (2.0) of November 2022. The plan was developed under time pressure, amid Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Overall, we conclude that Action Plan 2.0 was not built...
To address migratory challenges caused by the war in Ukraine, the EU gradually adapted cohesion policy rules by adopting Cohesion’s Action for Refugees in Europe (CARE). We examined whether member states used CARE and the cohesion policy funds available to address the needs of the refugees. We c...
Geo-blocking limits consumer access and hinders the EU digital single market by restricting access to online services across Member States. The 2018 Geo-blocking Regulation aimed to address such discrimination based on nationality or residence. We assessed the effect of the Regulation and action...
Air and noise pollution can harm our health, particularly in urban areas, where most EU citizens live. We checked how the selected cities implement the EU rules designed to better protect our health. We found that although air quality is improving, air quality standards either are not always met...
Digital payments – the electronic exchange of funds, often through mobile devices – contribute to economic growth. In 2023 alone, digital payments for retail sales in the EU exceeded €1 trillion. We examined the EU’s approach to digital payments, and in particular whether the regulatory framewor...
The External Action Guarantee (EAG) was created in 2021 by Regulation (EU) 2021/947 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI-Global Europe Regulation). It builds upon two pre-existing guarantee mechanisms: — the European Fund for...
The Commission is responsible for overseeing the application of EU law by member states and to enforce compliance. The objective of our audit was to assess whether the Commission’s management ensured timely detection, follow-up, appropriate monitoring and reporting of infringement cases. We conc...
The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) is one of the ways the EU supports migrant integration measures. Our audit assessed whether the use of AMIF support by the Commission and the member states was sound and effective. We carried out audit visits in Germany, Spain, France, and Sweden...
This report examines the EU efforts to combat harmful tax regimes and corporate tax avoidance, which can lead to significant tax losses for member states and distortions in the internal market. Within its limited competences in the area of direct taxation, the EU adopted a legal framework and us...
