EC will 'closely monitor' govt's Audit Court move

(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 2 - The European Commission said Friday that it was watching the situation after Premier Giorgia Meloni's government moved this week to strip Italy's Audit Court of its 'concomitant' oversight powers on the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).
    "We have an agreement with Italy on the need to have an effective system of controls regarding the spending of NRRP funds and it is the responsibility of the Italian authorities to ensure that these bodies are able to work," a Commission spokesperson said.
    "The Italian authorities have set up an ad hoc body responsible for the control of the NRRP funds. We will monitor very carefully what the draft law provides for in this regard of the Court of Auditors".
    The NRRP seeks to make the Italian economy Greener and more modern, via projects funded with the help of almost 200 billion euros in EU grants and low-interest loans on condition that all agreed targets are met by 2026.
    The government is trying to speed up the plan, amid concerns about whether the targets can be met by their deadlines.
    The curbing of the court's NRRP oversight powers comes after the justices criticised delays to the implementation of the plan.
    Guido Carlino, the head of Italy's Audit Court, on Thursday reiterated the State auditor's opposition to the government's move.
    He said "concomitant oversight" of the plan had a "propulsive value" and "tends to accelerate action time frames".
    Photo: Guido Carlino. (ANSA).