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.
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