OREANDA-NEWS. In the European Union in 2020, non-targeted expenditures amounted to almost 4 billion euros, according to the report of the European Accounting Chamber, published on Tuesday, October 26. In general, the expenditure part of the EU budget last year amounted to 147.8 billion euros. This means that the share of non-targeted expenditures was at the level of 2.7 percent and remained virtually unchanged compared to 2019.

The report notes that in most cases it is not about fraud, but about procedural errors. According to the Accounts Chamber, only six cases were referred to the European Anti-fraud Office Olaf. There were nine such cases in 2019.

Chairman of the European Court of Auditors Klaus-Heiner Lehne pointed to significant changes in EU finances amid the coronavirus pandemic. For the period from 2021 to 2027, additional expenditures are planned to support households and eliminate the negative consequences of the pandemic in the total amount of 1.8 billion, and this, according to him, requires even more effective measures to control spending.