Information shared by the European Commission on the performance of EU spending programmes (at the end of 2020) shows mixed results in various funding areas, according to a report adopted on Monday 15 November by the EU Court of Auditors.
The auditors also believe that the indicators measuring progress towards objectives are not sufficiently results-oriented.
The available information shows that the performance of some spending programmes examined has improved, although others have suffered as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
The auditors’ assessment of the European Commission’s (and co-legislators’) ability to learn from the implementation of spending programmes to improve the design and performance of those for the period 2021-2027 is rather positive. However, they also stress the need for the Commission to make better use of impact assessments and follow-up measures resulting from evaluations.
In the area of Cohesion, the auditors examined performance information on the European Social Fund (ESF). They noted that ESF-funded activities still struggle to reach people disconnected from the labour market, such as young people not in employment, education or training.
The auditors conclude that, while Erasmus+ is a very popular programme, there is still room for improvement in terms of reducing the number of IT tools, making the Programme Guide more understandable, simplifying the application process and taking gender equality into account.
The Court notes that little data was available on the contribution of the EMFF (fisheries) to environmental objectives.
Regarding the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II), the indicators provided by the Commission demonstrate modest performance. The auditors found that the political reforms foreseen under the instrument had “stalled”.
Report: https://bit.ly/3CffQgo (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)