The cabinet needs to be more transparent about how billions of euros in funds greenlighted for the climate change fight will be used, the Court of Audit wrote in a letter to parliament on Wednesday.
The government plans to spend almost €6.8 billion on climate measures this year, an amount that could double if the parliament approves a new climate fund of approximately €35 billion, the investigation by the Court of Audit has found.
However, there is no clear overview of how these funds will be used and ministers have varying ideas, the independent body that audits government spending added.
For example, Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag wrote in the 2022 Budget Memorandum that connecting offshore wind farms would cost €150 million less than what Economic Affairs Minister Micky Adriaansens wrote in her overview.
In another instance, the Agriculture Ministry wrote that cleaning up pig farms between 2020-2027 would cost €44 million, while its budget states this would cost €259 million.
“Due to the lack of clear definitions, ministries may too easily include measures under climate policy, or relevant measures may not be included,” the auditing body added.
(Sofia Stuart Leeson | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
