Billions for pointless projects: Czech audit office slams waste of EU funds

In brief

• The Supreme Audit Office says Czech bodies draw EU grants formally correctly but often spend the money where it is not needed, including on projects that lose their purpose.
• The Czech Republic is expected to receive more than 1.3 trillion CZK from EU funds in 2021 to 2027, and the audit covered 14 control actions.
• NKÚ President Miloslav Kala criticised spending on playgrounds, footpaths and unused methodologies at a time of record budget deficits.
• The office expects less EU money in coming years and recommends focusing support on fewer strategic areas.

Correct paperwork, wrong spending

Czech bodies have learned to apply for and draw EU grants in a formally correct way, but they often direct the money to places where it is not needed. Some projects lose their purpose over time, the NKÚ said on Monday in a summary report on checks linked to the drawing of EU funds (Z evropských peněz se v Česku často platí i zbytečné projekty, upozorňuje NKÚ. Jako příklad zmínil zaostávání v rozvoji elektromobility | Hospodářské noviny (HN.cz) – hn.cz) (Plýtváme evropskými miliardami na chodníky odnikud nikam, zní zdrcující zpráva NKÚ – Aktuálně.cz – aktualne.cz) (Česko plýtvá evropskými dotacemi, varuje NKÚ. Mili... | FORUM 24 – forum24.cz).

Over a trillion crowns at stake

The Czech Republic is expected to receive more than 1.3 trillion CZK from EU funds in 2021 to 2027 (Miliardy za zbytečnosti. NKÚ ostře kritizoval plýtvání evropskými penězi – Novinky.cz) (NKÚ: Z evropských fondů se v Česku často financují i zbytečné projekty | ČeskéNoviny.cz – ceskenoviny.cz). The report is the 19th NKÚ publication on the financial management of EU money. It summarises the results of 14 control actions completed between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026.

Playgrounds and unused methodologies

NKÚ President Miloslav Kala said the state can no longer afford to spend billions of crowns on children's playgrounds, footpaths that lead nowhere and piles of methodologies nobody uses, at a time of record budget deficits. None of this would raise the output of the Czech economy, he added. The office stressed that spending the money is not in itself a success.

Lagging in electromobility

The audit found that Czechia is among the weakest EU countries in the spread of electromobility and has missed part of its targets for charging infrastructure.

Less money ahead

The country is expected to have less EU money in the coming years, so the conditions for spending have to be set carefully. The NKÚ recommends focusing support on a significantly smaller number of strategic areas and reducing the fragmentation of grant programmes. It also says the state must define clearly what it wants to achieve with public money.