Erasmus+ project 2023-1-TR01-KA220-VET-000151966 (EcoRehabASD).
⸻
Purpose of the inquiry
This inquiry seeks parliamentary oversight, pursuant to the European Parliament’s budgetary-control mandate, regarding the effectiveness of ex-ante and ex-post controls, conflict-of-interest safeguards, and operational-capacity verification applied by the Commission in relation to an Erasmus+ cooperation project managed by a National Agency.
The inquiry does not allege wrongdoing by specific persons. It aims to clarify whether EU financial-management rules were applied effectively and whether systemic risks were adequately mitigated.
⸻
Background (summary)
Publicly available information indicates that, in certain Erasmus+ cooperation projects, multiple partner organisations participating in the same project may be linked through shared governance roles, management structures, or close personal connections. Such configurations may raise structural risks under the EU Financial Regulation, notably with respect to:
• independence of partners,
• verification of operational and financial capacity,
• management of conflict-of-interest risks, and
• assurance of sound financial management.
The project concerned is 2023-1-TR01-KA220-VET-000151966 (EcoRehabASD), coordinated by Gazi University, and managed by the Turkish National Agency under the Erasmus+ framework.
⸻
Legal framework
This inquiry relates to the application of:
• Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 (EU Financial Regulation), in particular Articles 61, 136, 198;
• Erasmus+ Programme rules and Model Grant Agreement;
• Article 325 TFEU (protection of the EU’s financial interests);
• The European Parliament’s budgetary-control competences.
⸻
Questions to the Commission
The CONT Committee is respectfully invited to ask the European Commission, in particular DG Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, to clarify the following:
1. Operational and financial capacity
• How did the Commission verify the operational and financial capacity of all partner organisations at application stage for the above-mentioned project?
• What specific documentation and criteria were applied?
2. Conflict-of-interest safeguards
• What checks were performed to identify potential conflicts of interest arising from shared management, governance roles, or close personal links between partner organisations?
• Were additional safeguards applied where multiple partners were structurally interconnected?
3. Evaluation and award phase
• How were evaluators instructed to assess independence of partners and genuine distribution of tasks in cooperation projects?
• Were any risk indicators or red flags identified during evaluation?
4. Monitoring and payments
• What controls were applied to the distribution of EU funds among partners, including pre-financing?
• How does the Commission ensure that funding reflects actual implementation capacity rather than formal participation?
5. Systemic risk management
• Does the Commission consider that existing Erasmus+ rules sufficiently address the risk of recurrent networks of linked entities applying across multiple projects?
• Are additional safeguards or eligibility conditions envisaged (e.g. minimum activity period, enhanced scrutiny for newly created entities)?
6. Parliamentary oversight
• How does the Commission ensure that the European Parliament receives adequate information to exercise effective budgetary control over Erasmus+ spending managed through National Agencies?
⸻
Public-interest dimension
This inquiry concerns the use of EU public funds, the credibility of Erasmus+ cooperation mechanisms, and the Parliament’s responsibility to ensure that EU funding supports genuine, independent, and effective partnerships.
Clarification by the Commission would strengthen transparency, reinforce trust in EU programmes, and help prevent systemic weaknesses that may undermine sound financial management.
⸻
Requested follow-up
The CONT Committee is invited to:
• transmit these questions to the Commission,
• consider requesting a written reply, and
• assess whether further budgetary-control action or recommendations are warranted.
Yours faithfully,
Monika Schwartz
Thank your for your email,
The European Parliament’s offices will be closed from 23 December 2025 to
2 January 2026. Applications for access to documents will not be
registered until 5 January 2026. The period within which a reply must be
given to your applications (15 working days, as laid down in Article 7(1)
of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001) will therefore be calculated from that
date.
Wishing you Merry Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!
Vielen Dank für Ihre Nachricht,
Die Büros des Europäischen Parlaments bleiben vom 23. Dezember 2025 bis
zum 2. Januar 2026 geschlossen. Anträge auf Zugang zu Dokumenten können
erst am 5. Januar 2026 registriert werden. Die Frist von 15 Arbeitstagen
zur Beantwortung Ihrer Anträge (gemäß Artikel 7 Absatz 1 der Verordnung
(EG) Nr. 1049/2001) wird daher ab diesem Datum berechnet.
Wir wünschen Ihnen frohe Feiertage und ein gutes neues Jahr!
Merci pour votre message,
Les bureaux du Parlement européen seront fermés du 23 décembre 2025 au 2
janvier 2026. Les demandes d’accès aux documents ne seront enregistrées
que le 5 janvier 2026. Par conséquent, le délai de 15 jours ouvrables pour
répondre à vos demandes (conformément à l’article 7, paragraphe 1, du
règlement (CE) nº 1049/2001) courra à partir de cette même date.
Bonnes fêtes de fin d’année et à 2026!
Dear Ms Schwartz,
We refer to your correspondence addressed to the European Parliament via
AskTheEU.org.
The role of the Committee on Budgetary Control is to exercise
parliamentary oversight of the implementation of the European Union’s
budget at political level. It is not empowered to carry out administrative
or judicial investigations, to process individual complaints, or to
intervene in specific national or EU procedures.
Without taking any position on the issues raised in your correspondence,
and without prejudice to any assessment by the competent authorities, we
would draw your attention to the following possible channels, depending on
the nature of your concerns:
• European Commission
Questions concerning the management or implementation of individual
Erasmus+ projects fall under the responsibility of the European
Commission, which manages the programme together with the European
Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and National Agencies in
programme countries. Outside the EU, in partner countries participating in
Erasmus+ in the field of higher education, National Erasmus+ Offices act
as local contact points, providing information on the programme, advising
applicants, monitoring projects and maintaining contacts with local
authorities. You may contact the Commission via its public contact portal:
[1]https://european-union.europa.eu/contact...
• European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
OLAF conducts administrative investigations into suspected fraud,
corruption and other serious irregularities affecting the EU budget and
the financial interests of the Union. Information can be submitted,
including anonymously and in any official EU language, via OLAF’s online
reporting system or by post. Further information is available on OLAF’s
“Report fraud” page:
[2]https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu/olaf-and...
• European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO)
In the EU Member States participating in the EPPO, this independent body
is competent to investigate and prosecute criminal offences affecting the
Union’s financial interests. Possible crimes falling within its mandate
can be reported, in any official EU language, via the secure online form
“Report a crime to the EPPO”:
[3]https://www.eppo.europa.eu/en/reporting-...
• Petitions to the European Parliament (PETI Committee)
EU citizens and residents, as well as companies and organisations with
their registered office in an EU Member State, may submit a petition to
the European Parliament on a matter which falls within the European
Union’s fields of activity and affects them directly. Petitions can be
lodged via the European Parliament Petitions Web
Portal: [4]https://www.europarl.europa.eu/petitions...
Any decision on whether to examine particular information or to open an
investigation lies exclusively with the bodies mentioned above, in
accordance with their respective mandates and procedures.
This reply is provided for information purposes only and does not
constitute legal advice, nor does it imply the opening of any procedure by
the Committee on Budgetary Control or by the European Parliament.
We hope this information is helpful, and we thank you for your interest in
the sound management of EU funds.
Kind regards,
CONT - Secretariat
Elisa CAMEIRANO
Administrator for a parliamentary body
European Parliament
Directorate-General for Budgetary Affairs
Directorate for Budget and Budgetary Control
Secretariat of the Committee on Budgetary Control
BRU - KOHL 06Y053 - +32 228 40355
[5][email address]
[6]www.europarl.europa.eu
References
Visible links
1. https://european-union.europa.eu/contact...
2. https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu/olaf-and...
3. https://www.eppo.europa.eu/en/reporting-...
4. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/petitions...
5. mailto:[email address]
6. file:///tmp/www.europarl.europa.eu
CONT Secretariat would like to recall the message, "Access to documents request - Erasmus+ project 2023-1-TR01-KA220-VET-000151966 (EcoRehabASD) – Our reference 2026-0001".
Dear Ms Schwartz,
We refer to your correspondence addressed to the European Parliament via
AskTheEU.org.
The role of the Committee on Budgetary Control is to exercise
parliamentary oversight of the implementation of the European Union’s
budget at political level. It is not empowered to carry out administrative
or judicial investigations, to process individual complaints, or to
intervene in specific national or EU procedures.
Without taking any position on the issues raised in your correspondence,
and without prejudice to any assessment by the competent authorities, we
would draw your attention to the following possible channels, depending on
the nature of your concerns:
• European Commission
Questions concerning the management or implementation of individual
Erasmus+ projects fall under the responsibility of the European
Commission, which manages the programme together with the European
Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and National Agencies in
programme countries. Outside the EU, in partner countries participating in
Erasmus+ in the field of higher education, National Erasmus+ Offices act
as local contact points, providing information on the programme, advising
applicants, monitoring projects and maintaining contacts with local
authorities. You may contact the Commission via its public contact portal:
[1]https://european-union.europa.eu/contact...
• European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
OLAF conducts administrative investigations into suspected fraud,
corruption and other serious irregularities affecting the EU budget and
the financial interests of the Union. Information can be submitted,
including anonymously and in any official EU language, via OLAF’s online
reporting system or by post. Further information is available on OLAF’s
“Report fraud” page:
[2]https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu/olaf-and...
• European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO)
In the EU Member States participating in the EPPO, this independent body
is competent to investigate and prosecute criminal offences affecting the
Union’s financial interests. Possible crimes falling within its mandate
can be reported, in any official EU language, via the secure online form
“Report a crime to the EPPO”:
[3]https://www.eppo.europa.eu/en/reporting-...
• Petitions to the European Parliament (PETI Committee)
EU citizens and residents, as well as companies and organisations with
their registered office in an EU Member State, may submit a petition to
the European Parliament on a matter which falls within the European
Union’s fields of activity and affects them directly. Petitions can be
lodged via the European Parliament Petitions Web
Portal: [4]https://www.europarl.europa.eu/petitions...
Any decision on whether to examine particular information or to open an
investigation lies exclusively with the bodies mentioned above, in
accordance with their respective mandates and procedures.
This reply is provided for information purposes only and does not
constitute legal advice, nor does it imply the opening of any procedure by
the Committee on Budgetary Control or by the European Parliament.
We hope this information is helpful, and we thank you for your interest in
the sound management of EU funds.
Kind regards,
CONT - Secretariat
References
Visible links
1. https://european-union.europa.eu/contact...
2. https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu/olaf-and...
3. https://www.eppo.europa.eu/en/reporting-...
4. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/petitions...