Tony Murphy, President of the European Court of Auditors, and Laima Andrikienė, Member of the European Court of Auditors, visited the Seimas Committees on European Affairs and on Audit

Press release, 17 September 2026 (News ● Photos ● Broadcasts and videos)

The issues discussed at a joint session of the Seimas Committees on Audit and on European Affairs attended by Tony Murphy, President of the European Court of Auditors (ECA), and Laima Andrikienė, Member of the ECA delegated by Lithuania, included gaps in military mobility, funding for the upcoming EU budget, rising EU debt, and support for Ukraine. They presented the ECA’s opinions on the European Union (EU) budget 2028–2034, as well as results of audits related to the priorities of Lithuanian’s Presidency of the Council of the EU.

‘Military mobility is a key element of European security and defence. Therefore, we must not only discuss common EU goals but also assess how much we are actually prepared to quickly and smoothly deploy large-scale military personnel, equipment, and supplies to where they are needed,’ emphasised Rasa Budbergytė, Chair of the Committee on European Affairs.

The discussion highlighted that the uneven progress identified by the ECA indicates that there are gaps remaining in this area. According to the ECA, in order to enhance the impact of EU military mobility, it is necessary to improve its management, ensure greater predictability in terms of its funding, and select dual-use infrastructure projects more transparently and efficiently, especially when planning EU funding after 2027.

The ECA also presented its assessment in separate opinions on twelve draft legislative acts submitted by the European Commission relating to the next seven-year EU budget. The auditors warn that unless new sources of EU revenue are approved, the European Union’s budget may fall short of funds needed to cover planned expenditure. In that case, the Member States would have to either increase their contributions to the EU budget or to impose cuts on planned spending. Furthermore, the proposed additional borrowing would significantly increase the EU’s debt. The auditors also point out that merging different policy areas into common funding instruments may make it more difficult to achieve the objectives of individual policy areas, as decisions would have to be made as to which priorities should receive more funding.

Artūras Zuokas, Chair of the Committee on Audit, raised the issue of the sharp increase in the EU’s debt and noted that this debt and the burden of managing it are borne by all EU citizens.

ECA Member Ms Andrikienė presented the issue of support for Ukraine in the context of the multiannual financial framework, including large-scale loans, grants, and budget guarantees. Implementing these measures would require additional EU borrowing, and in the event that the loans were not repaid, any potential losses would be covered from the share of the reserve provided for in the new EU multiannual budget. This could place an additional financial burden on EU Member States. The auditors recommend mitigating these risks and allowing for additional provisions so that the reserve is not the sole source for covering potential losses.

During the discussion, Auditor General Irena Segalovičienė also drew attention to the ECA’s special report “EU transport infrastructure” and the audit being conducted by the National Audit Office regarding the Rail Baltica project.

The chairs and members of the Committees expressed gratitude to the European Court of Auditors for its work, ongoing close professional cooperation, and the warm atmosphere of communication that has developed through the long-standing relationship between the institutions.

The European Court of Auditors is the EU’s independent external audit institution, which safeguards the interests of EU taxpayers. The ECA’s main task is to assess the economy, effectiveness, efficiency, lawfulness, and regularity of EU action in order to improve accountability, transparency, and financial management. The ECA also reports to European citizens on how EU funds are spent.

Prepared by

Aistė Pikiotienė, Adviser, Office of the Committee on European Affairs of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 209 6864

Eglė Šukytė, Adviser, Office of the Committee on Audit of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 209 6342