Ombudsman asks Commission how it ensures EU funds for Greek border management do not contribute to fundamental rights violations

The European Ombudsman has opened an inquiry into how the European Commission ensures EU funds granted to Greece for border management do not contribute to fundamental rights violations.

The inquiry follows a complaint from civil society organisations, which alleges that funding allocated to Greece through the EU’s Internal Security Fund (ISF) is contributing to human rights violations on the country’s border with Türkiye. The complainants argue that the Commission has failed to investigate persistent allegations of rights violations caused by the misuse of ISF funds by Greek beneficiaries.

As a first step, the Ombudsman has sent a series of questions to the Commission. They cover topics such as what measures the Commission has in place to monitor ISF spending, if allegations of fundamental rights violations have had an impact in its approach to allocating new EU funds to Greece, and what procedures it has in place to enforce fundamental rights requirements when it comes to funding border management activities. The Ombudsman has asked the Commission to reply by 15 February 2024. (source: ombudsman.europa.eu/ photo: freepik.com)

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