External consultancy firms

Question for written answer  E-001858/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Hélène Laporte (ID)

Between 2016 and 2019, the Commission spent over EUR 462 million on contracts with PwC, KPMG, Deloitte and EY (the ‘Big Four’).

Much of that money was spent on the structural reform support programme (SRSP) launched in 2017 to provide technical support for structural reform in Member States wishing to pursue such reforms. The support was provided by internal experts, or by experts recruited from other international organisations, NGOs and private companies.

When the SRSP was launched, only EY had been awarded two contracts worth EUR 221 820. At the time, less than 2% of the funding allocated to the programme had been paid to private service providers. By 2019, that share had risen to one third.

• 1.Has the Commission conducted an independent audit of the added value that external consultancies provide to programmes covered by the Commission’s own expertise?
• 2.How can the Commission justify the exponential growth of the Big Four over the years, to the detriment of the internal expertise of international organisations?
• 3.Is the Commission intending to review public invitations to tender and decision-making processes so as to avoid any risk that consultancy firms might influence structural reforms?