The challenges of policy oversight for the new European Parliament: how the committee system is adapting in its scrutiny of budgetary expenditure

In its scrutiny role the European Parliament (EP) makes wide use of a number of informational resources, some of which are filtered and provided by the European Parliament Research Service (EPRS). These inputs into process of deliberating on the performance of policy financed by the EU budget include ex-post evaluations and, in particular, the special reports (performance audits) conducted by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). Effective scrutiny is fundamental for the throughout legitimacy of the policy-making process. Traditionally the EP’s Budgetary Control Committee (CONT) has scrutinised past expenditure across all policy domains, but very recently the standing committees have taken up a more retrospective perspective, examining how policy has fared. Such insights and learning should help the co-legislator deliver improved regulation and better policy instruments. However, the new legislature (2019-2024) saw one-third of new MEPs brought into the committees, many from populist and nationalist parties and with no necessary prior knowledge of scrutiny processes. This article explores how new committee members adapt to parliamentary work, raising questions concerning the impact of Euroscepticism on effective committee scrutiny. It engages with the literature on scrutiny, committees and deliberative institutionalism, while also charting the change in EP-ECA inter-institutional relations.