One Commission official described the process as part of von der Leyen’s “absolute centralization” drive. However, another official said it was an extension of the Brussels’ plans to change how the long-term budget is distributed, with spending programs merged into two main funds.
The officials said they believe the plan is to have a single centralized service manage EU funds. One senior official said the model is the recovery fund that was set up after Covid (handled by the Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support): with national governments submitting spending plans, cash disbursed based on hitting milestones, and centralized oversight.
“If everything moves to this system, it’s logical to create a service that does exactly that,” the official said of plans for a future DG INVEST.
Commission Executive Vice President Raffaele Fitto last week publicly hinted at the restructuring plans, saying: “Inside DG REGIO we are reflecting on the opportunity and possibility of creating a more efficient DG and identifying the right model.”
The restructuring process is advancing. On the Commission intranet, seen by Playbook, a dedicated “workstream” has been set up, tasked with examining how to “review directorates-general structures and better align them with Commission priorities and the future EU budget.”
The lead on the review is Valère Moutarlier, deputy director-general at the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. Moutarlier and her team’s recommendations will go to former Commission secretary-general Catherine Day in mid-July, according to two officials.
