Can an institution demand repayment of EU financing years later?
23.10.2025
state aid & EU internal market regulation
Contrary to popular belief, funding institutions’ claims for reimbursement of EU financing are not eternal. The national and EU regulations provide certain timeframes beyond which the institution loses the right to demand return of the funds. More and more frequently businesses which carried out and accounted for projects years before, financed from EU funds, are now receiving demands to repay the funds, often in connection with irregularities uncovered in subsequent audits. Does the institution still have the right to demand repayment five, eight, or even ten years after the project is completed?
