Μake us preferred on Google Government contracts worth a combined €1.24 billion attracted just one bid each, according to a report by Greece’s Court of Audit that raises concerns about competition, transparency and the oversight of public spending. The court’s 2025 annual report also found that contracts worth nearly €874 million failed mandatory legal reviews, while several government ministries struggled to maintain accurate procurement records. The findings come as the government faces pressure to make better use of public funds, particularly money available through the European Union’s post-pandemic recovery program.
Nearly Half of Public Tenders Attracted Just One Bid
The Court of Audit examined 14,630 government contracts worth approximately €4.1 billion. The review covered contracts awarded in 2024 as well as older agreements that remained in effect. Of the contracts put out to competitive tender, 43% attracted only one bid. The proportion rose to 61% for contracts awarded directly or negotiated without a public call for bids. The contracts that attracted just one offer were worth a combined €1.24 billion. Of that amount, €879.2 million involved competitive tenders, while another €362.71 million concerned contracts handled through exceptional procurement procedures.
A single bid is not evidence of wrongdoing or overpricing, but it limits the government’s ability to secure better prices and contract terms. The Court of Audit warned that a lack of competition could undermine transparency, equal access to government contracts and the proper management of public money.
Ministry Records Contain Errors and Discrepancies
The auditors identified two problems with government procurement records. At five ministries, the number of contracts reported did not match the number listed in the central public procurement database. Three ministries were also found to have entered incorrect information into the system. The discrepancies in contract numbers involved the ministries of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, National Economy and Finance, Maritime Affairs, Justice and Citizen Protection. Incorrect entries were found at the ministries of National Economy and Finance, Culture and Citizen Protection.
Such inconsistencies make it harder to establish which contracts have been awarded and on what terms. The court said the lack of a comprehensive, standardized system for recording government contracts made it difficult to obtain reliable information and increased the risk of errors, omissions and duplicate entries.
Nearly €874 Million in Contracts Ruled Unlawful
The Court of Audit also found that nearly €874 million in government contracts failed to meet legal requirements in 2025 and could not proceed. The rejected contracts accounted for 4.9% of the €18 billion worth of agreements the court reviewed before they were signed. In all, the court issued 4,180 decisions as part of the review process. The total included €188.84 million in contracts financed fully or partly through the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. The court examined approximately €4 billion worth of contracts funded by the program. The figures exclude value-added tax.
EU Recovery Fund Spending Presents a Mixed Picture
The report also identified a substantial gap between the amount Greece spent from its EU recovery funds in 2024 and the money paid out since the program began. Payments reached approximately 94% of the funds budgeted for that year. However, across 792 approved projects with combined budgets of €25.28 billion, total payments since the start of the program stood at €8.64 billion at the end of 2024, equivalent to just 34.17%. That figure reflects the amount of money paid out, rather than the proportion of work actually completed.
The figures show that while Greece spent nearly all the recovery funding budgeted for 2024, most of the money allocated to the projects examined had yet to be disbursed.
Together, the findings point to shortcomings in how government contracts are awarded and recorded, as well as the difficulties of assessing the progress of major public investments based on annual spending figures alone.
Source: OT.gr
