Spain's Transport Ministry seeks return of EU bus funds from Madrid

Spain's Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, has formally requested that the Community of Madrid return a portion of the European Next Generation funds allocated for the purchase of electric and low-emission buses.

The Ministry claims that the aid was calculated based on the price difference between combustion engine vehicles and subsidized electric models. However, during the justification phase required by the European Commission, it was discovered that some acquired vehicles had a lower price than the one used to calculate the subsidy.

This marks the second time the Ministry has made such a claim. While other autonomous communities have already returned excess payments, the regional government of Madrid, led by Isabel Díaz Ayuso, previously rejected an initial request for reimbursement.