{"id":6162,"date":"2026-03-02T19:50:34","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T18:50:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ak-law.pl\/blog\/project-sustainability-can-a-project-still-be-subject-to-control-after-completion\/"},"modified":"2026-09-23T11:25:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T09:25:23","slug":"project-sustainability-can-a-project-still-be-subject-to-control-after-completion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ak-law.pl\/en\/blog\/project-sustainability-can-a-project-still-be-subject-to-control-after-completion\/","title":{"rendered":"Final payment and project sustainability \u2013 when can a project control take place?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The final payment and project sustainability are directly linked, as the date of the final payment usually marks the beginning of the sustainability period. Receipt of the final payment closes the project settlement stage, but it does not mean that all of the funding recipient\u2019s obligations have come to an end. A project is usually required to maintain sustainability for the following years, during which the funding institution may verify whether the sustainability requirements continue to be met. Importantly, the Project Control Guidelines<\/a> provide for a separate control of project sustainability. <\/p>\n\n

Final payment and project sustainability \u2013 how long does the sustainability period last?<\/h2>\n\n

The principal provision governing project sustainability is Article 65 of Regulation (EU) 2021\/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n

For projects involving investment in infrastructure or productive investment, the sustainability period is generally five years from the date of the final payment to the funding recipient. In the case of SMEs, this period may be reduced to three years in relation to maintaining the investment or jobs, where permitted by the applicable rules. <\/p>\n\n

The date of the final payment therefore has significance beyond the settlement of the final payment application itself. It also marks the beginning of the period during which the funding institution may verify whether the project sustainability requirements are being met. <\/p>\n\n

What is a project sustainability control?<\/h2>\n\n

The Guidelines on controls of cohesion policy programmes for 2021\u20132027 provide for a sustainability control as a separate type of control carried out after completion of project implementation.<\/p>\n\n

Its primary purpose is to verify whether, in relation to the co-financed investment, any of the circumstances referred to in Article 65 of the Common Provisions Regulation has occurred. In particular, this involves assessing whether the conditions on which the project received funding have been maintained during the sustainability period. <\/p>\n\n

For the funding recipient, it is therefore important to distinguish between two stages. Completion of project implementation and settlement of the final payment mark the end of the implementation stage. The sustainability period constitutes a subsequent stage in the performance of obligations arising from the funding received. <\/p>\n\n

What can the funding institution verify during a sustainability control?<\/h2>\n\n

The scope of a sustainability control may be broader than merely establishing whether the investment is still operational. Under the Guidelines, the control may also cover other matters subject to verification after completion of project implementation. The institution may examine, among other things: <\/p>\n\n