the Court of Auditors points to risks on transport and security

The Court of Auditors points to security and transport as “risks to be circumscribed” for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and also urges the Olympic Games Organizing Committee (Cojo) to speed up the signing of certain contracts, in a report that the AFP obtained Monday January 9 before its publication.

This report, commissioned for a long time, which sweeps all the subjects, must be presented Tuesday to the Assembly and the Senate and published Wednesday. Dated January 2023, it does not however take into account the last Cojo budget revision of December 2022. Another report is planned for the first half of 2023.

“The issues relating to safety and transport remain challenges to be met and must be the subject of particular vigilance by the public authorities and the organizing committee”, notes the Court.

“Stabilize private security needs”

On security, the Court of Auditors recommends “planning the use of internal security forces by ensuring a balance between covering the needs for the Games and those of security throughout the national territory”. It recommends “stabilizing private security needs and establishing alternative measures to overcome its probable shortcomings” because the need for private security agents, more than 20,000 at a minimum, is very likely not to be met. It recommends “finalizing the overall security plan for the Games before the end of the first half of 2023”.

With regard to transport in Île-de-France, “some projects present at this stage uncertainties about their delivery time and increase the tension on the existing transport network”. “Several infrastructure operations (…) present major risks due to already tight schedules and no real room for manoeuvre,” she notes, referring to Eole and the redevelopment of Porte Maillot.

Delay in signing contracts

Regarding the Cojo, which increased its budget by 10% in December, to 4,380 billion euros, the Court exposes several criticisms. She first reports the delay in signing contracts with equipment, such as the Stade de France, which will be used for the Olympics.

“As of early November 2022, only eleven of the planned 80 user agreements had been signed. These successive delays now expose the committee to a proven risk, due to the resulting chain consequences on the preparation of the Games and, in particular, for the conclusion of the negotiations on the outsourced model of delivery of the Games”, worries the Court, requesting that these agreements be signed in early 2023.

On this subject, she mentions “an operational risk and a financial risk”.

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