Brussels, 24/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - European Ombudsman P. Nikiforos Diamandouros has helped to settle a dispute between the European Commission and the NGO Migration Policy Group (MPG) concerning an EU project launched as part of the “European Migration Dialogue”. After an audit, the Commission issued a recovery order for more than €130,000 because MPG had delivered supporting documents for staff costs too late. The Commission eventually accepted a friendly solution proposal from the ombudsman and refunded €70,000 to the NGO.
From 2004 to 2005, the non-profit NGO Migration Policy Group carried out an EU-funded project on “European Migration Dialogue - linking the national and European debates on integration”. The project involved more than 20 partner NGOs and its total costs amounted to more than €600,000. In October 2009, an audit of the project resulted in a recovery order for more than €130,000 because supporting documents for staff costs had been delivered too late (the Commission had given one extension). The complainant justified the delay by referring to difficulties it had experienced in obtaining the relevant documents from more than 20 partner NGOs on time. Given that the Commission did not accept its arguments, MPG lodged a complaint with the ombudsman regarding what it called the “disproportionate” nature of the recovery order. (OL/transl.jl)