Brussels, 02/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - A press release published on Monday 2 July indicated that the European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, has helped to settle a dispute between the European Commission and a Belgian NGO, involving an EU funded project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
From 2004 to 2005 the Flemish NGO, Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen, carried out a project helping migrants in the DRC to set up micro-businesses. The total costs of the project amounted to more than €750,000, of which the European Commission covered more than €500,000. The NGO successfully implemented 59 micro-business projects.
During the project, the NGO asked the Commission to accept a simplified cost-reporting method, because it had experienced difficulties in obtaining proper bills or invoices from local entrepreneurs in the DRC. The Commission's contact person agreed in writing.
In 2008, the Commission carried out an audit of the project, which found that there were no supporting documents for certain costs. It then issued a recovery order for €150,000 against the NGO. Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen turned to the ombudsman in 2010, arguing that the recovery order was neither justified nor proportionate. The ombudsman proposed a friendly solution, in which he asked the Commission to verify whether the NGO had complied with the alternative cost-reporting method agreed to in writing by the Commission's contact person and, if so, to consider reimbursing the corresponding amount to the NGO.
The Commission accepted the ombudsman's proposal and refunded more than €100,000 to the NGO. The ombudsman commended the Commission's willingness to review the file. The NGO thanked the ombudsman for helping to solve the problem. (LC/transl.fl)