Brussels, 08/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament notes with concern that the number of fraudulent irregularities reported regarding EU expenditure in 2014 dropped by just 4% in 2014, following a 76% increase in 2013.
In its adoption (576 votes in favour, 50 against and 84 abstentions), in Strasbourg on Tuesday 8 March, of the report by Benedek Jávor (Greens/EFA, Hungary) on the 2014 annual report on the protection of the financial interests of the EU, the EP calls upon the Commission to set up a system of reliable indicators and standard criteria in order to “measure the level of corruption in the member states and assess the measures to fight fraud implemented by the member states”. The Commission is asked to create a corruption index to classify the member states. The EP underlines the importance of access to information and the transparency of lobbying, and recommends the use of EU funds to support the work of independent organisations in this area.
The Commission is urged to maintain its strict policy on the interruption and suspension of payments and to create a “comprehensive system of early detection and exclusion”.
The EP furthermore calls upon the Commission and the member states to draw up coherent national strategies to deal with the irregularities and effectively to fight fraud in the cohesion policy (the Commission interrupted 193 payments made in the framework of the cohesion policy).
The EP stresses that the European Public Prosecutor's Office regulation should also be adopted swiftly and demands that the Council “explain its reasons for delaying the negotiations”.
In its adoption of an amendment tabled by the EFDD group, the EP expresses its concerns about the lack of full transparency concerning the financing of large infrastructure projects. The Commission is requested to consider submitting a proposal that would make compulsory the publication of all financial reports and projects relating to major public works, including documentation on subcontractors. The Commission is also called upon to make public all documentation relating to the Lyon-Turin high-speed rail project and its funding.
Lastly, the MEPs reiterate their request (2013 annual report) for a speedy resolution of the remaining issues between OLAF (European anti-fraud office) and its Supervisory Committee. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)