The European Commission has assured, on Monday 4 November, that it has "no tolerance" for fraudulent subsidies under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), in response to an article in the New York Times on how some politicians in Eastern Europe receive agricultural subsidies.
"The Commission has no tolerance for fraud involving European funds and, therefore, insists on a clear commitment by all Member States to prevent fraud", said a Commission spokesman.
Another spokesperson for the institution gave reassurance that the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) was investigating such allegations, while specifying that responsibility for the proper management of funds lay with the Member States. We are not here to replace national governments", said the spokeswoman.
According to the New York Times, part of the CAP's agricultural subsidies benefit "oligarchs and political patrons", particularly in Hungary and the Czech Republic. The newspaper estimates that "the companies of Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš collected at least $42 million in agricultural subsidies last year", (see EUROPE 12267/4). The Commission regularly carries out audits, notably in the Czech Republic and Hungary, explained the Commission spokesman. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)