In Strasbourg on Tuesday, 17 December, Johannes Hahn, the European Commissioner for the Budget, told MEPs that “the Commission takes any allegation of suspicion of fraud and misuse of funds very seriously”, in order to reassure them regarding the conflict of interest involving Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (see EUROPE 12384/8).
During a plenary debate on the subject of conflicts of interest and corruption that affect protection of the EU's financial interests in the Member States, Monika Hohlmeier (EPP, Germany), chair of the European Parliament Committee on Budgetary Control, called in particular for an extension to the European Commission's powers to impose preventative measures and make immediate adjustments “when national management and control systems fail”.
Tomáš Zdechovský (EPP, Czech Republic) stressed that those who decide on the future of the EU budget should not own companies that receive EU subsidies, referring to Andrej Babiš's situation and similar cases in Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Malta.
Isabel Garcia Muñoz (S&D, Spain) said there was an urgent need for effective mechanisms to prevent conflicts of interest.
Martina Dlabajová (Renew Europe, Czech Republic) stressed that the ongoing discussions on the EU's next multiannual financial framework (MFF) provide an opportunity to establish clear rules and rectify any flaws in the system.
Viola von Cramon-Taubadel (Greens-EFA, Germany) called for the establishment of a European Prosecutor's Office to arrest oligarchs who escape prosecution at national level.
Mr Hahn stated that the Commission had reacted very quickly by launching an immediate audit in the Czech Republic. “We have procedures we must follow”, he added. He supported both the confidentiality of the audit reports and the right of reply. He finished by saying that “we must also give the courts time to act: November 2020 is the date set by the Attorney General for the case to be settled”. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)