On Monday, 4 December, members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) adopted—by a large majority (17 votes in favour, none against, and 2 abstentions)—the draft report by Maria Grapini (S&D, Romanian) assessing the level of protection of European funds in 2022 and the fight against fraud.
As the number of cases of fraud recorded by European and national authorities increased in 2022, MEPs are advocating intensifying the fight against corruption and irregularities that affect the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance in particular. They also want to ensure the financial interests of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF)—the budgetary instrument of the European recovery plan NextGenerationEU—are sufficiently protected.
Shortcomings in Member States’ reporting and control systems and specific characteristics of the RRF spending model were notably pointed out for their lack of effectiveness in assessing the European Commission’s method of suspending payments.
While the €6.3 billion in funds earmarked for Hungary under the RRF were, incidentally, suspended for failure to comply with the rule of law, MEPs are concerned about a payment potentially being made to Budapest in exchange for its approving further financial aid to Ukraine.
The adopted text recommends that the European Commission carry out more thorough controls on funds allocated to aid in third countries, including Ukraine.
It also proposes creating an autonomous budget for the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) – Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, and Sweden being called upon to join the EPPO so as to support its work in the fight against fraud.
Link to the draft report: https://aeur.eu/f/9za (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)