The findings of a delegation of MEPs who visited Slovakia on 8‑9 March to look into the situation on the ground about te murder of Ján Kuciak, are debated in the Civil Liberties (LIBE) and Budget Control (CONT) committees in the EP in Brussels. This will feed into a resolution to be voted on during the 16‑19 April plenary session in Strasbourg. Statements by Claude MORAES (S&D, UK), Ingeborg GRÄSSLE (EPP, DE), Roberta METSOLA (EPP, MT) and Benedek JÁVOR (Greens/EFA, HU).

Exchange of views on the follow-up of the fact finding mission: extracts from the statements by Ingeborg GRÄSSLE (EPP, DE) and Claude MORAES (S&D, UK)

SOUNDBITE (English), Claude MORAES (S&amp;D, UK), The delegation met with a wide range of State and government representatives, law enforcement authorities and also NGOs involved in the fight against corruption, journalists and representatives of the protestors.

SOUNDBITE (English), Claude MORAES (S&amp;D, UK), Concerns were raised on the access to justice in relation to court proceedings and prosecution and also possible conflict of interest in the existing legislation which might jeopardising the independence of investigations and prosecution. There were concerns regarding the result of the anti-corruption fight. We found issues of importance in relation to independence investigative journalism. There were concerns over the involvement of mafia and the presence of organise crime in the country.

SOUNDBITE (German), Ingeborg GR&#196;SSLE (EPP, DE), His last article is about agriculture funding and the alleged link between the 'Ndrangheta and agriculture funds. We look at agriculture issues. We can do this in great detail with DG AGRI with us this afternoon. 23 percent of funds do not have a clearly defined proprietor.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA (EPP, MT), We know what happened in Malta nearly six months ago. Our leading anti-corruption journalist Dafne Caruana Galizia was assassinated and she was essentially doing what J&aacute;n Kuciak was doing, that means exposing the links between dirty money, doggy banks and corrupt politicians.

SOUNDBITE (English), Benedek J&#193;VOR (Greens/EFA, HU), i think that also on the European level we have to improve the protection of investigative journalists, including European anti-slapp rules and to adopt as soon as possible better protection for whistle-blowers which is in the pipeline of the Commission. I think we have to speed up the work. Also, we have to consider to set up an independent financial scheme for independent media. There are ongoing OLAF investigations already, I think it is an important step. I will be very happy to see and I will propose to the Committee to ask the Court of Auditors to check the Slovakian agriculture payments in a more systemic way.

SOUNDBITE (English), DG AGRI representative, We did find that for direct payments there seems to be an issue with land ownership and there are some hints that agriculture subsidies have been paid for areas which are owned by someone else other than the beneficiary or land that maybe have been leased from the Slovak land fund. I did not find any really firm grounds that direct payments have been illegible

Exchange of views on the follow-up of the fact finding mission: extracts from the statements by Ingeborg GRÄSSLE (EPP, DE) and Claude MORAES (S&D, UK)

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