A delegation of the Budgetary Control Committee (CONT) goes on a fact-finding mission to Prague, to meet with farmers, NGOs, members of the judiciary and government and ask questions on how EU funds are distributed and accessed. Alerted by reports of a possible conflict of interest of Czechia’s Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, MEPs want to make sure that Czech taxpayers’ money benefits the public good and not only a few privileged individuals. Meeting with Miloslav KALA, President of the Supreme Audit Office and statement by Monika HOHLMEIER (EPP, DE), Head of the EP Delegation.

statement

meeting

visit

EP delegation

Committee on Budgetary Control

HOHLMEIER, Monika (EPP, DE)

EU - Czechia (T)

Czechia

Prague

CONT Fact-finding mission to Czech Republic: meeting with Miloslav KALA, President of the Supreme Audit Office and statement by Monika HOHLMEIER (EPP, DE), Head of the EP Delegation

Title: CONT Fact-finding mission to Czech Republic: meeting with Miloslav KALA, President of the Supreme Audit Office and statement by Monika HOHLMEIER (EPP, DE), Head of the EP Delegation (I-185113)

Arrival of EP delegation to meet with Mr Kala, President of the Supreme Audit Office 

SOUNDBITE in EN, Monika HOHLMEIER, (EPP, DE), Head of the EP delegation:  So I think that our journey was really very valuable. This fact finding mission allowed us to speak to NGOs, to speak to investigative journalists, but at the same time State related authorities. And it was very interesting to see on on one hand that there are a lot of positive signs of the EU subsidies in the Czech Republic as we saw it with the laser centre, but on the other side, we saw certain problems in the interpretation and legal interpretation of the issue of conflict of interest. And in the distribution of EU funds to different projects when there are possible conflicts of interest or possible misuse. And there I think we have to intensify our work on certain transparency questions, on certain questions. Who is responsible for the distribution and who is responsible for the control or for the possible misuse indicators of conflicts of interest? There are even more questions than we had before, but we have new information, so we will bring the new information to the European Commission and to the controlling authorities.

SOUNDBITE in DE: Monika Hohlmeier: We have spoken with authorities, NGO's and investigative journalists and we saw clearly the existing problems. We have to check and analyse several questions and information that we received, also transmit this to the European Commission. In general we see different law approaches. The clear approach in the European Union is that we need to avoid conflict of interests and to avoid any possible misuse of money and therefore we need rules. By first impression this is in the Czech Republic not directly evidently fundable in the authority structures or in the political structure, therefore we need to deepen here our analysis. I think I come back with some answers but I come back with many supplementary questions, because I believe we have to defend a very clear approach in Europe. The money of the tax payers should not be allowed to be used by some who has profound knowledge of politics, which could then by them used for own purposes, in own company's for example. And would make the person or company to a large receiver.

SOUNDBITE (German), Monika HOHLMEIER (EPP, DE), We have exiting discussion ahead of us.

Atmosphere shots from the meeting, 10 shots