During the plenary session (16-19 December 2019) of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs ask the Commission to propose measures to protect the EU's finances, following reports of land grabbing and abuse of power in some member states. Statements by Johannes HAHN, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ (EPP, CZ), Martina DLABAJOVÁ (RE, CZ), Joachim KUHS (ID, DE), Bert-Jan RUISSEN (ECR, NL), Márton GYÖNGYÖSI (NI, HU), Veronika VRECIONOVÁ (ECR, CZ), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ) and Jiří POSPÍŠIL (EPP, CZ).

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

ŠOJDROVÁ, Michaela (EPP, CZ)

fight against organised crime, corruption and money laundering (T)

HAHN, Johannes (AT)

ZDECHOVSKÝ, Tomáš (EPP, CZ)

DLABAJOVÁ, Martina (Renew, CZ)

POSPÍŠIL, Jiří (EPP, CZ)

VRECIONOVÁ, Veronika (ECR, CZ)

GYÖNGYÖSI, Márton (NI, HU)

RUISSEN, Bert-Jan (ECR, NL)

KUHS, Joachim (ID, DE)

Conflict of interest and corruption affecting the protection of EU's financial interests in Member States: extracts of the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Johannes HAHN, Commissioner-designate, Budget and Administration, In relation to the Czech Republic, the commission has communicated its final audit results for the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund to the member state for the whole development investment measures. The commission has communicated its findings to the member states.

SOUNDBITE (English), Johannes HAHN, Commissioner-designate, Budget and Administration, The commission will follow up on information or complaints with respect to conflict of interests in all member states.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tom&#225;&#353; ZDECHOVSK&#221; (EPP, CZ), MEP 8 - 9th parliamentary terms, Can you imagine if Angela Merkel, or Sebastian Kurz would be deciding on the future EU budget and at the same time they will be owners of hundreds of companies that will receive benefits and subsidies from the European budget? If you can't imagine that, then I think that we are well placed at this particular debate and we can say that the one who allocates EU subsidies and funds cannot be its big beneficiary.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tom&#225;&#353; ZDECHOVSK&#221;, MEP 8 - 9th parliamentary terms, I think that debates this debate should be globally, not just about the Czech Republic, but also Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria or even Malta, where politics is closely linked with corruption or even with European subsidies and European aid. This grants, of course, huge opportunities, these funds, but they also present opportunities for various groups.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martina DLABAJOV&#193; (RE, CZ), MEP 8 - 9th parliamentary terms, The question is not only how to make use of the EU funds effectively, but to what is at stake is the credibility and very sense of Europe being spent.

SOUNDBITE (English), Joachim KUHS (ID, DE), MEP 9th parliamentary term, You'll find wonderful programs. We put the money into funds and we create incentives so that member states play along Budget Control Committee.

SOUNDBITE (English), Joachim KUHS (ID, DE), MEP 9th parliamentary term, We are very concerned when we note that the risk of improper use of EU funds in important areas like agriculture and cohesion, the supervision of the way in which EU money is spent is, of course, a shared responsibility for the Commission of Member States when it comes to agriculture.

SOUNDBITE (English), Bert-Jan RUISSEN (ECR, NL), MEP 9th parliamentary term, Supervision of the way which EU money is spent is of course a shared responsability for the Comission and the member states. When it comes to agriculture, we have a good system with recognized bodies and supervision through the European Commission - OLAF.

SOUNDBITE (English), Bert-Jan RUISSEN (ECR, NL), MEP 9th parliamentary term, The crucial question we have to address, however, President, is what can we do to ensure that the money is paid to the people who deserve it? Hardworking farmers. How can we ensure it doesn't end up in the pockets of people who simply don't need this money?

SOUNDBITE (English), M&#225;rton GY&#214;NGY&#214;SI (NI, HU), We are discussing here basically two funds which have served the purpose of enhancing European competitiveness in the agricultural sector and elsewhere. CFP and cohesion funds, in contrast to the grand ideals, both have become the hotbeds of corruption.

SOUNDBITE (English), Veronika VRECIONOV&#193; (ECR, CZ), MEP 9th parliamentary term, The Czech government does not want to publish the audit because allegedly the European Commission treats it as confidential. The government doesn't even provide the audit results to the bodies who decide about subsidies. So in this case, they pay the beneficiaries from the Czech budget. The beneficiaries among whom is a large Czech oligarch.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela &#352;OJDROV&#193; (EPP, CZ), MEP 8 - 9th parliamentary terms, Czech citizens who fear influencing the media and administration as well as courts by the prime minister because he is powerful. Therefore, people get through the streets repeatedly in the initiative: A million moments for democracy, who demands the Prime Minister to step down.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ji&#345;&#237; POSP&#205;&#352;IL (EPP, CZ), MEP 8 - 9th parliamentary terms, Please ensure that this audit is done in such a way that people can really understand the arguments and that they believe them as well, so that the money that we're sending out actually goes where it needs to.