A delegation of six Members, led by chair of Budgetary Control committee Monika Hohlmeier (EPP, DE), looks into ongoing issues with the protection of the EU budget and the rule of law conditionality mechanism in Hungary. Members also want to check the control systems and procedures in place to manage the recovery and resilience funding. Monika HOHLMEIER (EPP, DE), makes a preliminary statement on the program and expectations of the delegation.

statement

meeting

EP delegation

Committee on Budgetary Control

EU - Hungary (T)

Budgetary control (T2)

HOHLMEIER, Monika (EPP, DE)

SARVAMAA, Petri (EPP, FI)

Budapest

FREUND, Daniel (Greens/EFA, DE)

WOLTERS, Lara (S&D, NL)

Fact-finding mission of the EP CONT Committee to Budapest (Hungary): opening statement by Monika HOHLMEIER (EPP, DE), Head of the delegation

Exterior, European Parliament Liaison Office, Budapest, Hungary, 3 shots

Interior, European Parliament Liaison Office, Budapest, Hungary, 1 shot

Round table shots of preparatory meeting, 4 shots

SOUNDBITE in EN, Monika HOHLMEIER (EPP, DE), Head of th edelegation, So the Budgetary Control Committte today is on a fact-finding mission to Hungary here in the Budapest. We start with a lot of talk with stakeholders with NGOs, with civil society with different kinds of companies, with local authorities, with the parliament of Hungary and from parlamentarians stemming from different political parties. And we are talking with different ministries including Minister NAVRACSICS and with the mayor of Budapest, Mr KARACSONY and the same time the Director General of the audit of the EU funds (EUTAF).

SOUNDBITE in EN, Monika HOHLMEIER (EPP, DE), Head of th edelegation, Our aim is here in Hungary to do a thourough check if everybody, let's say the vast majority of the population, profits from the EU funds, if the EU funds are really properly spent. The Commission was informing us that there were again manipulation of tenders, for us it's very important the tenders are held in a neutral way, so that every company or every NGO, everybody who is able to access European Funds has the right to do so and is treated neutrally. So that European are really going to the profit of the vast majority of the population. Regardless of political issues, regardless of different other issues. So a tender must be neutral.

SOUNDBITE in EN, Monika HOHLMEIER (EPP, DE), Head of th edelegation, Secondly, we were informed of several problems in the area of the internal market, in the access to all this kind of European funds. So we will listen to the differents stakeholders to hear, to get an impression what is going on. We do this in different member states and the decisions with who we are speaking are taken by the coordinators. This means by the different political parties so that here we are here as European Parliament and not as stakeholders for our political groups. We are here as Budgetary Control Committee and we are the Committee that is always very linked to proper and good procedures and to the neutrality.