06/11/2008: Bulgarian Government's actions to stop fraud not effective.
Since the European Commission's decision concerning the withdrawal of the right of two Bulgarian agencies to manage PHARE Programmes, and interruptions/formal suspensions of EU funds used for ongoing Cohesion Fund projects (ex pre-accession fund projects), Bulgaria has been at the centre of attention. Antonio De Blasio MEP, the European Parliament's Rapporteur on the fight against fraud, has focused criticism on the Bulgarian Government.
"Bulgaria as a country should not be blamed for this. It is the current Bulgarian Government, led by the Socialist Party, which has not been able to end illegal actions concerning EU funds. The government has not been capable of setting up an effective, reliable and transparent management and financial control structure. Networks of interest conflicts in the overall management of EU funds basically make it impossible to clear the system", said De Blasio.
Recent cases, monitoring and on-the-spot (audit) checks show that not much progress has been made since the country's EU accession. "Firstly, there is a lack of knowledge about EU rules and procedures and the basic management know-how is very weak. Also, administrative officials are low paid so bribing is a common practice and a real judiciary reform, which would e.g. enable immediate recoveries, is still pending. Finally, prevention policy is missing and the national audit authority is weak and its independence is questionable", De Blasio stated.
In early October, Antonio De Blasio MEP participated in the fact-finding mission of the European Parliament's Budgetary Control Committee to some of the co-funded project sites in Bulgaria. The aim of the visit was to have a good understanding of the situation as well as to try to find remedies for the current difficulties.
While acknowledging the effort of the organisers, who presented the EU projects honestly, Antonio De Blasio MEP considered that in the following cases, neither the Commission, nor the national authorities prepared and carefully examined the projects:
* The waste-water treatment plant in Balchik (ISPA) will not function for maybe another year because the sewage system will be finished later;
* Darko AD ice-cream company in Sophia (SAPARD) was sold to a 3rd party after the beneficiary renovated and equipped the company with EU funds;
* Construction of the Laiulin motorway, Sofia Ring Road, Daskalovo Road junction (ISPA) raised the question of bribery of the Bulgarian Government by the contractor.
"The Bulgarian people should know that it is their Socialist Government that is to blame for the suspension of EU funds due to their lack of efforts to significantly decrease the number of suspicions and irregular cases".
Antonio De Blasio MEP
май ще ни пуснат всичко след изборите
Since the European Commission's decision concerning the withdrawal of the right of two Bulgarian agencies to manage PHARE Programmes, and interruptions/formal suspensions of EU funds used for ongoing Cohesion Fund projects (ex pre-accession fund projects), Bulgaria has been at the centre of attention. Antonio De Blasio MEP, the European Parliament's Rapporteur on the fight against fraud, has focused criticism on the Bulgarian Government.
"Bulgaria as a country should not be blamed for this. It is the current Bulgarian Government, led by the Socialist Party, which has not been able to end illegal actions concerning EU funds. The government has not been capable of setting up an effective, reliable and transparent management and financial control structure. Networks of interest conflicts in the overall management of EU funds basically make it impossible to clear the system", said De Blasio.
Recent cases, monitoring and on-the-spot (audit) checks show that not much progress has been made since the country's EU accession. "Firstly, there is a lack of knowledge about EU rules and procedures and the basic management know-how is very weak. Also, administrative officials are low paid so bribing is a common practice and a real judiciary reform, which would e.g. enable immediate recoveries, is still pending. Finally, prevention policy is missing and the national audit authority is weak and its independence is questionable", De Blasio stated.
In early October, Antonio De Blasio MEP participated in the fact-finding mission of the European Parliament's Budgetary Control Committee to some of the co-funded project sites in Bulgaria. The aim of the visit was to have a good understanding of the situation as well as to try to find remedies for the current difficulties.
While acknowledging the effort of the organisers, who presented the EU projects honestly, Antonio De Blasio MEP considered that in the following cases, neither the Commission, nor the national authorities prepared and carefully examined the projects:
* The waste-water treatment plant in Balchik (ISPA) will not function for maybe another year because the sewage system will be finished later;
* Darko AD ice-cream company in Sophia (SAPARD) was sold to a 3rd party after the beneficiary renovated and equipped the company with EU funds;
* Construction of the Laiulin motorway, Sofia Ring Road, Daskalovo Road junction (ISPA) raised the question of bribery of the Bulgarian Government by the contractor.
"The Bulgarian people should know that it is their Socialist Government that is to blame for the suspension of EU funds due to their lack of efforts to significantly decrease the number of suspicions and irregular cases".
Antonio De Blasio MEP
май ще ни пуснат всичко след изборите
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