NEWS

MEPs demand freezing community funds to member states that do not respect the separation of powers or fight fraud and corruption.

The European Commission, assisted by independent experts in constitutional law and financial matters, may assess whether a Member State does not respect the principles of the rule of law, pursues tax fraud and corruption or if it implements the EU budget correctly.

In cases of deficiencies in the management of the budget of a member state, the Commission may, for example, reduce pre-financing and suspend payments once Parliament and the Council approve the measures. The new rules will come into force in the terms of the next long-term EU budget (MFP) for the period 2021-2027.

Safeguard democracy

MEPs emphasized on January 16 in a debate with the Commissioner for Budgets, Günther Oettinger, the need to defend the rule of law to safeguard democracy.

The rapporteur of the Committee on Budgets, the Spanish Socialist MEP Eider Gardiazabal Rubial stressed that "we are not in an à la carte Europe where we can hold on to rights and not to duties." "And what happens after becoming part of the EU? Does it mean that they passed the exam and can do what they want? Obviously not. The test must be continuous," he said, noting that if a country adheres to the Union, It must meet a series of economic, political, fiscal and judicial criteria, so the process is long.

The Commissioner for Budgets stressed that the EU will make better use of the next long-term budget, since with the new mechanism it will serve to protect Europe, its budget and its citizens against abuse, fraud and any misuse of onfos.

"If there are problems with users, Member States, regions or local authorities that must be resolved, sometimes they end up in the courts. In this case, we must ensure that in each Member State the courts are impartial, that the State of law prevails and there are guarantees of impartial decisions by impartial judges, "continued the commissioner.

The chairman of the Committee on Budgetary Control, the German MEP of the European People's Group Ingeborg Grässle, stressed the problems that arise when government representatives benefit from their position to enrich themselves or their friends: "They are getting money European illegally and also using it illegally. The new instrument will allow us to manage these issues. "

Protection of final beneficiaries

The legislative project includes that although the affected government is going, for example, to interrupt the payment terms, it will still be obliged to develop the program or project and must therefore pay the final beneficiaries, such as. The Commission will assist interested parties to ensure that they receive the corresponding funds.

The president of the Regional Development Commission, Bulgarian Liberal MEP Iskra Mihaylova, and the rapporteur of the Committee on Budgetary Control, Petri Sarvamaa (PPE, Finland), stressed that we must ensure that researchers, civil society organizations or citizens do not affect the freezing of funds.

Polish conservative MEP Ryszard Czarnecki said Europe needs to be protected from those who want to destroy it. "But the question is who is it who wants to destroy Europe?" Are those who have provoked the wave of Euroscepticism in the Member States, or are those who are interfering with internal affairs in the Member States? "He questioned.

Next steps

The new legislative project, approved in the past plenary session of Parliament, will now have to be negotiated with EU ministers, who have not yet adopted their position.