MEP Ramona Manescu: Almost half of the EU Regional Development Funds are suspected of frauds and irregularities

Miercuri, 3 decembrie 2008, 13:29 English | Regional Europe

The Regional Development Committee within the European Parliament voted on Tuesday, December 2 an agreement on the annual anti-fraud report and the protection of EU financial interests in 2007.

Romanian MEP Ramona Manescu declared for HotNews.ro - Euractiv.ro that the report reveals a serious situation regarding the irregularities in the process of EU fund absorption. Overall, the percent of irregularities increased as compared to 2006 by 19.5%. Of these percents, fraud suspicions make up some 15%, Manescu explained.

She added that these problems were also found in Germany, or France or Sweden and pointed out that the issue is not only met in Romania or Bulgaria. However, for both Romania and Bulgaria, there was a separate report of the commission, that registered the progress made by the two countries.

Romania is officially encouraged to continue the measures initially take up to access structural funds and there is no official warning, Manescu pointed out. However, Romania needs to take some serious measures to modify the implementation regulation which are deficient at the moment.

The Commission pushes for the need of a new regulation, the need to classify irregularities which supports the Commission's attempt to obtain more transparency.