EU funds distribution must become more fair and transparent

27.04.2021 14:11

EU funds distribution must become more fair and transparent

Budget Discharge

The EPP Group is unhappy with how the distribution of certain EU funds is administered. Today, the Group will vote in favour of the budgetary discharge of the European Commission, however, strongly calls for greater fairness and transparency in the distribution of EU funds. Funds must be disbursed quickly, but well controlled. The EU needs a digital interoperable database of final beneficiaries and a cap on how much a natural person can receive in agricultural subsidies.

Markus Pieper MEP, the EPP Group’s negotiator for the budgetary discharge of the European Commission, said: “We need clear information about the real beneficiaries of EU funds and no back doors. The EU faces major challenges as unused funds continue to grow to €298 billion. Taxpayers want to see their money invested quickly in the regions. However, not at the expense of fairness and transparency. Budget control capacities must be increased, procedures made shorter, and rules made simpler.”

Monika Hohlmeier MEP, Chairwoman of the Budgetary Control Committee of the European Parliament, added: “There are almost 300 different reporting systems containing information about the beneficiaries of EU funding. This adds unnecessary complexity and makes it impossible to get a quick overview of who really benefits from EU money and to what extent. The EPP Group therefore insists on a digital interoperable system for all funds distributed in the EU. We expect the Commission to include this when proposing the new Financial Regulation.”

Tomáš Zdechovský MEP, EPP Group Spokesman for Budgetary Control, concluded: “58% of agricultural direct payments goes to 15% of all beneficiaries. This is why we want to cap how much an owner of a big conglomerate can receive from direct payments to their daughter companies. This is also part of the ongoing negotiations on the new Common Agricultural Policy.”

Note to editors

The EPP Group is the largest political group in the European Parliament with 175 Members from all EU Member States

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