Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-05-16-Speech-2-044"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2000-05-16"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Protecting the Communities’ financial interests and the fight against fraud2
dcterms:Language	"fi"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20000516.4.2-044"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2000-05-16-Speech-2-0452
lpv:speaker	lp:Heidi Hautala2
lpv:spokenAs	member; Conference of Presidents (1999-07-20--2002-01-07)3 substitute; Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy (1999-07-22--2002-01-14)3 chair; G/EFA (1999-07-20--2002-01-07)3 member; Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3 member; Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3 unknown; Vihreät (1999-07-20--2003-03-25)3 member; Delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway (1999-09-28--2002-01-14)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, I speak on behalf of the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market. I am standing in for the draftsman of the opinion of the Committee, my colleague Mr MacCormick, who is unable to be here today. In our Community, there is hardly anything worse than fraud to undermine public confidence in the activities of the Union, and so the views of the rapporteur deserve our full support. Fraud, of course, affects only a small fraction – i.e. just over 1 % – of the EU’s total budget, but it is a very serious problem which seems to extend to almost all political sectors. The EU budget, however, is largely administered within the Member States, and this is where huge potential for fraud exists. We must also remember that applicant countries, i.e. the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, should be involved in this fraud prevention process for the very reason that such a large share of the Community budget is administered within the Member States. So far, fewer than half of the Member States have ratified the protocol on protecting the Union’s financial interests. This process should therefore be speeded up considerably. Furthermore, some Member States are particularly unwilling to undertake the mutual exchange of information concerning fraud. Therefore it is important for Member States to have a direct obligation to report cases of VAT fraud, for example, to the Commission. It is quite appropriate to examine the possibilities of creating the post of public prosecutor, expressly from the point of view of the fight against fraud, and this should be done, but even that will be to no avail, if the Member States lack the political will to protect the Communities’ financial interests. As far as OLAF’s position is concerned, it is important to protect its independence and equally important for the European Parliament to come to an agreement with OLAF with regard to the conditions on which Parliament can obtain information about its operations."@en1

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