Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-12-17-Speech-3-343"
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"en.20081217.23.3-343"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen of the Council, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, as rapporteur on OLAF, the European Anti-Fraud Office, one makes interesting discoveries, for example, that everyone talks about combating fraud but no one does anything. Another discovery is that Member States work out all their payments to the European Union to the last cent, but when it comes to spending this money, they start feeling generous and even make it easier for fraudsters, for example, by still taking an average of 36 months to even report irregularities to the European Union. The European Parliament considers this unacceptable. We want to see an effective fight against fraud, one that includes prevention. We want Member States to put the fight against fraud on the agenda and we want to see a joint discussion about what we need and what the problems are.
We want to see the national judicial authorities taking a greater interest in following up the results of OLAF investigations. There must be an end to the legal loopholes that have existed up to now for fiddles. We need European funds to be treated in the same way as national funds. We want an independent office with the resources and legal bases necessary to perform its tasks. We want an office that can work together with Member States quietly and efficiently.
Our opinion on the legal basis, Regulation 1073/99, covers all these points. Our plea is for this Regulation – which is at the heart of OLAF – to be further developed together with the Council. We call on the Council to incorporate our opinion and open talks on the further development of this Regulation. We want to provide a solution to OLAF’s problems.
I wish to thank all the groups in the House for lending their support to this in the form of a resolution, too, on which we shall be voting tomorrow. I would appeal to the French and Czech Council Presidencies to take Parliament’s ball and to pass it back. In our proposals, we have also taken up solutions developed and put forward by the Council working party. I wish to assure you of our interest in bringing this Regulation to a speedy conclusion, and of our willingness to engage in constructive discussions on the basis of our proposals.
Consolidating all the legal bases for OLAF, as the Council envisages, would mean wasting a lot more time over an uncertain outcome. OLAF will soon be celebrating its 10
anniversary. Consolidation would mean a further 10 years without an improvement in the legal basis. We are too serious about combating fraud to let this happen. That is why we want to do what is doable now in cooperation with the Council. Thank you very much."@en1
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