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Almost two years after the investigative report on the misuse of European Union funds intended for agriculture in Albania, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has taken over the investigations into irregularities in the work of the IPARD program.
In a special interview with “Monitor”, Salla Saastamoinen, Deputy Director General of OLAF, said that “33 million euros are potentially inappropriately similar” and that “in response, the European Commission decided to freeze IPARD funds for Albania, with a total amount of 112 million euros.”
"We, as the European Anti-Fraud Office, follow European Union money wherever it goes, even outside the territory of the Union, in candidate countries like Albania," Saastamoinen told Monitor.
According to her, the investigation was not intended to identify whether there was any misuse of ARD funds, which are intended to target the development of rural and modern IP of Albanian agriculture. “We investigated and found evidence that there were irregularities,” she stressed.
The OLAF report was sent to the European Commission for financial recommendations and legal findings, but the competent measures are in the hands of EU authorities and Albanian affairs.
For this reason, the Directorate-General for Agriculture at the European Commission decided to freeze funds until Albania takes the appropriate steps," Saastamoinen explained.
Measures taken in Albania
Following the publication of the findings, the Agency for Agricultural and Rural Development (AZHBR) has initiated procedures to recover funds from beneficiaries that resulted in violations. According to public records, dozens of businesses have been asked to return IPARD grants, while in some cases, documents are being sent for trial.
At the same time, Albania has adopted the National Anti-Fraud Strategy, a document drafted in cooperation with OLAF.
“We have provided feedback on the importance of risk reflection and channels for reporting irregularities,” Saastamoinen told Monitor.
According to her, they are coming with Albanian countries "there are getting fewer of them." At first, she explained, there was uncertainty regarding investigative powers and procedures, but now communication is clearer and Albanian structures are in those areas on the ground.
The IPARD program, with a total fund of 112 million euros, was among the main instruments of the European Union for the entire rural world and Albanian agriculture. OLAF investigations have uncovered irregularities in how the grants were awarded, including suspicions of contracts being manipulated and used for purposes outside the criteria of the clients./Monitor
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