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Brussels does not hide it: Albania remains a problem for abuse of European funds!
The European Union has dealt a strong blow to the government regarding the abuse of funds coming from Brussels.
" Pamphlet " has been reporting for two days that a delegation consisting of MEPs had arrived in Tirana, with a focus on controlling EU funds.
To be more clear, they were in Montenegro first and then in Tirana, where they saw whether both countries meet the conditions for proper management of funds. And it seems that Montenegro is ahead of Albania. The abuse of IPARD funds and the arrest of Beqaj seem to be black spots for our country. After the visit, the delegation has come up with some conclusions, clearly stating that in Albania there are not many controls and it is not known where the funds go.
“ The RGF is a historic opportunity for the Western Balkans, but its success depends on credibility and strong governance. During missions to Montenegro and Albania, we assessed whether the foundations for sound financial management, independent audit and a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and corruption are in place. Montenegro remains a forerunner, however both countries have made progress in aligning their legal and institutional frameworks with EU standards, particularly in the rule of law, the fight against organised crime, asset recovery and confiscation, and the fight against money laundering. Discussions with the ministries of finance and RGF coordinators confirmed that mechanisms for internal control and audit are in place and functioning ”, said Head of Delegation Niclas Herbst.
But according to him, there are still many problems. In his speech, Herbst mentioned corruption, crime, but also previous cases in Albania of abuses of foreign funds.
“ However, serious concerns remain about how the RGF funds will be used. Challenges include entrenched corruption, organised crime, procurement risks with chronic delays in infrastructure, oversight bodies facing political pressure, weak judicial prosecution with overburdened courts, marginalisation of civil society, past misuse of funds in Albania, and Montenegro’s overreliance on tourism and real estate. The road from adopting EU rules to building a culture of accountability is long. We are convinced that in the next two to three years, Montenegro and Albania will show tangible results by dedicating resources to implementation, ensuring judicial and audit independence, and enabling civil society participation. The European Parliament will closely monitor implementation, as the credibility of the EU enlargement process itself is at stake ,” he said.
" Examples of failures in public procurement, especially in infrastructure and transport, clearly show that some money has been misused, but measures are now being taken through audits and investigations launched by the European Court of Auditors ," said MEP Tomas Zdechovsky.
According to him, more commitment is required to build a culture of integrity and transparency.
" The Albanian government has not sufficiently highlighted these issues, and we are interested in seeing real progress in implementing the new rules and anti-fraud structure. We also request full cooperation with the prosecution, to discuss concrete cases, in order for the law to be independent and free from any political pressure ," he added.
In Tirana, MEPs met with government representatives and officials responsible for the management and protection of EU funds, with representatives of civil society, and visited the site of an EU-funded project. /Pamphlet
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