site.btaMinister Taneva: 2015 Resources under Rural Development Programme Reimbursed, Certifying Authority's Report not Approved Yet

Minister Taneva: 2015 Resources under Rural Development Programme Reimbursed, Certifying Authority's Report not Approved Yet

Sofia, June 15 (BTA) - The 2015 resources under the Rural Development Programme (RDP) have been reimbursed, but the European Commission (EC) has not yet approved the report of the Certifying Authority and has requested additional checks and documents, Agriculture and Food Minister Dessislava Taneva said in Parliament Wednesday. Her statement was prompted by claims that 1.1 billion leva under the RDP have been suspended or demanded by the EC.

Earlier on Wednesday, the BSP-Left Bulgaria parliamentary group came out with a declaration reading that these 1.1 billion leva paid under the RDP might not be recognized by the European Commission and, thus, would remain at the national budget's expense. The Socialist MPs backed their claims with a letter from the EC's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development which they presented in the plenary chamber. In the words of BSP leader Kornelia Ninova, this document reads that the mistakes made in public procurement procedures have not been correctly and transparently accounted for, and affect the estimates, which is why the results from the work of the Certifying Authority cannot be used as a basis for concluding the Paying Agency's accounts.

Commenting on the said letter, the Agriculture Minister said that it was written in April but its Bulgarian translation was received on June 9, and this is the date on the basis of which deadlines are set. In her words, the document concerns the Certifying Authority's report on 2015 payments, which have already been reimbursed, but this report along with France's and Italy's were not approved by the EC as at May 31. The Certifying Authority has to provide additional documents and conduct checks so that its report can be approved, Taneva specified.

The Agriculture Minister went on to say that the mistake in the payments made is under 2 per cent, which means that no sanction can be imposed. In the worst case scenario, if all conducted checks do not convince the EC to accept the accounts, the European Commission will itself conduct an audit. Even in this case, however, no sums from the billions which are being certified, cannot be demanded. These have been reimbursed by the EC and the advance payment from 2008 has been deducted, she underscored.

"The Rural Development Programme has neither been suspended nor have we been asked to return 1.1 billion leva," Taneva said. She supported her statement with paysheets from Wednesday morning with which yet another 100 million leva under the RDP have been reimbursed. A new 56 million leva were paid on Tuesday alone, she noted. Since the date in April when the EC's letter was written, nearly 200 million leva have been paid under the new Rural Development Programme, the minister said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the MPs of the ruling GERB party and BSP-Left Bulgaria entered into an argument on the absorption of EU funds.

Socialist MP Dragomir Stoynev accused the power holders of hiding the letter from the EC's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development. "Your most successful advertising trick - that the EC supports GERB in the absorption of EU resources - has crumbled," he said.

Tsveta Karayancheva from GERB replied by saying that "outright lies are raining down from Parliament's rostrum and the media". "When we came into power, the Rural Development Programme had been returned for further elaboration with 426 remarks, and the Agriculture and Food Ministry made miracles to launch it," she noted. The letter from the EC's Directorate-General has been published on the ministry's website and only people who understand should comment on it, Karayancheva added.

BSP leader Ninova said that the 1.1 billion leva under the RDP will have to be returned by the Bulgarian people.

Later in the day, MPs of BSP-Left Bulgaria and Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister Vassil Groudev met in Parliament and specified that no money has been suspended and no sanctions have been imposed under the Rural Development Programme. The meeting was held on the GERB parliamentary group's initiative.

Socialist MP Zhelyo Boychev said, however, that there is a risk of Bulgaria having to return money from its national budget. In his words, he and Groudev talked about the Agriculture Ministry's expectations and whether the mistakes made in the payments under the RDP could exceed 2 per cent, which would lead to a sanction. Talks with the EC are yet to be held and there is an action plan that has to be implemented, Boychev noted. His parliamentary group insist on being kept informed about this action plan because, according to them, the risk is serious.

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In a statement on Wednesday, EC Spokesperson for Agriculture and Rural Development Daniel Rosario says in reply to questions by the media that the payments under two measures of the Rural Development Programme are currently suspended due to suspicions over their application. The sums concerned are a very small part of the 2.3 billion euro which Bulgaria will receive for rural development in the current financial period. Suspensions and postponements of payments are temporary preventive measures and, if no irregularities are found, the sums will be paid at a later stage, he explains.

At present, the European Commission is discussing the matter with the Bulgarian authorities in accordance with the typical and normal procedure, the EC Spokesperson also says. The amount of the financial corrections which could be imposed will become clear only after this procedure is concluded. The sums in question are considerably smaller than what was presented in some media, he specifies.