Government Not Obliged to Report on EU Funds and Investigations

Government Not Obliged to Report on EU Funds and Investigations

Bratislava, April 27 (TASR) – The Government won’t be obliged to submit progress reports involving investigations into cases as well as the drawing of EU funds, TASR learnt Wednesday.

The coalition has turned down proposals from the Opposition MPs demanding their submission.

OLaNO-NOVA MP Daniel Lipsic asked for the report on progress in the investigation of ‘tax frauds in the matter of (Milan) Chovanec and co. and (Ladislav) Basternak’ case.

“The ruling coalition has adopted an attitude that old affairs should be forgotten and the new – being still alive – cannot be resolved. The coalition MPs are halting debates of the committees therefore,” explained Lipsic. “I think this matter should be decided upon in the parliamentary plenum.”

Independent MP Zsolt Simon asked the Government to submit the report on the evaluation of the drawing of EU funds for 2007-2013, according to individual operational programmes – including corrections. “The Slovak Republic didn’t draw more than €1 billion and had to return as much as €100 million from the state budget for mistakes in the drawing of EU funds. It’d be useful if we obtained such an evaluation,” said Simon.

In an unrelated matter, Ondrej Dostal (SaS) requested that the proposal for a fast-track legislative proceedings on the Competency Act boosting the powers for Vice-premier for Investments Peter Pellegrini (Smer-SD) be dropped. “This proposal doesn’t meet the criteria for fast-track legislative proceedings,” said Dostal.