Poland appeals EC demand for return of 79.9 million euros
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
06.05.2013 10:39
MEP Adam Bielan has told Polish Radio that he hopes for a successful appeal against the EU demanding the return of 79.9 million euros in CAP funds, though if negligence on the Polish side has occured then the government should reveal the culprits.
Adam Bielan: photo - PR
“We should be talking about the political responsibility of those who are supervising this work,” Adam Bielan told Polish Radio 3 this morning.
On Thursday, European Commission demanded Poland return funds allocated for expenditure on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after what it said was auditing negligence.
“As far as Poland is concerned, the case concerns mainly state controls. The mistakes have been made usually not by farmers but by the administration which has not verified properly farmer claims for direct payments," a statement by the European Commission said.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk countered that the government in Warsaw would appeal the decision but tried to put the blame on his opponents in the Law and Justice party, who he believed were responsible for the lack of auditing of CAP funds while they were in government.
But Adam Bielan, an MEP for the Poland Comes First party – and former member of Law and Justice - said that the period that the EC is referring to covers the 2007 to 2010, when Donald Tusk's Civic Platform were in power.
“The question is whether Prime Minister Donald Tusk has been misled, and if so, by whom?” Bleian said. (pg)
source: PAP/IAR