The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) on Tuesday published a statement regarding legislative changes on the provision of support and subsidies in agriculture and rural development in Slovakia, warning the European Commission (EC) of their negative impacts on the overall level of protection of the EU's financial interests.
According to the report, European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi on Monday (1 June) addressed a letter to the EC in line with Recitals 9, 16 and 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/2092 of 16 December 2020 on the general regime of conditionality for protecting the budget of the European Union (the Conditionality Regulation), as well as Article 14 of the Agreement establishing the Modalities of Cooperation between the EC and EPPO.
In the document, Kovesi pointed to recent legislative changes in the provision of support and subsidies in agriculture and rural development in Slovakia.
Having thoroughly analysed the new legislation, Kovesi concluded that it "contains several elements which substantially reduce the effective protection of the EU's financial interests, as well as the national financial interest".
Specifically, the legislative changes "decreased the ability to impose effective administrative measures during criminal proceedings, between an indictment and a final conviction" and, as a result, the ability of authorities to suspend payments to beneficiaries accused of a criminal offence "has been severely curtailed".
Therefore, the European Chief Prosecutor informed the EC that these legislative changes are having negative repercussions on the overall level of protection of the EU's financial interests in Slovakia.
EPPO is the European Union's independent public prosecutor's office responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.
Source: TASR
