A parliamentary debate on drawing EU funds initiated by the opposition was held on Thursday. Vice-premier for Investments Lubomir Vazny was the main speaker. As he informed, the risk that Slovakia wouldn't be able to draw EU funds to a considerable extent this year has already been tackled. According to him, the Government will attempt to squeeze the risk down to zero. Lubomir Vazny described the debate on drawing the EU funds as having little sense. The Vice-premier had expected that the Opposition would present some solutions. There're quite a few people in Slovakia who've made the drawing of EU funds their livelihood, MP Alojz Hlina (KDH caucus member) stated during the debate. "We know that eurofunds have become a target of raids by robber barons. It's people who make their livelihood by knowing how to get to the [EU funds]. They know how to arrange papers on a pile, knowing that the money will come somehow in the end. It's become a regular sector of the national economy," said Hlina. MP Anton Martvon from the governing Smer-SD described Hlina's speech as a mixture of "drivel and rubbish". "We have cases with eurofunds being drawn incorrectly, but there are control mechanisms to deal with this, and the EU then draws responsibility [towards these entities]," said Martvon.
Zdroj: TASR
