Mededeling Europese Rekenkamer inzake terugvordering van onterecht uitgekeerde landbouwsubsidies (en)

At a press briefing in Brussels, held today to launch the report, David Bostock told journalists:

75% of recoveries remain pending

"Recovery of reported irregular payments is disappointingly partial and slow. Only a quarter of irregular payments of over the 3 billion EUR detected between 1971 and the end of 2002 had been recovered or written off as irrecoverable: the rest were still pending." This is due to the fact that the system of notification, accounting, recovery and write-off of irregularities releaved a number of weaknesses both at Commission's and Member States' level, according to the Court's audit.

"These irregular payments are heavily concentrated in a few areas: The export refunds and fruit and vegetables account for more than half of the total."

Suggestions for improvements

"We have made a number of suggestions for improving the situation including: Improving the information available to the commission; clarifying decisions on whether the commission or Member States should bear the cost of write-offs; and making better use of information on irregular payments when operating and further developing the CAP."

Commission's proposals

"The Commission has made a number of proposals in response to our audit . Perhaps the most significant is where Member States fail to recover amounts due within 4 to 6 years and have not been negligent, the costs of write off will be shared equally with the Commission. We have not yet had a chance to study this proposal in detail, but at first sight it promises to be a positive and bold step in the right direction."

For further information, including interview requests, please contact
the External Relations Department of the European Court of Auditors,

Tel. +352-4398-45410, GSM. +352-021-36-31-03, Fax +532-4398-46430 or e-mail : press@eca.eu.int