Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-09-04-Speech-3-256"
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"en.20020904.7.3-256"2
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"Mr President, Mr Stenzel’s excellent report, on which we are essentially all in agreement, attempts to present in a positive light a balance sheet which can clearly only be problematic. It should come as no surprise that there are differences of opinion regarding a European agency which manages financial aid for south-east Europe, and so the calls for promotion of adequate investigation of any suspicion of mismanagement and/or corruption, in particular those related to investments in the energy sector, are understandable. Hence the need to improve transparency in the financial transfers and practices of all areas of the organisation’s activity.
It is no coincidence either that a call has been made for an internal auditor to be appointed and that the importance of the European Court of Auditors, of a financial auditor and, lastly, of the role of the European Anti-Fraud Office has been stressed. All this points to the fact that things are going rather as we had feared but that that was rather to be expected: we cannot work miracles in the region, it is almost impossible for good governance at all times, on all occasions, to be guaranteed, but we must, of course, make every endeavour to reduce the possibilities of illegally providing or receiving funds.
As you can see, there is no international cooperation strategy, and this is quite a serious matter. Our organisation has not contributed a strategy either, but it is difficult to establish a strategy when we do not know where our borders will lie in the short- or long-term future. All this must be borne in mind. On the other hand, however, the competence of the European Agency for Reconstruction has been extended geographically, and I wonder whether this is the right way to proceed, given that the problems presented by each individual situation differ quite widely.
The Commission had promised Parliament that it would produce a report, although this is not yet available. This too is confirmation of the difficulties and is a further indication of the problems encountered by the reconstruction bodies in the Balkans. It was, of course, an easier matter to provide initial aid, but things become more complex when it is a question of defining reconstruction and deciding where and how to strengthen the institutions.
The figures on the aid managed by the agency would appear, however, to be more or less in order as regards the relationship between projects, financing, payment times and results, and this is good news. The reconstruction of the Balkans is too delicate and sensitive a matter to be neglected even temporarily, and so I feel that we should devote more attention to it."@en1
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