S&Ds say: No special treatment advocated by EPP-ECR-ENF alliance for MEPs in case of fraud suspicion. Who has nothing to hide, has nothing to fear
Date
16 Apr 2019
Sections
Euro & Finance
The S&D Group welcomes the adoption in plenary today of the report on the revision of Regulation concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) as regards cooperation with the European Public Prosecutor's Office and the effectiveness of OLAF investigations.
The S&D shadow rapporteur, Arndt Kohn, said:
“The third crusade against transparency and the reputation of the European Parliament run by the right-wing alliance EPP-ECR-ENF alliance has been fought back.
“After having firstly voted in the budgetary control committee (CONT) to ban the EU anti-fraud office (OLAF) from accessing members’ offices, and after having secondly tried to remove the issue from the plenary agenda, today the right-wing EPP-ECR-ENF alliance has launched its third crusade against full transparency in the European Parliament by voting against OLAF´s right to investigate on possible threats to EU financial interests. These shameful attempts disclose the real nature of this dangerous alliance. It could have inflicted a deadly blow against the reputation of the European Parliament.
“We are proud to have led an alternative majority and approved the proposal of the Commission that, thanks to our commitment, now aims at clarifying the future cooperation and relations between OLAF and the European Public Prosecutor Office (EPPO) which will take up its work in 2020. This was the true aim of the revision of this Regulation, and we led it in responsibility. Any delay threatens to weaken the protection of the financial interests of the EU; it is all the more so outrageous that the Regulation was taken hostage by EPP-ECR-ENF. The S&Ds want to say it loud and clear: no special treatment for MEPs and their staff in case of fraud suspicion. Who has nothing to hide, has nothing to fear.”