European Year of Development

2.2.2015

Question for written answer E-001719-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
József Nagy (PPE)

The EU is doing a great deal to eliminate poverty in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. However, simply fulfilling our responsibility towards developing countries by means of budget lines and financial benefits is not enough.

Sadly it often happens that the funds become lost in paperwork, and that the organisations responsible for implementation on the ground and which should be channelling the funds into projects merely engage in the appearance of work in order to remain viable.

This is particularly common when, as the annual accounts approach, the available funds have not been put to proper use in the proper place. It is doubtful that they should be used to pay for quickly-thrown-together publications and conferences at such times, particularly with people in some developing countries suffering rapidly increasing famine, violence and illness.

Does the Commission intend to include more searching checks to ensure that funds are used properly into agreements between the EU as donor and implementing organisations?

What guarantees will the Commission accept that EU money is actually ending up where it should be?

How is corruption filtered out in this system?