EC warns Romania on the risk of having EU funds frozen

The European Commission (EC) has sent official letters to the EU Funds Ministry, Development Ministry and to the presidents of the Parliament’s two chambers informing them that Romania risks having its EU funds frozen if it adopted new regulation reducing the Court of Auditors’ independence. The EC has asked the Parliament to give up the changes that may impact the Audit Authority’s activity, according to official sources cited by local G4media.ro. According to the changes proposed by the PAS-ALDE ruling coalition, the Audit Authority, which is an independent body accredited by the EC, would have to accept the findings of the National Agency for Public Procurement (ANAP), which is an institution subordinated to the Government. Another important change would only allow the Court of Auditors’ president to notify the prosecutors when controls carried out at public institutions show that these institutions mismanaged public funds and broke the law. Currently, department heads have this power. Moreover, all the Court of Auditors’ control reports should be approved by the institution’s president, according to the proposed changes, unlike now, when the auditors have full independence and their reports can’t be censored by their superiors. The current president of the Court of Auditors is Mihai Busuioc, a loyal collaborator of PSD leader Liviu Dragnea. editor@romania-insider.com