Romanian, European anti-corruption prosecutors given access to government database of EU-funded projects

Romania’s Ministry for European Projects and Investments announced the signing of cooperation protocols giving prosecutors direct and full access to the MySMIS database, which contains all projects financed from European funds managed by the ministry.

The ministry signed the protocols with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), and the Department for the Fight against Fraud (DLAF) on Monday, February 9.

“Any suspicion of fraud or an irregularity in a project financed with European money can now be investigated without any delay or bureaucratic slowdown. Investigators have at their disposal the complete trail of the funds: from contracting to the final payment. This means faster, better-substantiated investigations and, above all, better control of public money,” minister Dragos Pîslaru wrote on Facebook.

“From now on, prosecutors and control structures will be able to see in real time what is happening with these projects, without intermediaries, without delays, and without administrative opacity,” he emphasized.

MySMIS is the official database of the Ministry of Investments and European Projects, in which all projects financed from European funds in Romania are recorded, especially those under the cohesion policy. It contains all relevant data on cohesion projects financed from European funds: beneficiaries, contracts, payments, indicators, and the stage of implementation.

“European funds are public money, and every euro stolen or used incorrectly means fewer hospitals, fewer schools, and less infrastructure for people. Those who work correctly will continue to have the support of the state; those who try to steal will face a state that cooperates closely with national and European integrity institutions,” the minister also conveyed.

Pîslaru further specified that he is not only interested in how much money is absorbed, but in how it is used.

“More transparency, more control, and zero tolerance for any attempt at fraud with European money,” he concluded.

(Photo source: Dragoș Pîslaru on Facebook)