The EU agricultural policy is one of the thickest pots of money in Brussels. Accordingly, it is tempting for criminals to use it. Auditors are now calling for stricter measures.
According to the European Court of Auditors, the EU Commission should take more action against fraud in the EU agricultural policy, which is worth billions.
“The Common Agricultural Policy – the largest single item of the EU budget – includes spending regulations that are particularly susceptible to fraud,” said the Court of Auditors on Monday. It is recommended to better monitor national anti-fraud measures, to formulate more concrete guidelines and to promote the use of new technologies to better prevent and detect fraud.
Errors in more than 100 cases
According to its own statements, the Court of Auditors checked almost 700 EU agricultural payments between 2018 and 2020. Errors were found in more than 100 cases. “In 17 of these cases, the court suspected that the error could be related to fraud,” it said.
In general, the more complex the rules, the more susceptible they are to fraud. According to the European Office for
Combating fraud and national authorities are among the most vulnerable areas with unclear ownership. Sometimes land is only acquired to receive direct payments without farming at all. Especially in the case of pasture land and mountain agriculture, it is difficult to check whether animal husbandry is actually taking place. There are also targeted document falsifications and other deceptions in order to obtain subsidies.
In one case, a farmer received 17,000 euros in support for the purchase of cattle. He had sold the animals to his father and bought them back two days later. The animals lived in the same barn, so there had been no transfer of cattle, nor had the total number of animals changed.
Subsidies for confiscated land
In Italy, cases have been reported of attempts to obtain subsidies for land confiscated in the fight against organized crime. People who were “subject to measures to combat the mafia” also submitted applications for funds.
Within the framework of the EU agricultural policy (CAP), billions of euros have been granted in subsidies over the years. On average, it is currently more than 55 billion per year. On the website of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, it says about the importance of the CAP: “The range of funding affects the lives of around 40 million people in rural areas and is relevant in the agricultural sector for around 300,000 applicant companies.”
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
