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Blocking of IPARD funds, DP requests motion for debate in Parliament and establishment of Special Parliamentary Committee

2025-10-03 13:24:48Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Blocking of IPARD funds, DP requests motion for debate in Parliament and
Parliament of Albania

The Democratic Party Parliamentary Group submits to the Assembly a request for a motion with debate and the establishment of a Special Parliamentary Committee.

The request is related to OLAF's findings on the theft of IPARD funds for agriculture and the measures that the Albanian Parliament should take to ensure the necessary mechanisms that protect the EU's financial interests from illegal activities and that bring benefits from funds from the IPARD program to Albanian farmers.

Even earlier, the opposition had denounced the scandal with agricultural funds, accusing the heads of the Ministry of Agriculture and the "Rama" government.

The official request to the Albanian Parliament is signed by MPs: Bledion Nallbati, Igli Cara, Saimir Korreshi, Xhelal Mziu, Jorida Tabaku, Elda Hoti and Gazment Bardhi.

Democratic Party request

IPARD funds support Albanian agriculture by financing Albanian farmers' projects in new greenhouses, agritourism, collection points, tractors and other mechanical equipment. These funds enable agriculture, livestock, fisheries, aquaculture and rural development to develop in a sustainable manner.

The Democratic Party Parliamentary Group has followed with great concern the findings of OLAF, which have led to the blocking of European Union funding for Albanian farmers. The European Union's Anti-Fraud Office, OLAF, officially announced that it has identified the misuse of 33 million euros of EU funds in aid to Albanian agriculture and recommended the blocking of the next package of 112 million euros, as long as there are no measures to guarantee the protection of the EU's financial interests.

In its 2023 work report, OLAF has uncovered three main irregularities involving IPARD II funds, which have been suspended since July 2023. Specifically, after a series of complex investigative steps, including the digital review of documents related to IPARD II beneficiaries, AZHBR and other economic operators, OLAF uncovered several serious irregularities during the grant award phase and the implementation of several projects. These irregularities included:

1. Applicants are required to pay a significant portion of their grant to a local consulting company;

2. Contracts awarded without competition, or with manipulated competition (with false bids submitted);

3. Inflated prices and violation of contractual rules.

Following its investigation, OLAF has recommended that the European Commission consider part of the funding of the First and Second Calls for Applications IPARD II, amounting to €33 million, as inappropriate. It has also recommended that the European Union suspend the IPARD III programme worth €112 million “until measures are taken to protect the EU’s financial interests from illegal activities”.

OLAF reports that it investigated serious allegations involving the misuse of EU funds from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance for Rural Development (IPARD II) in Albania. One abusive practice was that IPARD II applicants were required to pay a large percentage of their grant to ‘pre-selected’ consultancy companies, which would then facilitate contracts with the Albanian Agency for Rural Development and Agriculture (AZHBR), which distributed the funds.

For this reason, due to suspicions of corruption of the responsible executive institutions, Albanian farmers are unjustly suffering the consequences of this action.

Therefore, considering the above, in support of Article 98, point 1, of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of Albania, we request the development of a motion with debate regarding the findings of OLAF and the measures that the Assembly of Albania should take to ensure the necessary mechanisms that protect the financial interests of the EU from illegal activities and that bring benefits from funds from the IPARD program to Albanian farmers.

Also, in our assessment, it is necessary for the Albanian Parliament to adopt a Resolution, appealing to the justice institutions to conduct a full and swift investigation to hold anyone who has violated the law criminally liable, and committing to take all necessary legal measures to avoid situations of this nature in the future and to protect the EU's financial interests from illegal activities.

Specifically, we propose that the draft Resolution include the following definitions:

Parliament of Albania:

1. I express my gratitude to the European Union for the valuable assistance it has continuously provided to Albania, through the IPARD agricultural support program.

2. Strongly condemns and distances itself from the alleged abuses of European taxpayers' funds and requests the Council of Ministers to urgently take internal measures to identify the relevant administrative shortcomings and responsibilities, as well as to ensure the full return of funds wasted in abusive and suspected corrupt practices. The results of these internal administrative measures must be notified to the Albanian Parliament within 1 month of the adoption of this Resolution.

3. Appeals to the justice institutions to conduct a full, professional and prompt investigation, to hold anyone who has violated the law criminally liable, taking into consideration the findings of the investigations conducted by the European Union Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), which is officially reported to have been made available to the Albanian authorities.

4. Commits to adopting all necessary legal measures to avoid in the future the situations highlighted in the investigation report of the European Union Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), and to protect the financial interests of the EU from illegal activities. To this end, a Special Parliamentary Committee will be established, which, after analyzing the shortcomings, will propose the concrete measures necessary for the responsible institutions of the European Union to recommend the unblocking of funds for Albania.

5. Expresses its willingness to work closely with the responsible institutions of the European Union to enable any necessary safeguard mechanism for the efficient use and in accordance with European Union Rules of the financial funds provided, in order to enable the continuation of the financial support of the IPARD III project for Albanian citizens.

Also, in support of Article 24 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, we propose the establishment of a Special Parliamentary Committee, which would be responsible for analyzing the shortcomings and proposing concrete legal measures that are necessary for the responsible institutions of the European Union to recommend the unblocking of funds for Albania.

Thanking you for your understanding!


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