(ANSA) – ROME, JUN 3 – Chief European Commission (EC)
spokesman Eric Mamer said on Friday its focus would continue to
be on implementation by Italy of the EU-funded National Recovery
and Resilience Plan (NRRP) after the government accused him of
fuelling controversy in relation to its decision to strip the
Audit Court of its ‘concomitant’ oversight powers on the scheme.
“A confusion has arisen in relation to my answer to a question
about the proposed legislation regarding the Italian Audit
Court: I said that the Italian authorities have created a
specific institution to monitor the use of Next Generation EU
funds and that the Commission will continue to take an interest
in this aspect, since it has been agreed with the Italian
authorities,” Mamer told ANSA.
The clarification came after the government issued a statement
accusing the spokesperson of making remarks that did not
correspond to reality.
“The government agrees that ‘the Recovery (plan) requires a
framework of controls that are appropriate and proportionate to
its unique nature and so that spending programmes are based on
efficiency’. The government’s action is based on this
principle,” said Palazzo Chigi.
“The spokesman of the European Commission claims that the
‘European Commission does not comment on draft laws’ but then
immediately afterwards -without any in-depth study of the
substance – the same spokesman follows up with remarks that fuel
instrumental political polemics that do not correspond to
reality,” the note continues.
“The new rules proposed by the government and approved by
(parliamentary) committee … do not change what has already
been agreed upon between the European Commission and the Italian
government,” continued the statement.
On Thursday the Lower House Constitutional Affairs and Labour
committees voted to removes the so-called concurrent control of
the Audit Court on all expenditure of monies from the post-COVID
EU recovery funds in an amendment to a civil service reform
decree.
The move came after the justices criticised delays to the
implementation of the plan to make the Italian economy Greener
and more modern, via projects funded with the help of almost 200
billion euros in EU grants and low-interest loans on condition
that all agreed targets are met by 2026.
NRRP Minister Raffaele Fitto meanwhile explained that the court
would still have powers to review the plan after it is
implemented, only losing the powers while it is being
implemented.
Guido Carlino, the head of Italy’s Audit Court, on Thursday
reiterated the State auditor’s opposition to the government’s
move.
He said “concomitant oversight” of the plan had a “propulsive
value” and “tends to accelerate action time frames”.
Photo: Eric Mamer, chief spokesman for the European Commission
(ANSA).
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