ΑΠΟΚΛΕΙΣΤΙΚΟ: Πάγωμα χρηματοδότησης της Ελλάδας από την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση

Συντάκτης:

Αποκλειστικό δημοσίευμα της New Europe αναφέρει πάγωμα πληρωμών λόγω έρευνας σε διαγωνισμούς σε έργα υποδομής.

Η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή θα σταματήσει όλες τις πληρωμές του Ευρωπαϊκού Ταμείου Περιφερειακής Ανάπτυξης / Συνοχής για την Ελλάδα, για τα προγράμματα 2014-2020. Αυτό επιβεβαιώνεται από ένα έγγραφο που έφτασε στην εφημερίδα New Europe , το οποίο φέρει την υπογραφή του Walter Deffaa, Γενικού Διευθυντή Περιφερειακής Ανάπτυξης.

Ο λόγος για την παύση πληρωμών της Επιτροπής είναι μια έρευνα της ελληνικής Αρχής Ανταγωνισμού, η οποία αφορά πιθανή χειραγώγηση των διαδικασιών υποβολής προσφορών για τα μεγάλα έργα υποδομής.

Το δημοσίευμα της New Europe, που υπογράφει ο Εκδότης της εφημερίδας, Βασίλης Α. Κορονάκης, αναφέρει αναλυτικά:

The European Commission will stop all payments of the European Regional Development Fund/Cohesion fund to Greece for the 2014-2020 programmes. This is confirmed by an internal letter obtained by New Europe signed by Walter Deffaa, Director-General for Regional Development (see below).

The reason for the Commission’s pause is an investigation of the Greek competition authority, which concerns possible manipulation of tendering procedures for major infrastructure projects.

While the letter was circulated internally on June 17, it is expected that the decision will not be announced until after the European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, has concluded his trip to the Greek capital, but before the competition authority will examine the case on July 21.

The European Commission did not immediately respond to New Europe on whether the President had discussed the issue with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, or as to the amount of money that would be affected by this decision.

According to the letter, the Greek authorities working on the case have “already identified companies participating in the cartel as all major constructions companies and large foreign companies present in Greece.” The cartel was allegedly active for over 27 years from 1989, to this year, in the domain of road construction, railroads, metro, and concession projects. The Director-General confirms that some of these projects “will certainly have been co-financed by EU funds”.

The technical assistance programme is the only element that will not see its funding frozen.

Further payment claims will not be processed, Deffaa writes, “unless there is assurance on the legality and regularity of the certified expenditure.”