EC investigates whether mafia is receiving EU funds in Italy

A delegation to the European Parliament has done the opposite. Roma that the Italian mafia tries to gain access to the management of the European Fund for Agriculture, especially in the southern regions, and has asked the government mario dragee To implement immediate measures to prevent this and to report the results.

“Organized crime is trying to access these funds and undermine the free market,” he said. Monica hohlmayerThe chairman of the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control Commission, who has traveled to Italy to investigate possible mafia infiltration into the management of the European Union’s (EU) agricultural fund.

a Spanish delegation

The mission aims to investigate whether the mafia is trying to profit from European money that Italy has received and will continue to receive for the agriculture sector and for its recovery plan (from the EU to 191.5 billion euros by 2026). financed with) to recover after the pandemic), explained hohlmayer In a press conference.

the president and the other five MEPs who make up the commission, including the Spanish Isabel Garcia MunozuHas met with members of the government, the Agricultural Disbursement Agency, the National Antimafia Directorate and the Guardia di Finanza (Fiscal Police) and the police, among others.

Hohlmeier indicated that the delegation sought to investigate the Italian state systems to prevent fraud and war. crimes financial and economic.

“For example, if there’s a tender for a piece of land and there’s only one person who shows up, because the rest know it’s related to organized crime,” he argued and, like him, finance police He is investigating several cases in Calabria and Sicily.

Sicily

“In Sicily there was a case of importing products from China that are banned in China. ui in the field of fertilizers and pesticides. These products are being used on land, they are harming citizens and other farmers”, he stressed, adding that companies using these products cannot access European funds.

This and other cases under investigation are “clear evidence that organized crime is trying to access these funds and undermine the free market,” he said. hohlmayer,

These cases are clear evidence that organized crime is trying to access these funds and undermine the free market.Monica Holmeyer, Chair of the Budgetary Control Committee

The German MEP also stated that he had asked the Minister of Agricultural Policies of Italy, stefano patuanelliTo inform them about how they are going to combat the exploitation of daily wage workers, often irregular immigrants, a practice that “goes against the protection of human rights defended in Europe and the free markets of those companies.” against those who are respecting Italian law and European”.

“Agriculture companies will need to demonstrate that they respect workers’ fundamental rights to access to funding. Italy is already working on this, although we have asked for more information.” Katrina chinnisi,