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2018/2975(RSP) Resolution on conflicts of interest and the protection of the EU budget in the Czech Republic

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 132-p2

Events

2018/12/13
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
Documents
Results of vote in Parliament
2018/12/13
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted 434 votes to 64 with 47 abstentions a resolution on conflicts of interest and the protection of the EU budget in the Czech Republic.

The resolution was tabled by the EPP, ECR, and Greens/EFA groups.

Parliament stated that it was deeply concerned about the Czech Republic’s non-compliance with the EU’s Financial Regulation regarding the conflict of interest of the Czech Prime Minister and his links to the Agrofert Group , and it urged the Commission to recover all funds that have been illegally or irregularly paid out.

The resolution stems from the formal complaint lodged by Transparency International Czech Republic on 19 September 2018, claiming that the Czech Prime Minister, Andrej Babiš, had persistently violated EU and Czech law on conflicts of interest. Mr Babiš has been revealed to be the beneficial owner of Agrofert, the controlling company of the Agrofert Group, including among others a number of important Czech media outlets, through trust funds AB I and AB II of which he is the founder and, at the same time, the sole beneficiary.

Parliament noted that companies belonging to the Agrofert Group (i) take part in projects funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development; (ii) have received significant sums from the European Structural and Investment Funds during the 2014-2020 period, ranging from EUR 42 million in 2013 to EUR 82 million in 2017.

It further noted that on 1 December 2018, European media outlets such as The Guardian, Le Monde, De Standaard and the Süddeutsche Zeitung published information about the legal opinion issued by the Commission’s Legal Service confirming Mr Babiš’s conflict of interest , and indicating that Mr Babiš received an income of EUR 3.5 million during the first six months of 2018 from the Agrofert Group via his trust funds.

The resolution recalled that Members had raised this issue with the Commission throughout hearings in the Budgetary Control Committee. It regretted that for a long time the Commission remained passive , despite there having been strong indications since 2014 that Mr Babiš had a conflict of interest in his role as Minister of Finance and later as Prime Minister.

Parliament called on the Commission to follow up on this issue without delay, on the basis of the opinion of its Legal Service and to suspend all EU funding to the Agrofert Group until the conflict of interest has been fully investigated and resolved. Furthermore, it demanded that the Commission fully investigate the legality of all EU subsidies paid to the Agrofert Group since Mr Babiš joined the Czech Government, taking into account the previous Financial Regulation applicable prior to 2 August 2018 and the section therein on conflicts of interest. All illegally paid funds must be recovered and Members also called on the Council to take all necessary measures to prevent conflicts of interest in the context of the negotiations of the future EU budget and the next multiannual financial framework, in line with Article 61(1) of the Financial Regulation.

The Commission was asked to set up a control mechanism to address the issue of conflicts of interest in Member States and to set active avoidance of conflicts of interest as one of its priorities. Members called on the Commission to intervene decisively, especially when national authorities fail to act to prevent conflicts of interest of their highest representatives. For their part, national authorities and government officials must proactively apply the new Financial Regulation, in particular the provisions on conflicts of interest, in order to prevent situations harmful to the EU’s financial interests, and to serve as an example of working for the public good rather than personal gain.

Parliament called on the Commission to ensure that a zero tolerance policy with no double standards will apply regarding conflicts of interest of any EU politicians, and to find no excuse for delays when protecting the financial interests of the Union.

Documents
T8-0530/2018
2018/12/13
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2018/12/12
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
B8-0582/2018
2018/12/12
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
B8-0583/2018
2018/12/12
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
B8-0584/2018
2018/12/12
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
B8-0585/2018
2018/12/12
   Joint motion for resolution
Documents
RC-B8-0582/2018
2018/12/12
   EP - Debate in Parliament

Documents

Activities

Votes

RC-B8-0582/2018 - Résolution 13/12/2018 12:25:27.000 #

2018/12/13 Outcome: +: 434, -: 64, 0: 47
DE FR IT ES GB AT RO SE PT BE NL HR CZ BG FI SI SK MT PL EL DK IE LU LV LT EE CY HU
Total
73
61
49
41
50
17
23
14
17
16
19
10
15
13
10
6
11
6
37
5
9
6
6
4
8
5
1
12
icon: S&D S&D
144

Germany S&D

20

France S&D

11

Italy S&D

26

Spain S&D

13

United Kingdom S&D

16

Austria S&D

5

Romania S&D

11

Sweden S&D

4

Portugal S&D

8

Belgium S&D

2

Netherlands S&D

2

Croatia S&D

2

Bulgaria S&D

3

Finland S&D

1

Slovenia S&D

For (1)

Tanja FAJON
1

Slovakia S&D

3

Malta S&D

3

Poland S&D

4

Greece S&D

1

Denmark S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

Mady DELVAUX
1

Latvia S&D

1

Lithuania S&D

1

Estonia S&D

For (1)

Ivari PADAR
1

Cyprus S&D

For (1)

Costas MAVRIDES
1

Hungary S&D

For (1)

István UJHELYI
1
icon: PPE PPE
165

Germany PPE

28

France PPE

19

Italy PPE

8

Spain PPE

12

United Kingdom PPE

1

Austria PPE

5

Romania PPE

Abstain (1)

Traian UNGUREANU
8

Sweden PPE

3

Portugal PPE

5

Belgium PPE

3

Netherlands PPE

4

Croatia PPE

4

Czechia PPE

6

Bulgaria PPE

6

Finland PPE

3

Slovenia PPE

4

Slovakia PPE

Against (1)

Anna ZÁBORSKÁ
6

Malta PPE

3

Poland PPE

Abstain (1)

Michał BONI
16

Greece PPE

1

Denmark PPE

For (1)

Bendt BENDTSEN
1

Ireland PPE

3

Luxembourg PPE

3

Latvia PPE

For (1)

Inese VAIDERE
1

Lithuania PPE

3

Estonia PPE

For (1)

Tunne KELAM
1

Hungary PPE

8
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
39

Germany Verts/ALE

11

France Verts/ALE

5

Spain Verts/ALE

2

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

5

Austria Verts/ALE

2

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Netherlands Verts/ALE

1

Croatia Verts/ALE

For (1)

Davor ŠKRLEC
1

Finland Verts/ALE

For (1)

Heidi HAUTALA
1

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

Margrete AUKEN
1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

Tilly METZ
1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Estonia Verts/ALE

For (1)

Indrek TARAND
1

Hungary Verts/ALE

2
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
31

Germany GUE/NGL

4

France GUE/NGL

4

Italy GUE/NGL

1

Spain GUE/NGL

6

Sweden GUE/NGL

For (1)

Malin BJÖRK
1

Portugal GUE/NGL

For (1)

Marisa MATIAS
3

Netherlands GUE/NGL

3

Czechia GUE/NGL

2

Finland GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

Merja KYLLÖNEN
1

Greece GUE/NGL

3

Ireland GUE/NGL

Against (1)

Luke Ming FLANAGAN
3
icon: EFDD EFDD
33

Germany EFDD

Abstain (1)

Jörg MEUTHEN
1

France EFDD

5

Italy EFDD

Abstain (1)

Giulia MOI
12

United Kingdom EFDD

12

Czechia EFDD

For (1)

Jiří PAYNE
1

Poland EFDD

1

Lithuania EFDD

Abstain (1)

Rolandas PAKSAS
1
icon: ENF ENF
23

Germany ENF

Abstain (1)

Marcus PRETZELL
1

France ENF

12

Italy ENF

Against (2)

Mara BIZZOTTO, Marco ZANNI
2

Austria ENF

4

Belgium ENF

Abstain (1)

Gerolf ANNEMANS
1

Netherlands ENF

2

Poland ENF

For (1)

Michał MARUSIK
1
icon: ECR ECR
50

Germany ECR

4

United Kingdom ECR

For (1)

Kay SWINBURNE
14

Romania ECR

2

Sweden ECR

2

Belgium ECR

4

Netherlands ECR

For (1)

Bas BELDER
1

Croatia ECR

For (1)

Ruža TOMAŠIĆ
1

Czechia ECR

2

Bulgaria ECR

1

Finland ECR

1

Slovakia ECR

2

Poland ECR

13

Denmark ECR

2

Lithuania ECR

Against (1)

Waldemar TOMASZEWSKI
1
icon: NI NI
8

Germany NI

Against (1)

Udo VOIGT
2

France NI

For (1)

Bruno GOLLNISCH

Abstain (1)

Sophie MONTEL
2

United Kingdom NI

For (1)

James CARVER
1

Poland NI

Against (1)

Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI

Abstain (1)

Dobromir SOŚNIERZ
2

Hungary NI

For (1)

Zoltán BALCZÓ
1
icon: ALDE ALDE
51

Germany ALDE

2

France ALDE

3

Spain ALDE

8

United Kingdom ALDE

Against (1)

Catherine BEARDER
1

Austria ALDE

Abstain (1)

Angelika MLINAR
1

Romania ALDE

Against (1)

Norica NICOLAI

Abstain (1)

Renate WEBER
2

Sweden ALDE

1

Portugal ALDE

1

Belgium ALDE

4

Netherlands ALDE

6

Croatia ALDE

For (1)

Ivan JAKOVČIĆ

Against (1)

Jozo RADOŠ
2

Czechia ALDE

4

Bulgaria ALDE

3

Finland ALDE

Against (1)

Elsi KATAINEN

Abstain (1)

Mirja VEHKAPERÄ
3

Slovenia ALDE

For (1)

Ivo VAJGL
1

Denmark ALDE

Abstain (1)

Jens ROHDE
3

Luxembourg ALDE

Against (1)

Charles GOERENS
1

Latvia ALDE

1

Lithuania ALDE

Against (1)

Viktor USPASKICH

Abstain (1)

Valentinas MAZURONIS
2

Estonia ALDE

Against (1)

Jana TOOM

Abstain (1)

Urmas PAET
2

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

2021-12-18Show (8) Changes | Timetravel
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activities
  • date: 2018-12-12T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20181212&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2018-12-13T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2018-0530 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T8-0530/2018 body: EP type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
committees
    docs
    • date: 2018-12-12T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B8-2018-0582&language=EN title: B8-0582/2018 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2018-12-12T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B8-2018-0583&language=EN title: B8-0583/2018 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2018-12-12T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B8-2018-0584&language=EN title: B8-0584/2018 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2018-12-12T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B8-2018-0585&language=EN title: B8-0585/2018 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2018-12-12T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=P8-RC-2018-0582&language=EN title: RC-B8-0582/2018 type: Joint motion for resolution
    events
    • date: 2018-12-12T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20181212&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
    • date: 2018-12-13T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2018-0530 title: T8-0530/2018 summary: The European Parliament adopted 434 votes to 64 with 47 abstentions a resolution on conflicts of interest and the protection of the EU budget in the Czech Republic. The resolution was tabled by the EPP, ECR, and Greens/EFA groups. Parliament stated that it was deeply concerned about the Czech Republic’s non-compliance with the EU’s Financial Regulation regarding the conflict of interest of the Czech Prime Minister and his links to the Agrofert Group , and it urged the Commission to recover all funds that have been illegally or irregularly paid out. The resolution stems from the formal complaint lodged by Transparency International Czech Republic on 19 September 2018, claiming that the Czech Prime Minister, Andrej Babiš, had persistently violated EU and Czech law on conflicts of interest. Mr Babiš has been revealed to be the beneficial owner of Agrofert, the controlling company of the Agrofert Group, including among others a number of important Czech media outlets, through trust funds AB I and AB II of which he is the founder and, at the same time, the sole beneficiary. Parliament noted that companies belonging to the Agrofert Group (i) take part in projects funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development; (ii) have received significant sums from the European Structural and Investment Funds during the 2014-2020 period, ranging from EUR 42 million in 2013 to EUR 82 million in 2017. It further noted that on 1 December 2018, European media outlets such as The Guardian, Le Monde, De Standaard and the Süddeutsche Zeitung published information about the legal opinion issued by the Commission’s Legal Service confirming Mr Babiš’s conflict of interest , and indicating that Mr Babiš received an income of EUR 3.5 million during the first six months of 2018 from the Agrofert Group via his trust funds. The resolution recalled that Members had raised this issue with the Commission throughout hearings in the Budgetary Control Committee. It regretted that for a long time the Commission remained passive , despite there having been strong indications since 2014 that Mr Babiš had a conflict of interest in his role as Minister of Finance and later as Prime Minister. Parliament called on the Commission to follow up on this issue without delay, on the basis of the opinion of its Legal Service and to suspend all EU funding to the Agrofert Group until the conflict of interest has been fully investigated and resolved. Furthermore, it demanded that the Commission fully investigate the legality of all EU subsidies paid to the Agrofert Group since Mr Babiš joined the Czech Government, taking into account the previous Financial Regulation applicable prior to 2 August 2018 and the section therein on conflicts of interest. All illegally paid funds must be recovered and Members also called on the Council to take all necessary measures to prevent conflicts of interest in the context of the negotiations of the future EU budget and the next multiannual financial framework, in line with Article 61(1) of the Financial Regulation. The Commission was asked to set up a control mechanism to address the issue of conflicts of interest in Member States and to set active avoidance of conflicts of interest as one of its priorities. Members called on the Commission to intervene decisively, especially when national authorities fail to act to prevent conflicts of interest of their highest representatives. For their part, national authorities and government officials must proactively apply the new Financial Regulation, in particular the provisions on conflicts of interest, in order to prevent situations harmful to the EU’s financial interests, and to serve as an example of working for the public good rather than personal gain. Parliament called on the Commission to ensure that a zero tolerance policy with no double standards will apply regarding conflicts of interest of any EU politicians, and to find no excuse for delays when protecting the financial interests of the Union.
    • date: 2018-12-13T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
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      Conflict of interest and the protection of the EU budget in the Czech Republic
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      2018-12-18Show (2) Changes | Timetravel
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      2018-12-12Show (5) Changes
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          Conflict of interest and the protection of the EU budget in the Czech Republic
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          Awaiting Parliament 1st reading / single reading / budget 1st stage
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          8.70 Budget of the Union
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