Maltese MEP Alfred Sant voted in favour of the Annual report 2016 on the protection of EU’s financial interest – Fight against fraud at the European Parliament. The report covers measures taken by the European Commission and the Member States in the fight against fraud and presents their results. The Treaty requires close and regular cooperation between Member States and the Commission, and allows specific measures to be taken in order to provide equivalent and effective protection of the EU’s financial interests.
Dr Sant said the protection of the EU’s financial interests’ (PIF) directive and the creation of the European public prosecutor’s office have been the recent EU answers to ensure that our citizens’ money and our national budgets are preserved. It is understandable that after a long period of austerity, one cannot afford to suffer losses stemming from fraud and especially VAT fraud.
The fact that the scope has been widened to include VAT should not pave the way for extended EU control on how Member States collect and choose to set their taxes. The respective competences of the European Anti-fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) also need to be defined not to overlap on the Member States’ competences in protecting their national revenues and their own tax recollection systems.
“The European Commission could for example support the Member States by establishing a uniform system for the collection of comparable data on irregularities and cases of fraud to standardise the reporting processes. National differences in the reporting process can often lead to ineffective controls. As big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning could improve the detection of suspicious activities, a European system for data mining used for crime detection could represent an efficient anti-fraud instrument.” remarked the Maltese MEP.

Maltese Version – ALFRED SANT JAPPOĠĠJA L-ĠLIEDA TAL-UE KONTRA L-FRODI

Fil-Parlament Ewropew Alfred Sant ivvota favur ir-Rapport Annwali tal-2016 dwar il-protezzjoni tal-interessi finanzjarji tal-UE – Il-ġlieda kontra l-frodi. Ir-rapport isemmi l-miżuri tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea u tal-Istati Membri fil-ġlieda kontra l-frodi u jippreżenta r-riżultati. It-Trattat Ewropew jitlob kooperazzjoni mill-qrib u regolari bejn l-Istati Membri u l-Kummissjoni Ewropea, u jippermetti miżuri speċifiċi dwar protezzjoni effettiva u ekwivalenti tal-interessi finanzjari tal-UE.
Dr Sant qal li d-direttiva tal-protezzjoni tal-interessi finanzjarji tal-UE (PIF) u l-ħolqien tal-uffiċċju tal-prosekutur pubbliku Ewropew huma t-tweġibiet riċenti tal-UE li jiżguraw li l-flus taċ-ċittadini Ewropej u tal-baġits nazzjonali qed jinżammu tajjeb.
Wieħed jifhem li wara perjodu twil ta’ awsterita`, mhux sewwa li nsofru t-telf li jirriżulta mill-frodi speċjalment dik tal-VAT. Il-fatt li l-ambitu twessa’ biex jinkludi l-VAT ma għandux iwitti t-triq għal aktar kontrolli mill-UE dwar kif l-Istati Membri jiġbru u jagħżlu li jiffissaw it-taxxi tagħhom. Il-kompetenzi rispettivi tal-Uffiċċju Ewropew Kontra l-Frodi (OLAF) u l-Uffiċċju tal-Prosekutur Pubbliku Ewropew (EPPO) jeħtieġ jiġu definiti biex ma jirkbux fuq il-kompetenzi tal-Istati Membri fil-ħarsien tad-dħul nazzjonali tagħhom u s-sistemi ta’ rimbors tas-sistemi tat-taxxi tagħhom stess.
“Il-Kummissjoni Ewropea tista’ pereżempju tappoġġja lill-Istati Membri billi tistabbilixxi sistema uniformi għal ġbir ta’ informazzjoni dwar rapportaġġ, irregolaritajiet u l-każijiet ta’ frodi. Id-differenzi nazzjonali fir-rapportaġġ ħafna drabi jwassal għal kontrolli ineffettivi. Bis-saħħa tat-teknoloġija u tal-intelliġenza artifiċjali, jistgħu jinkixfu azzjonijiet suspettużi. Sistema Ewropea li tgħarbel l-informazzjoni u tidentifika l-kriminalita` tista’ tkun strument effiċjenti kontra l-frodi.” irrimarka Dr Sant.

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