Takac: PPA Audit Findings Not Related to Corruption

Bratislava, 23 April (TASR) - The findings of an audit carried out by the European authorities at the Agricultural Payment Agency (PPA) aren't related to corruption, Agriculture Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) told a press conference on Thursday in response to media reports suggesting that PPA faces the risk of losing its accreditation. Takac said that there is no imminent threat of PPA losing its accreditation or payments to farmers being suspended, adding that the audit hasn't been completed yet and that his ministry is opposing its findings. "In every EU country, agricultural payment agencies have accreditation and are subject to various audits, whether by the European Commission (EC) or certification bodies, or by various external audit entities. This means that an audit like the current one is part of a regular ongoing process. This audit hasn't been concluded yet. The Commission has suggested holding discussions on the findings of this audit in September," he explained. Takac highlighted that neither the Agriculture Ministry nor PPA can see any fundamental findings that would put PPA's accreditation in peril or necessitate temporary accreditation. "I want to state clearly to everyone that the disbursement of of support for Slovakia's agriculture sector isn't in peril at all," he emphasised. "We'll continue to communicate with the EC just as we did in connection with various other audits and findings. We're opposing the findings, and we're ruling out any non-compliance with the accreditation criteria. We absolutely reject that," stressed Takac, declining to specify the content of the audit findings. "We won't discuss this for now because we haven't clarified it with the EC. For me, the European Commission is the primary partner in this case," added the minister. jrg/df