Zagreb - Croatia has a total surplus of € 16.36 billion as the difference between the funds paid to Croatia and its contribution to the EU budget, the Regional Development and EU Funds Ministry's State Secretary, Domagoj Mikulić, told the parliament on Thursday.
The funds withdrawn are four time highers than the country's contribution to the EU funds since Croatia joined the EU until the end of 2023, said HSLS MP Dario Hrebak during a parliamentary debate, adding that this is also a good message to eurosceptics.
In response to Opposition MPs' remarks that there is shortage of staff in the EU funds management and control, Mikulić admitted that there are not enough staffers in that segment and that efforts are being taken to strengthen the control and monitoring of the use of EU funds.
Currently, this segment is 75% full. In 2021, about 2,000 employees worked in that sector and now there are 2,500 employees, said the state secretary.
The Opposition claimed that there have been many scandals and cases of misuse of European Union funds, which is why it is necessary o reinforce monitoring mechanisms.
Mikulić said that Croatia has a network with several ministries cooperating directly with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).
It is true that we have more and more reports about suspected irregularities, however, every report on irregularities does not mean that this amounts to fraud, Mikulić said.
HDZ MP Nataša Tramišak, said that until the end of 2023, there were 777 irregularities detected, and they were addressed by competent state institutions and agencies.