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Brussels sends special mission to Tirana to check where EU funds go...
The European Union has been put into action after the scandals that have occurred in our country with EU funds. Frida Krifca "squandered" the millions that came through IPARD, while Ilir Beqaj used EU funds for qoka. The latter is in prison, but Frida continues to mow the lawn, even though funds for agriculture have been blocked until 2026.
The European Union Office announces that a delegation from the Committee on Budgetary Control, led by Chairman Niclas Herbst, will visit Montenegro and Albania from 16 to 18 September 2025.
MEPs will assess the establishment and initial functioning of new control and audit mechanisms created under the Reform and Growth Mechanism for the Western Balkans, which aims to guarantee the sound financial management of EU funds.
" They will travel to Tirana, the capital of Albania, where they will also meet with government officials and representatives, civil society representatives, and visit the site of an EU-funded project. A press conference at the Europe House in Tirana will conclude the mission on 18 September, at 2:00 p.m. ," the EU announced.
“ Albania and Montenegro, as EU candidate countries, are already receiving EU funds. We want to find out how this spending is monitored and see for ourselves the impact of the money on the ground. To get a comprehensive picture, we will meet not only with officials, but also with representatives of civil society, ” said Head of Delegation Niclas Herbst ahead of the mission.
The mission shows that the European Commission is finally convinced that Prime Minister Edi Rama is not interested in uncovering abuses of EU funds for agriculture and is defending the former director of AZHBR, Frida Krifca, accused of abusing 183 million euros from the IPARD II program during the years 2017–2021.
The Commission's official position has been clear: until the government punishes the abusers and justice is served, IPARD III funds for Albania remain blocked. Since 2020, Albanian farmers have not benefited from a single euro of European Union grants, and according to the latest announcement from Brussels, they will not receive any in 2026 either.
The European Commission has reiterated its readiness to support the Albanian agri-food sector, but on condition that the funds are protected and not misused. Brussels demands that Albania take concrete measures to punish those responsible for the IPARD II scandal.
However, Prime Minister Edi Rama has not only not taken any steps, but has publicly defended Frida Krifca, who was criminally charged by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). The Prime Minister even rewarded her with the position of Minister of Agriculture, and then as an advisor to the Prime Minister for EU funds.
In 2022, although OLAF had submitted the file with a full investigation on Krifca, Edi Rama gave her the authorization to sign the IPARD III agreement with the EU, an act that Brussels rejected as unacceptable.
The responsibility now does not only lie with the government. Even the head of SPAK, Altin Dumani, has been blocking the OLAF criminal report for four years, which contains contracts, film evidence, names of fictitious beneficiaries and official documents signed by Frida Krifca.
Dumani has stated several times that "the case is under investigation," but the facts so far show the opposite: no criminal proceedings have been registered and the BKH has not been tasked with the investigation, even though all the evidence is ready.
The members of the delegation and accompanying members are:
Niclas Herbst, Head of the Commission Delegation (EPP, Germany)
Marco Tarquinio, Chairman of D-AL (S&D, Italy)
Thomas Waitz, Chairman of D-ME (Greens/EFA, Austria)
Claudiu Manda (S&D, Romania)
Jacek Protas (EPP, Poland)
Tomas Zdechovský (EPP, Czech Republic)
Karlo Ressler (EPP, Croatia)
Dick Erixon (ECR, Sweden)
Jonas Sjöstedt (Left, Sweden)
/Pamphlet
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