Neither the European Commission nor the Slovak government wants Slovakia to lose European finances. This was announced by Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission (EC) and European Commissioner for Values and Transparency, at a Thursday press conference in Bratislava. She emphasized that the commission is not interested in stopping, freezing or suspending this money. However, they must have legal guarantees that they will not be abused.
Jourová clarified that they are intensively negotiating with the Slovak government about European funds. According to her, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) and Deputy Prime Minister for the recovery plan and European funds Peter Kmec (Hlas-SD) guaranteed that there are sufficient mechanisms against the misuse of this money.
In connection with the draft law on STVR, which was approved by the government on Wednesday (April 24), she expressed satisfaction that the law will go through the proper legislative process. "I am glad that the STVR Act was not adopted in an abbreviated legislative procedure, that it opens the process of broad legislative debates and that it went through consultations before being approved by the government," she said. She announced that after its approval, the European Commission will assess its compliance with the regulation on media freedom.
Jourova assured representatives of the Culture Ministry that the European Commission does not interfere with personnel changes in public institutions' posts of the EU member countries. However, she voiced concerns with respect to the fight against disinformation because public broadcasters have their duties in this sphere as well. "The people have a right to express themselves freely and subjectively but the public institutions have a duty to correct subjective statements," noted Jourova
She does not see the recent abolition of the Special Prosecutor's Office as negative. "The point is that the files are taken over by highly specialized workplaces specializing in financial crime. That the cases are investigated by professional prosecutors who will investigate them with complete knowledge of the matter," she added.
In connection with the proposed law on non-profit organizations, she pointed out that it contradicts the decision of the European Court of Justice.
(TASR)
