On Monday evening, the government decided to set up an “independent authority operating in order to prevent, detect and correct illegalities and irregularities” concerning the allocation of EU funds. The decision published in the Magyar Közlöny requires the establishment of an anti-corruption authority and an anti-corruption working group, the Telex noted.
The government mostly hopes from this measure that the obstacles to the withholding of several thousand billion forints of EU money will be removed.
The new anti-corruption authority can intervene in cases in which other competent authorities have not taken the necessary steps to prevent, detect and correct fraud, conflicts of interest, corruption, and other violations or irregularities that may adversely affect the efficient and effective financial management of the EU budget or the protection of the Union’s financial interests, in particular with regard to European Union financial support implemented during public procurement procedures.
The government plans to establish the authority before November 21. In addition, they undertake to establish a new Anti-Corruption Working Group by December 1.
Could the world of single-bid public procurement come to an end?
Another decision appeared in Monday’s gazette. This would increase the transparency of public procurement. The “government is committed to increasing the efficiency, transparency and economy of public procurements carried out from European Union and domestic sources, reducing the number of single-offer public procurement procedures and increasing the level of competition, as well as promoting the participation of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in public procurements,” reads the intention.
The decision also requires the creation of a performance measurement framework that evaluates the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of public procurement; and examines the possible causes and effects of single-bid public procurement procedures, “including situations where the proportion of single-bid procedures exceeds the 15% threshold.”
The decision also states that the Minister of Territorial Development, i.e. Tibor Navracsics, must ensure that independent, non-governmental organizations and public procurement experts active in the field of domestic public procurement must cooperate in the operation of the performance measurement framework.
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