From the Parliament rostrum, during the presentation of the 2026 draft budget, Prime Minister Edi Rama returned to the issue of the termination of IPARD funds, minimizing Brussels' decision. Ironically, Rama described it as "the pitiful song of agricultural funds". He stated that the investigations of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) for the period 2019–2023 have revealed violations of a similar nature in EU countries.
According to the Prime Minister, the amounts identified in these countries reach over 1 billion euros.
"OLAF, which conducts investigations on behalf of the European Commission, for the year 2019–2023, has not found violations of the same nature (as it found in Albania), only in these countries: Luxembourg, Malta, Cyprus, Ireland and the Netherlands. Meanwhile, the amount set by OLAF before other European Union countries… is over 1 billion euros," Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania.
But this comparison is incorrect.
Albania, a unique case
In a special response to Faktoje.al, the European Commission explains that Albania's case is unique. This is because the interruption of payments for IPARD II and the suspension of IPARD III were decided on the basis of an OLAF investigation, not simply on technical audits as in EU member states.
In its official response to Faktoje.al, the European Commission emphasizes that the measure taken against Albania has no precedent.
"As previously stated, there are no similar cases," the EC states to Faktoje.al
The Commission explains that it is necessary to distinguish between financial corrections for technical deficiencies in member states, and measures based on an OLAF investigation, such as the case of Albania.
"In the case of Albania, the European Commission has stopped the reimbursement of IPARD expenditure and, at the same time, has suspended the delegation for all IPARD III measures on the basis of information received by OLAF in the context of an investigation, and this since July 2023.
It is clear that, to correct such shortcomings, improvements in national control systems are necessary in both situations mentioned above," the European Commission explains.
In the summer of 2023, based on information from OLAF, the European Commission stopped IPARD II reimbursements and suspended all IPARD III measures. To regain credibility, Albania needs to improve control systems and implement corrective measures.
Repeated lie
This is not the first time that the government has minimized the interruption of IPARD II funds and the suspension of the IPARD III program, due to suspicions of corruption.
In July 2023, when the European Commission informed the Albanian government that it had suspended grants for agriculture, Brussels' extreme decision was commented on as a normal administrative procedure.
The then Minister of Agriculture, Frida Krifca, said that similar irregularities or abuses with IPARD funds have also been found in countries such as Germany, France or the Netherlands. Minister Frida Krifca's statement at the time was denied by Faktoje.al through the European Commission.
Even in 2023, the EC emphasized that the measure against Albania was unprecedented.
cONcluSiON
The European Commission argues that it is important to distinguish between financial corrections applied to EU member states by the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI), versus issues that come to light on the basis of an investigation by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), as is the case for Albania.
Based on the information collected, we categorize Prime Minister Edi Rama's statement that "OLAF has not found violations of the same nature as it found in Albania, only in Luxembourg, Malta, Cyprus, Ireland and the Netherlands" as untrue.
The issue of IPARD funds is not simply a "miserable song", but a test for the credibility of Albanian institutions on the path towards European integration. /Faktoje.al/
