ROP Calabria 2014-2020: spending on the COVID-19 health crisis
1.4.2021
Priority question for written answer P-001798/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Laura Ferrara (NI)
In order to ensure that the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF) make the greatest possible contribution to the priorities of the Corona Response Investment Initiative, Calabria Region reprogrammed the uncommitted resources under its 2014-2020 ERDF-ESF regional operational programme (ROP) to fund initiatives tackling the COVID-19 crisis.
A total of EUR 395 million, including EUR 268.6 million from the ERDF and EUR 126.4 million from the ESF, was therefore channelled towards combating and mitigating the effects of the health crisis. Specifically, around EUR 140 million was earmarked for tackling the health crisis through measures such as: a national health service recruitment drive; temporary sanitary zones; strengthening local health facilities and networks; setting up IT platforms and systems to address the crisis, among others.
However, despite the large sums at its disposal, Calabria’s management of the COVID-19 health crisis has been poor and hugely ineffective.
The Calabrian health system is collapsing under the weight of structural weaknesses and a lamentably chaotic vaccination programme.
In the light of the above:
- 1.Does the Commission know precisely how these funds have been spent on the Calabrian health system?
- 2.How much of this EUR 140 million in expenditure has it already certified?
- 3.Does it intend to order a more thorough investigation into the use of these funds, involving OLAF where necessary?