In response to OLAF’s findings, the EUAA supervisory board issued a formal warning to its executive director, Nina Gregori, urging her to “ensure more efficient and transparent procedures” in hiring and human resources, according to board chair Evelina Gudzinskaitė.
But the board opted not to take disciplinary action, prompting lawmakers to seek to clarify the facts in the Parliament.
“We will assess with the EUAA, its management board and OLAF to find out how the problems arose and whether appropriate measures have been taken,” Marquardt added.
In response to OLAF’s findings, the EUAA supervisory board issued a formal warning to its executive director, Nina Gregori, urging her to “ensure more efficient and transparent procedures” in hiring and human resources. | Olivier Hoslet/EFE via EPA
Citing “concerning” findings from the OLAF report that threaten the “stability, governance, and reputation” of the agency under Gregori, lawmakers in the budgetary control committee voted in April to freeze signing off on the accounts and announced the opening of an investigation. Wednesday’s vote is to ratify that decision.
Gregori denies wrongdoing. “The alleged facts raised in the OLAF report have not been found established … no misconduct was found, and I did not receive any disciplinary penalty,” she said in a written statement to POLITICO.
Show of unity
The quarrel comes at the worst possible time, with the EU desperate to show it can deliver on migration, which remains a top concern for voters across Europe. It’s also tricky for the European Commission as the bloc starts to negotiate a new deportations regulation and continues to implement an asylum and migration law that took nearly 10 years to pass.