MEP Danuše Nerudová (PPE) has asked the European Commission to clarify whether it has reimbursed Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments to companies belonging to the Agrofert group, after the Czech State Agricultural Intervention Fund (SZIF) publicly stated that such reimbursements had been made for May 2026. The question, submitted on 14 July 2026, challenges the Commission to confirm the amounts, legal basis, and payment claims involved, and to explain how SZIF's statements align with earlier Commission indications that the issue of possible conflict of interest concerning Agrofert needed to be resolved before any EU reimbursement could be considered.
Nerudová's question follows previous public reports that the Commission was still assessing the conflict-of-interest case involving Agrofert, whose ultimate beneficiary is former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. The MEP now seeks to verify whether the Commission has indeed reimbursed the payments, and if so, on what grounds. If reimbursement has not occurred, she asks the Commission to assess the accuracy of SZIF's public claims.
amounts reimbursed, payment claims, and the legal basis for any reimbursement. It also implicitly calls for clarity on the Commission's handling of conflict-of-interest rules under EU law. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks; its answer will signal whether it considers the conflict-of-interest issue resolved or still under scrutiny, and will clarify the legal interpretation applied to CAP payments linked to politically exposed beneficiaries.
Czech taxpayers and EU budget watchdogs face uncertainty over the proper use of CAP funds; Agrofert companies could benefit from cleared payments if the Commission confirms reimbursement; the Czech SZIF's credibility is at stake if its statements prove inaccurate; and the Commission's enforcement of conflict-of-interest rules is tested, affecting the integrity of EU spending controls.