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PRESS RELEASE No 05/2017 PDF version (216.29 KB) It is almost 20 years since the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the only European body mandated to investigate fraud affecting the European Union’s financial interests, was created. Socially, economically and institutionally, Europe has transformed in the last two decades and the challenges of law enforcement authorities, particularly in tackling transnational fraud cases, have grown exponentially. It is in this context that the evaluation of Regulation 883/2013, the core legal basis underpinning OLAF's work, is being carried out as foreseen by the legislators. The European Commission, supported by an independent external contractor, is now assessing if Regulation 883/2013 delivered its intended objectives of providing a clear and effective framework for OLAF’s activities, and whether its provisions are still relevant in the context of today's anti-fraud landscape. The evaluation will also consider whether changes need to be implemented to take into account the impact that the proposed European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) would have on OLAF's investigative role and to regulate collaboration between the two. As part of the evaluation process, European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources, Günther H. Oettinger, joined more than 200 stakeholders at a high-level conference on 1-2 March in Brussels. "I can only commend OLAF for its impressive work in protecting the EU budget and helping ensure that citizens' money goes towards projects that improve the lives of all Europeans," Commissioner Oettinger said. "Now it's time to look to the future and to try to make sure that OLAF has the tools it needs to successfully counter increasingly sophisticated forms of fraud," Mr. Oettinger added. In his opening remarks, OLAF Director-General Giovanni Kessler advocated the need for reform. "The evaluation of Regulation 883 offers us an important opportunity," Mr. Kessler said. "Not only can we see what worked and what should be improved, it gives us the possibility to truly reflect on the future of OLAF and assess whether the current OLAF model is still good enough to cater for the overall protection of the EU's financial interests." The OLAF Director-General stressed that the Office should have better tools to allow it to perform the investigative acts necessary in the fight against fraud, such as access to bank accounts and the clear authority to interview witnesses and enter the premises of economic operators. He also believed an amended Regulation should provide a sufficient legal basis to allow judicial authorities in all European Union Member States to use OLAF reports as evidence in trial. Given OLAF’s unique investigative mandate, he invited participants to consider possible new areas to further develop OLAF’s competences beyond the protection of the EU’s financial interests. By looking into issues related to food fraud or intellectual property rights for example, OLAF's expertise could offer increased protection to the interests of European citizens. Participants engaged in lively discussions on the key provisions of the Regulation and their application in both internal and external OLAF investigations. National-level experts joined academics, lawyers and EU civil servants to examine whether the text in its current form can support the sound functioning of the Office, or whether OLAF's new priorities should be reflected in an updated legal base. Background: The Union and the Member States are required by the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU, Article 325) to counter fraud and any other illegal activities affecting the financial interests of the Union. To this end, the Commission established in 1999 the European Anti-fraud Office, in particular, to conduct investigations against fraud and any other illegal activity affecting the EU financial interests, as well as to assist Member States in the fight against fraud. The co-legislator regulated the conduct of investigations and the governance of OLAF in Regulation (EC) N° 1073/1999 and Regulation (Euratom) N 1074/1999. These regulations were replaced by Regulation 883/2013, which currently governs the exercise of OLAF's mandate, including the powers of investigation conferred on the Commission to fight against fraud, corruption and any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests of the European Union. Regulation 883/2013 was an important step forward in codifying OLAF's investigative practice, significantly strengthening the procedural guarantees of the persons concerned by OLAF investigations, introducing a legality check on investigative measures and in promoting the exchange of information between OLAF and its operational and institutional partners. The current evaluation exercise is foreseen in the Regulation. The Commission will submit its evaluation report to the European Parliament and the Council by October 2017. Stakeholder conference on OLAF Regulation evaluation, ©EU OLAF mission, mandate and competences: OLAF’s mission is to detect, investigate and stop fraud with EU funds. OLAF fulfils its mission by: • carrying out independent investigations into fraud and corruption involving EU funds, so as to ensure that all EU taxpayers’ money reaches projects that can create jobs and growth in Europe; • contributing to strengthening citizens’ trust in the EU Institutions by investigating serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU Institutions; • developing a sound EU anti-fraud policy. In its independent investigative function, OLAF can investigate matters relating to fraud, corruption and other offences affecting the EU financial interests concerning: • all EU expenditure: the main spending categories are Structural Funds, agricultural policy and rural development funds, direct expenditure and external aid; • some areas of EU revenue, mainly customs duties; • suspicions of serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU institutions. For further details: Alina BUREA Spokesperson European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) Email: olaf-media@ec.europa.eu http://ec.europa.eu/anti-fraud Twitter: @OLAFPress Silvana ENCULESCU Deputy Spokesperson European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) Email: olaf-media@ec.europa.eu http://ec.europa.eu/anti-fraud Twitter: @OLAFPress Details - Publication date - 1 March 2017 - Author - European Anti-Fraud Office - News type - OLAF press release
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Cad é misean OLAF? Maoiníonn an tAontas Eorpach raon leathan clár agus tionscadal a chuireann le caighdeán maireachtála saoránach ar fud an Aontais Eorpaigh agus lasmuigh de. Is díobháil mhór do shaoránaigh na hEorpa agus baol mór don tionscadal Eorpach ina iomláine aon mhí-úsáid a bhaintear as cistiú a thagann as buiséad an Aontais Eorpaigh nó aon imghabháil a dhéantar ar na cánacha, na dleachtanna nó na tobhaigh a íoctar isteach i mbuiséad an Aontais. Comhlíonann OLAF a mhisean ar na bealaí seo a leanas: - trí imscrúduithe neamhspleácha a dhéanamh ar chalaois agus ar éilliú a bhaineann le cistí an Aontais Eorpaigh, d'fhonn a chinntiú go gcaitear airgead cháiníocóirí an Aontais ar thionscadail atá ceaptha poist agus fás a chruthú san Eoraip; - trí chuidiú chun muinín na saoránach in institiúidí an Aontais a neartú trí imscrúduithe a dhéanamh ar mhí-iompar tromchúiseach fhoireann an Aontais agus bhaill na n-institiúidí; - beartas fónta frith-chalaoise a cheapadh don Aontas Eorpach. An méid a bhféadfaidh OLAF imscrúdú a dhéanamh air Féadfaidh OLAF imscrúduithe a dhéanamh ar chalaois, éilliú agus cionta eile a bhaineann le leasanna airgeadais an Aontais, mar atá: - caiteachas uile an Aontais. Is iad seo na príomhchatagóirí caiteachais: cistí struchtúracha, cistí um an mbeartas talmhaíochta agus um fhorbairt tuaithe, caiteachas díreach agus cúnamh seachtrach; - réimsí áirithe d'ioncam an Aontais, dleachtanna custaim den chuid is mó; - amhras i dtaobh mhí-iompar tromchúiseach fhoireann an Aontais agus bhaill na n-institiúidí. Saolré imscrúdú de chuid OLAF Faigheann OLAF eolas faoi chalaoisí agus faoi mhírialtachtaí féideartha ón iliomad foinsí. I bhformhór na gcásanna, is ó sheiceálacha uathusan atá freagrach as cistí an Aontais Eorpaigh a bhainistiú in institiúidí an Aontais nó sna Ballstáit a thagann an t-eolas sin. Gach líomhain a fhaigheann OLAF, déantar measúnú tosaigh uirthi féachaint an dtagann sí faoi shainchúram na hOifige agus an gcomhlíonann sí na critéir chun imscrúdú a oscailt. D’fhéadfadh imscrúduithe a bheith i bhfoirm agallamh nó cigireachtaí ar áitribh agus rangaítear iad faoi cheann amháin de na trí chatagóir seo a leanas: - Imscrúduithe inmheánacha: Is é sin imscrúduithe riaracháin laistigh d'institiúidí agus de chomhlachtaí an Aontais d'fhonn calaois, éilliú nó aon ghníomhaíocht mhídhleathach eile a bhfuil tionchar aici ar leasanna airgeadais an Aontais Eorpaigh a bhrath; nithe tromchúiseacha a bhaineann le dualgais ghairmiúla a chomhlíonadh. - Imscrúduithe seachtracha: Is é sin imscrúduithe riaracháin lasmuigh d'institiúidí agus de chomhlachtaí an Aontais d'fhonn calaois nó aon iompar neamhrialta eile ó dhaoine nádúrtha nó dlítheanacha a bhrath. Rangaítear cásanna mar imscrúduithe seachtracha i gcás gurb é OLAF is mó a dhéanann an t-imscrúdú. - Cásanna comhordúcháin: Déanann OLAF a chion le cabhrú le himscrúduithe a dhéanann údaráis náisiúnta nó ranna eile de chuid an Aontais trí bhailiú agus malartú eolais agus teagmhálacha a éascú. Tar éis imscrúdú a chur i gcrích, molann OLAF beart d'institiúidí an Aontais agus do na húdaráis náisiúnta lena mbaineann: go hiondúil bíonn imscrúduithe coiriúla, aisghabháil airgeadais nó bearta smachta nó riaracháin eile ar áireamh iontu sin. Déanann sí faireachán ansin ar an gcaoi a gcuirtear na moltaí sin chun feidhme. Treoirlínte maidir leis na Nósanna Imeachta Imscrúdaithe d'Fhoireann OLAF Plean bainistíochta 2022 Plean straitéiseach 2020-2024 Tuarascáil bhliantúil ar ghníomhaíochtaí 2021