Commission steps up its efforts in fighting fraud against the EU budget
Member States reported €280 million in suspected fraud cases involving EU funds. Although this represents less than 0.2% of the EU’s total budget, the Commission is determined to push the fight against fraud a step further. In this context, the Commission today adopted its new Anti-Fraud Strategy to update and modernise its policies to fight against fraud.
The customs authorities of EU countries as well as some non-EU countries, in cooperation with OLAF, carry out regular joint customs operations with specific checks at European level. These operations are coordinated and targeted actions of a limited duration with the aim of combating the smuggling of sensitive goods and fraud in certain risky areas and/or on identified trade routes.
OLAF provides the necessary support for the relevant countries to conduct coordinated actions by means of its:
On 17 July 2013 the Commission proposed a Regulation on the establishment of a European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO). It is based on Article 86 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union which empowers the Council to establish such an Office in order to combat crimes affecting the financial interests of the Union.