Brussels, 04/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 3 December, MEPs from the special anti-corruption and organised crime committee (CRIM) examined the issue of embezzlement of European funds and their laundering by the Mafia. The two S&D MEPs who wrote a report on the subject, Barbara Weiler from Germany and Tanja Fajon from Slovenia, estimated the overall cost of this fraud at around €200 billion a year.
Structural and CAP funds are most affected. VAT fraud is the most widespread kind of fraud practised among member states, explained MEPs during a press conference, which they estimated at around €100 billion a year. In 2010, according to statistics provided by OLAF and based on data collected by member states, more than 13,600 cases involved the fraudulent use of European funds, with an estimated cost of €2 billion. The number of cases flagged up as suspicious has been increasing since 2008. The phenomenon does not exclusively affect southern European countries either, even though the Calabrian and Sicilian Mafia have on several occasions been involved in the embezzlement of structural funds. It also affects new member states that joined the EU after 2004, explained Weiler. The latter even alluded to the situation in Germany, which she explained had got worse
The phenomenon, however, remains difficult to identify and quantify, explained the two MEPs. They therefore want to step up investigation in this field, as well as cooperation between the different undertakings concerned: the EU, member states and appropriate international authorities in the fight against this kind of fraud. The idea of a “European prosecutor”, directly responsible for fighting cross-border fraud, should also be considered. The Commission and member states still need to deal more firmly with VAT fraud and cooperation between third countries should also focus more on this kind of fraud. SP/transl.fl)