Brussels, 24/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - The thirteenth report of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), which presents the Office's activities in 2012, was published on Thursday 23 May. It highlights the increased effectiveness of investigations and an average seven-month reduction in the phase for selecting new cases and processing those cases, which has made it possible to deal with more than twice the number of cases compared to 2011 and to make recommendations for the recovery of €284 million.
To be more specific: Information processed. In 2012, OLAF received and processed a growing volume of information, i.e. 1,264 elements in 2012, up 21% compared to 2011. The information mainly came from private sources (889) but the number of cases communicated by member states has doubled, thus showing the increase in confidence placed in OLAF. Cases processed. OLAF processed 718 cases (118 in 2011) and closed 465 (208 in 2011) - 431 cases concerned investigations (147 in 2011), 134 of which concerned the attribution of structural funds, 59 concerned agricultural funding, 106 external aid, 51 customs fraud, 90 cases related to the staff in institutions, 14 to tobacco smuggling or counterfeit products, 39 to centralised spending and 22 to EU financing through the international organisations or other entities. Then, 287 cases (32 in 2011) concerned times when OLAF played a coordination role. Duration of investigations. Compared to 2011, the average duration of investigations and coordination files went from 29.1 to 22.6 months, including the selection phase, i.e. a decrease of 22% compared to 2011. The average duration of the selection phase for a case was reduced from 6.8 to 1.4 months, that is, a reduction of 80% compared to 2011. Amounts recovered. Further to its investigations, OLAF made recommendations of a financial nature for the recovery of €284 million, of which €165.8 million was for customs fraud, €63.3 million under structural funds, €33.4 million for agricultural funds, €15.6 million for external aid, €5.0 million for centralised spending and €0.8 million for EU funding through international organisations or other entities, and €0.1 million under infringements by institutional staff. The amount effectively recovered in 2012 amounts to €94.5 million.
These achievements result from a major internal reorganisation of the Office and the introduction of new investigative procedures and new working methods that have strengthened its overall efficiency. OLAF has, moreover, continued to take part in the drafting and implementation of policies and legislation against fraud by preparing a legislative proposal for the creation of a European public prosecutor's office in order to strengthen inquiries and prosecution in the event of fraud to the detriment of the EU budget. This proposal should be adopted during the year 2013. Finally, OLAF represented the EU at the framework convention of the World Health Organisation for combating tobacco, throughout the negotiation process for the protocol to eliminate the illicit trade in tobacco products. (FG/transl.jl)