Brussels, 03/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European anti-fraud office (OLAF) recommended the recovery of almost €901 million in 2014, results published on Tuesday 2 June reveal.
“The results of our investigative activity in 2014 confirm the strong performance reported by OLAF last year”, said OLAF Director General Giovanni Kessler, at a press conference on Tuesday. These are the best results OLAF has achieved in five years. “We have concentrated on those cases where our intervention is most needed and can bring real added value - on complex investigations in areas such as structural funds, customs, smuggling, trade and external aid”, Kessler stated.
OLAF received 1,417 allegations of possible fraud, the highest number of cases since it was set up in 1999, without this adversely impacting on the timescale for assessing incoming allegations (2 months on average). The number of investigations opened increased significantly and is now 60% higher than before its reorganisation in 2012. The average duration of investigations decreased to 21 months, the shortest average duration reported in over five years. The same is true for the number of recommendations for financial, judicial, administrative or disciplinary action issued by OLAF: 397 in 2014. The monies recovered will progressively return to the EU budget and help fund other European projects.
Alongside its investigative activity, OLAF is involved in legislative initiatives relating to the protection of the EU's financial interests against fraud and corruption and contributed, for example, to the negotiations on the setting-up of a European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), as well as those on the directive on the protection of the EU's financial interests. (Pascal Hansens)