30/08/2000 (Agence Europe) - Questioned on Wednesday over the rather critical report by the Monitoring Committee of the anti-fraud office, OLAF (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.6), the European Commission spokesperson indicated that the Committee would closely examine this report, and that, in the meantime it noted that this new body has a difficult job to do and that it is "doing it well". A Commission spokesperson announced, with regards to OLAF personnel, that it would be increased to 200 people by next Christmas , and that, after the organisation of a competition, it would have 300 employees by the end of 2001. As for the President of the EP's Budgetary Control Committee, Diemut Theato, she once more insisted on the need to ensure the "full operational independence" of OLAF from the European Commission and she also spoke out in favour of the creation of the position of European prosecutor.