Brussels, 03/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) announced on Tuesday that it was continuing with the reorganisation of its administrative structures with the creation of a third directorate taking responsibility for intelligence, operations strategies and information technology. These changes will begin with a modification to its managerial staff in "Investigations and Operations". This will involve merging sector advisers into two teams - one in charge of internal investigations; direct costs and structural actions and the other team in charge of external investigations and operations. Creating a "Finical follow-up and recovery unit" within the Justice and Home Affairs directorate involves the implementation of action as defined in the White Paper on European Commission reforms, as well as more efficient management in the recovery of funds unduly paid out in the cases dealt with by OLAF.
The new Directorate "Intelligence, Operational Strategy and Information Technology" will be in charge of all activities connected with the collection and use of information. The specific character of these tasks will require particular qualification and relevant experience. Franz-Hermann Bruener, the Office Manager explained that, " Thanks to the activity of this Directorate, the Office will have instruments for centralising information which will contribute to targeting and setting the priority investigation areas and will increase the effectiveness of the investigators". Mr Bruener also explained that this Directorate currently consists of the two units, Intelligence, Operational Strategy and Information Technology, which had previously been attached to the Director General. The new structure should rationalise investigations and operations initiated by OLAF, as well as giving them a greater impact. It will make the tools available in all the different areas of expertise at OLAF more efficient, resulting in an improvement in the quality of service at an internal level (different Commission services and European Union institutions) as well as at an external level (Member States).
The OLAF Office Manager explained that, "the objective intended, at the first phase of the reorganisation of OLAF in September 2000 was to have, for investigations, teams that were both flexible and effective." The new OLAF organigram is available at the following Internet website: //europa.eu.int/dgs/anti_fraud/directory_fr.htm.