Brussels, 18/07/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday the European Commission is expected to adopt its annual report for 2002 on protecting the financial interests of the Communities and fighting against fraud. In total, 10,060 cases were brought to the Commission last year, which represented a total amount of almost EUR 1.13 bio. This constitutes a serious increase on 2001, which registered almost half the number of fraud cases in both the number of cases as well as the amounts involved (EUEOPE 4 July 2002). The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) opened 415 cases in 2002 in all the different sectors. 2002 is especially marked out by the fourfold increase in fraud cases in structural actions and the threefold increase in the amounts involved.
Own resources: 2,119 communications were sent by Member States, which represented an increase of 13.1% on 2001. Greece saw a rise of 136.4% in cases it sent. The amounts involved in fraud increased by 35.8% and reached almost EUR 324 million. We also learn from this report that the increase in fraud cases in the Netherlands of 450% is due to 19 cases of contraband cigarettes to the tune of a total of EUR 50 million. In Germany (+324.5%), irregularities involved the sugar sector while in Belgium (+253.4%) fraud focused on banana imports from the USA with false certificates and contraband cigarettes. The number of fraud cases in Spain that were spotted declined (-61.7%) compared to the previous year when it had a record high of more than 360%. It continued to decline in the United Kingdom (-52.3%) "due to no reason in particular" according to the Commission, which invited the country to "explain the situation during the next consultative committee on own resources".
Structural actions: as the programming period 1994-1999 is coming to an end, the number of irregularities has considerably increased from 1,194 in 2001 to 4,656 in 2002. The amounts involved increased from EUR 216 million in 2001 to more than EUR 614 million the year after (EUR 403 million of which involved the ERDF). Cohesion funds (around EUR 3 bio a year for Spain, Greece, Ireland and Portugal) Spain was the only country to have not sent in any cases of fraud. Germany and the Netherlands alone have sent in more than half the total number of fraud cases in both numbers of cases and the amounts involved.
Agriculture: in 2002, Member States notified 3,285 cases of irregularities (increase of 36% compared to 2001 (2,415 irregularities). The total amount in 2002 increased to EUR 198 million of which was for Italy and 59 million for Spain (as opposed to EUR 140 million in 2001). Most of the irregularities communicated for this sector correspond to 0.46% of the agricultural budget.
Cases dealt with by OLAF: in 2002, Olaf opened 415 cases, as opposed to 381 in 2001. In the traditional own resources areas, 155 new investigations were opened, as opposed to 74 in 2001. These new cases mainly involve fraud on anti-dumping duties (goods from Asian countries). Olaf finished 168 enquiries in 2002 (98 in 2001), which represents a total budget of EUR 464.9 (EUR 375.90 bio on agricultural duties and duties in the sugar sector and EUR 29 million for customs duties on cigarettes, fuel and alcohol). Investigations currently being carried out on anti-dumping focus on large scale trafficking (around EUR 60 million for two cases of fraudulent imports of TVs and CD Roms). In the area of agricultural produce 36 new cases were opened in 2002. 50 cases were officially closed with a financial impact of EUR 208.7 million. Olaf afforded particular attention to the problems posed in the fallow land programme in Greece (fraud estimated to be around EUR 3.4-20 million). Olaf sent its final report to the Greek legal and judicial authorities. In July 2002, Olaf finished an investigation on exports, by a Belgian operator, of meat producers and conserves which had been unduly declared for export. The Belgian authorities launched a recovery procedure for the sum of EUR 7 million. 38 new investigations were opened on the subject o structural actions (false invoices and false declarations of spending). On direct spending and external aid (exclusively managed by the Commission), 136 new investigations were opened in 2002, of which 97 in the area of external aid. In 2002, Olaf opened 50 internal investigations (33 in 2001), 36 cases were concluded this year.