ANTI-FRAUD POLICY: FRANZ-HERMANN BRUENER TO HEAD OLAF.

Created by Regulation 1073/99 last April, OLAF replaced UCLAF last June and its Director was due to start work the following November. However the institutional confusion that surrounded the appointment slowed down the proceedings somewhat. In the end, Franz-Hermann Bruener's bid proved to be successful, thanks to the approval of the three institutions involved in the selection process, as defined by the OLAF Regulation. Mr Bruener currently heads the anti-fraud unit of the Office of the High Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina where he developed the international community's anti-fraud and anti-corruption strategy. Born in Germany he has had a long and distinguished career in the fight against fraud and corruption, notably heading one of Germany's first specialised departments in this field in Munich, Bavaria.OLAF has fleshed out the activities carried out by UCLAF, which was set up in 1998. The main task of OLAF is the fight against fraud and corruption and co-ordinating the Member States' specialised anti-fraud services and the Commission's relevant departments. It also carries out its own external and internal investigations into suspected fraud...