Foreword

• Author: European Anti-Fraud Office (European Commission)
• Pages: 3-3

3

th Annual Report on the Protection of the European Union’s financial interests — Fight against fraud 

Foreword

Over the past 3 0 years, the protec tion of the European U nion’s f‌inancial interes ts has been

a priority for th e European Commission. Ensur ing that the EU budget is being s pent in the

most ef‌fecti ve manner is not optional; it is an obligation for both t he institutions and the

Member States . It is vital in order to preser ve and promote citizens’ tr ust in the EU.

During its mandate, the Juncker Commission has paid particular attention to the protec-

tion of the EU’s f‌in ancial interests. The a nti-fraud landscape ha s been strengthened wi th

the adoptio n of the directive on the pro tection of the EU’s f‌inan cial interests by means of

criminal law (PIF directive), the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Of‌f‌ice

by enhanced cooperation, the proposal to amend the OLAF Regulation (Regulation (EU,

Euratom) No 883/2013) and the adoption of the new Commission Anti-Fraud Strategy.

Furthermore, this Commission has launched the “EU Budget Focused On Results” (BFOR)

initiative, in ord er to join ef‌forts of EU institu tions, governments and c ivil society towards

better spending, increased accountability and transparency, and creating a maximum

added value for EU c itizens.

The motivation for the Commission’s actions has been consistent throughout the years:

to protect t he EU budget from fraudsters and ensure that European money reaches pro-

jects that af‌fect citizens’ lives in Europe and beyond. The yearly achievements of the

Commission and the Member States and the measures taken to pursue this goal are

showcased in t he annual reports on t he protection of the EU’s f‌in ancial interests, the so -

called PIF rep orts. They are pre sented by the Commission to t he European Parliame nt and

the Council , under Article 325 of the Treaty on t he Functioning of the EU. The f‌irst repor t

was published 3 0 years ago, back in 1990.

From the setting-up of the Commission’s Anti-Fraud Coordination Unit (UCLAF) in 1988,

and then of it s successor, the European Ant i-Fraud Of‌f‌ice (OLAF ) in 1999, to the adoption

of the latest Commission Anti-Fraud Strategy, the Commission has been continuously

developing the Union’s anti-fraud system in cooperation with its stakeholders, in par-

ticular the other European institutions and the Member States. Year aer year, the PIF

reports h ave testif‌ied to these ef‌for ts at European and nation al level and they have been

progressively enr iched with thorough a nd informative analyses of irr egularities and fraud

detected and reported by the Member States to draw up evidence-based recommenda-

tions to all player s.

As we are moving t o the next stage of the f‌ig ht against fraud, with newly e merging types

of fraud to tack le and a new institutiona l landscape, the Com mission, the Member States,

as well as OL AF and the EPPO, will have all key r oles to play.

I am pleased to c elebrate with you the 30t h anniversary of the PIF r eport and I invite you

to discover more on t he following pages.

Günther Oettinger,

European Un ion Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources