OLAF on the European and international scene

• Pages: 32-35

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The OLAF report 2019

4. OLAF on the European

and international scene

4.1. OLAF’s relations with its partners

Efficient cooperation with its partners is essential

for OLAF’s investigative and policy work. With this in

mind, OLAF works hard to foster good relations and

cooperation with the widest possible range of current

and future partners on th e European and international

scenes.

Examples of successful and expanded cooperation with

many of these partners can also be found elsewhere in

this report.

OLAF hosted a visit from the Italian Carabinieri in April as

part of its ongoing cooperation with na tional authorities

4.1.1 . Working closely with the Member

States and European Commission

services

OLAF works closely with national authorities in Member

States, on both investigative and policy matters. In 2019,

the Director-General of OLAF visited seven Member

States (Bulgaria, Finland, France, G ermany, Italy,

Spain and Sweden) and met with high-level officials

(ministers, secretaries of state, direc tors-general)

from national authorities and investigative services,

including customs agencies, police, tax administrations,

judicial authorities and anti-fraud coordination ser vices.

The visits to Member States contributed to enhancing

investigative coop eration, inclu ding assistance

to OLAF’s investigations, improving reporting of

irregularities to OLAF and following up OLAF’s

recommendations, and preparing for the establishment

of the European Public Prosecutor’s O ffice (EPPO).

In its mission to protect the EU’s financial interests

against fraud and corruption and to stop fraudsters from

pocketing EU money, OLAF collaborates with other

European Commission services, as well as with other

institutions, bodies and agencies. In 2019, in addition

to the frauds involving EU funds and joint customs

operations targeting consumer goo ds and cigarettes,

OLAF intensified its activities in environment-related

projects. As a result, OLAF ac tively collaborated with

its European partners to increase OLAF’s involvement

in the delivery of the European Green Deal objectives,

particularly as regards environment al fraud and

foodfraud.

The Director-General of OLAF met bilaterally with 21

Directors-General of the Commission as well as with

other international organisations (the EIB, Eurojust ,

Europol, the European External Action Service and the

European Union Intellectual Property Office). Those

meetings set the basis for new areas of cooperation and

better synergies between OLAF and its partners . They

focused mainly on enhancing operational cooperation

(e.g. through joint operations, exchange of information

and data analysis) and improving the development

and coordination of anti-fraud measures (e.g. assisting

other Directorates-General in adapting their anti-fraud

strategies to the new Commission anti-fraud strategy

(CAFS), providin g training).

4.1.2. Administrative cooperatio n

arrangements with international

partners

Administrative cooperation arrangem ents (ACAs) are

a key tool in helping OLAF foster close relationships

with investigative bodies and other non-investigative

partners engaged in the fight against fraud. In 2019,

OLAF signed an ACA with the European Court of

Auditors (ECA) and worked on a number of new