An Operational Partnership Conference of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) took place on 22 and 23 April. Prosecutors and financial investigators from the EPPO and investigators, forensic experts and analysts from OLAF gathered in Brussels to discuss their respective experiences and possible improvements almost three years after the start of EPPO operations.
More than 100 investigators and prosecutors explored how to build on successful examples, share best practices and swiftly tackle any practical challenges together when investigating complex cross-border fraud with EU funds. The conference was opened by Ville Itälä, Director-General of OLAF, and Laura Codruța Kövesi, European Chief Prosecutor.
OLAF Director-General Itälä said: “OLAF and EPPO working together makes us both stronger. That is a good thing for Europe and a bad thing for fraudsters. Our seamless cooperation is the deterrent effect that we need to protect the EU budget. We know that the success of EU policies depends on the best use of every euro of the EU budget. By leveraging our respective strengths, OLAF and EPPO achieve tangible results for the EU citizen.”
European Chief Prosecutor Kövesi added: “Organised crime has been growing stronger and expanding with fraud against the EU budget for at least a decade. The key question, the only question is what the EPPO and OLAF can achieve together, if we are efficient or not and if the citizens trust in our activity. This conference is the right way to come to a shared understanding of what we need to improve to be more efficient in protecting the financial interests of the EU.”
