Answer given by Mr Hahn on behalf of the European Commission
Question reference: E-004572/2021
1. In line with its obligations under Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013(1) and Regulation(EU) 2018/1725(2), the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) does not provide details about its cases. This is in order to protect the confidentiality of its investigations and of possible ensuing judicial proceedings, as well as to ensure respect for personal data and procedural rights. Similarly, OLAF neither confirms nor denies the involvement of natural or legal persons in its investigations.
OLAF’s annual reports(3) contain public information on cases in the Member States(4). Furthermore, the Commission’s annual reports on the protection of the EU’s financial interests(5) (‘PIF’ Report) and related annexes and documents contain statistics on fraud and irregularities affecting the EU’s budget.
2. As regards OLAF’s financial recommendations issued between 2012 and 2020 (status beginning 2021) , the OLAF-recommended value for recovery totalled EUR 7 075 billion (or EUR 4 324 billion when excluding five major traditional own resources-undervaluation cases representing particularly high amounts(6)). Based on the OLAF’s recommendations, Commission departments have determined the actual financial amounts established to be recovered at EUR 2 208 billion, of which EUR 1 166 billion had already been recovered by then.
(1) Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 September 2013 concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (Euratom) No 1074/1999, OJ L 248, 18.9.2013, p. 1.
(2) Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC, OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39.
(3) https://ec.europa.eu/anti-fraud/about-us/annual-olaf-reports_en
(4) See for example Table 1 of the OLAF report 2020 ( https://ec.europa.eu/anti-fraud/system/files/2021-12/olaf_report_2020_en.pdf ) which provides a country-by-country breakdown of investigations into the use of EU funds managed or spent in whole or in part at national or regional level concluded in 2020. Tables 5 and 6 of the OLAF report 2020 present further statistics per each EU Member State, plus the United Kingdom, of detected irregularities for the period of 2016-2020.
(5)https://ec.europa.eu/anti-fraud/about-us/annual-reports-protection-eus-financial-interests-pif-report_en(6)More than a third (EUR 2 751 billion) of the total OLAF recommended amounts for recovery (EUR 7 075 billion) relates to five major traditional own resources-undervaluation cases, which are pending in view of an ongoing case in the Court of Justice.