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Protection of the European Union’s financial interests - combating fraud - annual report 2022

TA-9-2024-0041 · P9_TA(2024)0041 · PE753.468

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Parliament's resolution on the 2022 annual report on protecting the EU's financial interests reviews fraud and irregularity figures, recovery rates and the anti-fraud architecture, and sets out recommendations to the Commission and Member States. It calls for more digitalisation and data-mining tools such as Arachne and EDES, better cooperation between OLAF, the EPPO and national authorities, and stronger rules on conflicts of interest and corruption. It asks the Commission to revise the EUR 10 million VAT threshold for EPPO competence, to improve recovery of misspent funds, and to monitor RRF and NGEU spending closely. It addresses the rule of law conditionality mechanism, including the suspension of EUR 6.3 billion to Hungary and concerns about Poland, and calls for safeguards for EU funds spent in Ukraine and other non-EU countries.

Key points

  1. Welcomes the PIF Report 2022 and calls for further digitalisation, machine learning and adequately equipped anti-fraud structures with trained officials.
  2. Notes 12 455 reported fraud and irregularity cases in 2022, affecting EUR 1.77 billion, down from EUR 2.05 billion in 2021, but still very high.
  3. Regrets that national authorities often fail to follow up on Commission and OLAF recommendations, and calls for debureaucratisation of fraud detection and reporting.
  4. Calls for support to investigative journalism and whistleblower protection, and for safeguarding media independence and access to information.
  5. Welcomes the Commission's anti-corruption proposals and calls for a common approach to assessing organised crime's impact on EU funds.
  6. Calls on the Bureau to set up a procedure granting OLAF access to Members' offices, computers and email accounts in substantiated cases.
  7. Notes 375 conflict-of-interest cases reported via IMS in 2018-2022, mostly in cohesion policy, involving almost EUR 117 million.
  8. Notes TOR irregularities rose 7.6% above the five-year average, with amounts up 47% to EUR 783 million and a 48% recovery rate.
  9. Calls on the Commission to remove or substantially lower the EUR 10 million VAT threshold for EPPO competence and provide guidance on its calculation.
  10. Calls for mandatory use of Arachne and extension of EDES to shared management, and for a single database of EU funding recipients.
  11. Calls on the Commission to monitor RRF milestones and targets and to apply reductions, recovery or early loan repayment in cases of fraud, corruption or conflicts of interest.
  12. Takes note of the suspension of EUR 6.3 billion to Hungary and calls for funds to be released only when remedial measures prove effective.

Who is affected

  • EU Member States, which must improve detection, reporting and follow-up of fraud and adopt national anti-fraud strategies.
  • The Commission, which is asked to improve recovery, revise audit procedures and report to Parliament.
  • OLAF and the EPPO, which should maintain operational independence and strengthen cooperation.
  • Hungary, whose EUR 6.3 billion suspension should be lifted only if remedial measures prove effective.
  • Ukraine and candidate countries, whose EU funds should be protected against fraud and corruption.

Figures and deadlines

  • 12 455 cases of fraud and irregularities reported in 2022
  • EUR 1.77 billion affected financing in 2022, down from EUR 2.05 billion in 2021
  • EUR 783 million affected by TOR irregularities, up 47%
  • 48% overall recovery rate in 2022 for TOR cases, 25% for fraudulent cases
  • EUR 10 million threshold for EPPO competence in serious VAT offences
  • 375 conflict-of-interest cases reported via IMS in 2018-2022, involving almost EUR 117 million
  • EUR 6.3 billion of EU funds to Hungary suspended
  • EUR 360 million in fines paid by Poland since 2021 for non-compliance with CJEU rulings

Legal basis: Articles 310(6) and 325(5) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union