Author : European Commission. European Anti-Fraud Office
Release : 2012
Genre : Fraud
Kind : eBook
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Book Synopsis The OLAF Report 2011 by : European Commission. European Anti-Fraud Office

Download or read book The OLAF Report 2011 written by European Commission. European Anti-Fraud Office. This book was released on 2012. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2011 was a year of change for OLAF, the European Anti-Fraud Office. An internal review highlighted a number of areas where the efficiency of the Office could be improved. As a result, decisions were taken on changes to the organisation and on a new set of investigative procedures. The changes took effect on 1 February 2012. In 2011, OLAF received 1 046 incoming information items, three quarters of which came from private sources. One in five completed selections resulted in an investigation or coordination case. Out of the 178 cases opened, 144 were investigations. At the end of 2011, OLAF had 463 ongoing investigations and coordination cases. During the year, OLAF closed 208 cases. In order to improve the efficiency of the investigative activities the Office focused on the closing of old cases, and fewer new cases were opened in 2011 than in previous years. This resulted in an improved clearance rate and an increase in the average age of investigation and coordination cases. In more than half of all cases closed in 2011, recommendations were made by OLAF for action to be taken by EU institutions, bodies, offices, agencies or competent authorities of the Member States concerned. OLAF mainly recommended judicial action and financial recoveries. OLAF's investigations and coordination cases led to the recovery of EUR 691.4 million, as recorded in 2011. Member State courts issued a cumulative 511 years of prison sentences in 2011, acting upon conclusions and recommendations from OLAF investigations. OLAF has a key role in the Commission-wide effort to combat cigarette smuggling along the EU’s eastern border. OLAF has deployed its investigative, policy and technical assistance tools for this purpose. OLAF coordinates the implementation of the Commission’s anti-fraud strategy, adopted in June 2011. In 2011, OLAF had at its disposal a budget of EUR 23.5 million to provide financial support in order to fight fraud and corruption affecting the financial interests of the EU, to improve cooperation with partners, to measure the costs of corruption in public procurement and to strengthen the protection of Euro banknotes and coins. --