The European Anti-Fraud Office: “Italy ranks fourth in irregularities in the management of EU funds. But the response from the judicial authorities is good”

Waiting for the billions of Recovery Fund, in Italy you keep cheating European funds exactly as in previous years. But the response of our authorities is faster and more incisive than the average of the other EU countries. This is certified by the latest annual report of the European Anti-Fraud Office. Italy remains fourth in the Union for number of irregularities in the management of EU funds 2015-2019. With a number of fraud cases detected by national authorities equal to 4,415, follow the Spain (11,029 irregularities), Poland (5,017) and Romania (4,968). In total in Europe, Olaf registered 45,737 cases of fraud in the management of funds in the 12 months of 2019. Good situation – compared to the number of inhabitants – in Germany (1,376 cases), France (1,233), Sweden (125 ).

“The Italian authorities collaborate twice as much as the others” – Italian cases have a financial impact of 1.22% of the total EU funds received by the country, a percentage lower than the EU average (1.91%). However, Italy moves up one place in the rankings, coming in third when looking at the number of investigations concluded by Olaf, with recommendations for the recovery of funds: there are 22 cases, after 43 from Hungary and 40 of the Romania. The black jerseys in this special classification are Finland, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta: no investigation by Olaf has ended with recovery recommendations. Well, the response of the Italian judicial authorities, which followed up on 62% of the cases notified by OLAF, compared to a European average of barely 39%. For comparison, Romania answered 46% of the time, France 50, Germany even just 13.

M5: “Great sensitivity of the Italian investigative forces” – “The Italian response to the alleged violations against fraud against European funds is strong and goes in the right direction. The Italian authorities, in fact, transform the 62% of cases reported by OLAF, the EU anti-fraud office, compared to a European average of just 39%. This record proves the great sensitivity of the Italian investigative forces on an issue that involves everyone and is decisive for the future of the country. As numerous investigations in Italy and abroad show, the hands of organized crime are increasingly reaching European funds, thus stealing resources destined for honest citizens, companies and associations. Need increase transparency in the decision-making processes and controls on the impact on the territory of the financed project, even ex post ”, write the MEPs of the 5 Star Movement in a joint note Laura Ferrara me Sabrina Pignedoli.

“Fraud in environmental funds is on the rise” – Our work is a fundamental resource for Europe at a time when the eyes of those who commit fraud are on the 2021-2027 budget and its 1.8 billion euros destined for the recovery of the continent from the consequences of the Covid 19 pandemic ” says the CEO of Olaf, Ville Itälä. “In recent years – he added – we have already observed a trend towards increased fraud against European funds destined for projects in favor enviroment and sustainability. The focus chapter of our annual report shows the increase in the volume of work being done in the fight against environmental fraud, with a particularly opportune moment given that the Green deal it is a fundamental element of the EU’s recovery efforts ”.

The report and the fraud: 485 million euros recovered – Net of Italian numbers, in 2019 the European anti-fraud office has concluded 181 investigations, with 254 recommendations to national authorities for the recovery of 485 million euros me 223 new investigations were initiated. The sectors affected by the investigations are the most diverse: from collusion and manipulation of obtaining me research funds. Among the main cases are 3.3 million euros recovered from a complex attempt to manipulate a knitting machinery purchase contract financed by the European Regional Development Fund. “Buyers and suppliers were in collusion in four different projects financed by the EU, with the aim of selling and buying machinery at inflated prices and thus stealing money from EU funds and then laundering it,” explains a note from the European Fighting Office. against Fraud. On the environmental front, however, Olaf officials cite the Dieselgate: “EU research money to reduce vehicle emissions was instead used to develop an engine equipped with the infamous ‘deactivation device’ that circumvents EU emission standards.” A ubiquitous voice in anti-fraud reporting is that of cigarettes: more than 251.4 million contraband was seized in 2019.