1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:16,320 The European Union budget serves to improve the lives of Europe's citizens. 2 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:24,680 They benefit from a single market, vibrant local and regional economies, a high degree 3 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:35,840 of environmental protection, efficient European agriculture and enhanced food security. 4 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:40,560 The act of evading the duties and levies which supply the community budget, or using community 5 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:45,320 financing wrongfully, seriously damages the interests of all. 6 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:49,280 The protection of the community's financial interests is one of the priorities of the 7 00:00:49,280 --> 00:01:06,880 European institutions, and the mission of the European Anti-Fraud Office, OLAF. 8 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:12,600 OLAF based in Brussels, Belgium, has been working since 1999 to protect the community 9 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:19,640 financial interests and to fight fraud, corruption and other illegal activities, including within 10 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:26,280 European institutions. 11 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:31,200 OLAF is a European Commission service with operational independence, under the political 12 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:41,080 responsibility of the Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud, Sim Kalas. 13 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:46,600 OLAF carries out internal administrative investigations within European institutions, 14 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:54,800 member states, candidate countries and even third countries. 15 00:01:54,800 --> 00:02:00,680 Since March 2000, the Director General of OLAF has been Franz Hermann Brunner, a senior 16 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:05,280 German magistrate specializing in financial crime and corruption. 17 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:09,720 The Director General is appointed by the European Commission following consultation with the 18 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:19,080 European Parliament and the Council, and subject to approval by the Supervisory Committee. 19 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:24,680 He defines OLAF's mandate from Europe's citizens. 20 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:31,240 The European institutions are using for all their work European money, that means taxpayers' 21 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,560 money from all taxpayers all over the Union. 22 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:41,520 And we are a part of safeguarding this money, that means that the money ends up where the 23 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:46,000 budget authorities, the political leaders have decided to put the money into. 24 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:48,620 So we are ensuring that this is happening. 25 00:02:48,620 --> 00:02:53,880 So there's insurance for the taxpayer that their money is used in a way it should have 26 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:54,880 been used. 27 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:56,400 This is number one. 28 00:02:56,400 --> 00:03:03,000 And number two, we are also in charge of looking into the inside of the institution to safeguard 29 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:13,200 the money there, and safeguard that everything is done in a way the taxpayer expects. 30 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:19,760 Serious economic and financial crime knows no borders. 31 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:24,720 The protection of the European Union's financial interests is above all of concern to member 32 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:29,760 states. 33 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:43,200 They collect all resources and manage 80% of expenditure from the community budget. 34 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:49,200 To combat fraud effectively, coordinated cooperation is necessary between all competent authorities 35 00:03:49,200 --> 00:04:01,120 within member states, applicant countries, and internationally. 36 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:08,120 The commitment of the approximately 400 staff of OLAF ensures that such cooperation is possible. 37 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:13,880 OLAF staff mostly have a background in customs services, the police, the judiciary, or national 38 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:19,040 civil services. 39 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:23,960 They are acknowledged experts in the field of economic and financial crime, analyzing 40 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:30,760 and assessing intelligence, and supporting anti-fraud policies. 41 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:40,260 The scope of OLAF's expertise and the experience of its staff are two of its strong points. 42 00:04:40,260 --> 00:04:46,800 So what we are doing is add value to national investigations, or when you say international, 43 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:52,080 that means when three or four member states are involved, to international investigations. 44 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:57,400 And we are following strictly the so-called subsidiarity principle, that means we are 45 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:01,920 not in the first row of the investigations, the member state services, but we are in the 46 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:06,720 second row giving the necessary support. 47 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:11,720 OLAF's activities can be seen as being made up of three complementary and mutually reinforcing 48 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:12,720 pillars. 49 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:18,640 The first pillar carries out investigations and external operations concerning economic 50 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:20,080 operators. 51 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:26,080 This activity is undertaken in cooperation with national investigative services. 52 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:31,560 OLAF also carries out investigations within the institutions, bodies, and organisms of 53 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:34,000 the European Union. 54 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:39,480 During the conduct of these inquiries, human rights and fundamental freedoms must be respected, 55 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:46,480 as must rules concerning confidentiality and data protection. 56 00:05:53,280 --> 00:05:58,520 The second pillar of OLAF's work consists of technical support for operational staff. 57 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:04,080 As part of this pillar, OLAF undertakes research and risk assessment to provide input for the 58 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:11,080 decision-making process and setting priorities within the office. 59 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:18,360 Information technology is of key importance. It is used in all aspects of OLAF's work. 60 00:06:18,840 --> 00:06:23,440 Thanks to the registry and the case management team attached to this area, information can 61 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:30,440 be collected, shared, and used optimally. 62 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:41,960 The third pillar of OLAF's work concerns policies, legislation, and judicial matters, including 63 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:48,520 combating counterfeiting of the euro. 64 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:54,000 OLAF draws up an overall anti-fraud strategy, develops the necessary legal instruments, 65 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:57,920 and works to make legislation more fraud-proof. 66 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:04,920 This pillar also covers the administrative, financial, and legislative follow-up of inquiries. 67 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:13,200 A characteristic of OLAF is its operational independence. 68 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:18,640 To consolidate and guarantee this independence, OLAF is provided with a supervisory committee 69 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:23,360 which exercises regular scrutiny of its investigatory function. 70 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:28,320 The supervisory committee is composed of five highly qualified independent persons 71 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:31,680 from outside the European institutions. 72 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:36,520 Another sign of OLAF's independence is the fact that within the European Commission, 73 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:41,400 it is the only body with its own spokesman who is separate from the Commission's communications 74 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:44,640 service. 75 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:49,520 As part of its investigative function, OLAF has direct contacts with the media who have 76 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:54,960 an important role to play in informing the public about offences and measures taken to 77 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:58,960 combat fraud and corruption. 78 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:04,560 At the heart of OLAF's communication strategy is the concept of preventing fraud by providing 79 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:09,640 information for the public. This is achieved through the OLAF Anti-Fraud Communicators 80 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:14,520 Network, OAFCN. 81 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:20,480 OAFCN helps to uncover cases of fraud, corruption, and other irregularities which harm the European 82 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:25,280 Union's financial interests. 83 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:31,280 It also has a deterrent and preventative effect, raising public awareness and encouraging public 84 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:38,280 debate. 85 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:46,120 Combating fraud and corruption which prejudice the European Union's financial interests demands 86 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:53,520 the cooperation of all those concerned. 87 00:08:53,520 --> 00:09:00,160 European national, regional, and local officials, anti-fraud offices in member states, and candidate 88 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:06,920 countries, business, and Europe's citizens. 89 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:11,400 Everyone must contribute at his own level to combating financial crime, threatening 90 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:18,400 the economy, quality of life, and democracy.