Source: European Parliament
On 1 January 2021, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) had 343 statutory posts, while on 1 January 2024, it had 313 statutory posts. For 2021, the authorised staff level for the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) amounted to 130 (95 statutory posts and 35 contract agents), while for 2024 it was 289 (232 statutory posts, 28 contract agents and 29 seconded national experts).
OLAF’s investigative team on the expenditure side remain organised by geographical area and by management mode. OLAF does not have any employees allocated on a full-time basis to monitor Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) expenditure only. The Commission does not have information on the internal organisation of resources in EPPO.
The RRF control framework includes strict mechanisms to protect the EU’s financial interests, including preventing, detecting and correcting fraud, corruption, and conflict of interest. Member States are primarily responsible for protecting these interests and ensuring compliance with EU and national law. In cases of serious irregularities affecting EU’s financial interests that have not been adequately corrected by the Member State, the Commission can reduce proportionately the support under the RRF and recover any amount due to the EU budget.
Close cooperation with OLAF and EPPO strengthens further the EU capacity to effectively control RRF expenditure.