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Press release30 September 2015European Anti-Fraud Office

OLAF participates in Conference of International Investigators

 

30/09/2015

PRESS RELEASE N°14/2015
30 September 2015
PDF version

Starting this Wednesday, OLAF is participating in a conference bringing together more than 150 international investigators from 40 international agencies, financial institutions and the United Nations. The 16th Conference of International Investigators (CII) is being hosted this year by the Office of the Inspector General of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and is taking place in Montreux from 30 September to 1 October.

In a context where investigations are increasingly cross-border, the conference will provide a forum for practitioners from international organisations to share best practice. Such events create excellent conditions to sustain mutual trust and to further develop the right tools to communicate and share information in a timely and efficient manner. In an ever-more globalised world, the only way to succeed in anti-fraud investigations is through international cooperation.

Within the broader theme of international cooperation in fraud and corruption investigations, this year participants will share views on a large range of topics such as interviewing techniques, the Oil for Food investigation – 10 years on, fraud prevention and latest innovations in IT tools.

The CII is an annual event launched in 1999 by OLAF and several partner services as a platform for the investigative offices of international organisations and financial institutions to meet and exchange views on the challenges they face in fighting fraud and corruption. OLAF hosted last year's edition of the CII conference in October 2014 (see OLAF press release no. 17 /2014).

For more information on this year's conference, please see the Global Fund's press release.

New cooperation arrangements signed with UN Office for Project Services and World Food Programme

To further facilitate international cooperation, OLAF has concluded a number of Administrative Cooperation Arrangements (ACA) with partner services, which foresee the exchange of information and investigative assistance, and even the possibility of organising joint investigations.

The newest arrangement will be concluded on the side-lines of the CII on Thursday 1 October 2015, with the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS). On Friday 25 September, OLAF concluded an ACA with the World Food Programme/Office of the Inspector General.

These arrangements will help ensure that EU development and humanitarian aid reaches its intended beneficiaries, without being diverted by fraud and corruption.

OLAF mission, mandate and competences:

OLAF’s mission is to detect, investigate and stop fraud with EU funds.

OLAF fulfils its mission by:
• carrying out independent investigations into fraud and corruption involving EU funds so as to ensure that all EU taxpayers’ money reaches projects that can stimulate the creation of jobs and growth in Europe;
• contributing to strengthening citizens’ trust in the EU Institutions by investigating serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU Institutions;
• developing a sound EU anti-fraud policy.

In its independent investigative function, OLAF can investigate matters relating to fraud, corruption and other offences affecting the EU financial interests concerning:
• all EU expenditure: the main spending categories are Structural Funds, agricultural policy and rural development funds, direct expenditure and external aid;
• some areas of EU revenue, mainly customs duties;
• suspicions of serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU institutions.

For further details:
Florian OEL
Deputy Spokesperson
European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
Phone: +32 2 29 69115
E-mail: olaf-mediaatec [dot] europa [dot] eu ( olaf-media[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu )
http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud

Details

Publication date
30 September 2015
Author
European Anti-Fraud Office
News type
OLAF news articleOLAF press release