OLAF Report 2025: €597 million to be recovered from fraud and irregularities following OLAF recommendations

Press release no. 8/2026
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In 2025, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) recommended the recovery of misused EU funds amounting to almost €600 million, according to its annual report released today. OLAF investigations further prevented €18 million from being unduly spent, reinforcing OLAF's role as the key guardian of the EU budget. Over the year, OLAF closed a total of 209 investigations, while opening 254 new investigations.

The annual report highlights OLAF's results and details its ongoing commitment to safeguarding the EU's financial interests. Notably, this year's report introduces two significant innovations: OLAF formulates recommended actions for relevant stakeholders, designed to foster a more effective and coordinated approach to combating fraud and irregularities. The report also provides a detailed breakdown of how much OLAF helped to return to the EU budget over the past decade.

"In 2025, OLAF continued to play a key role in protecting the EU's financial interests. Our results remain stable. Over the past decade, OLAF has already helped retrieve or protect about €6.8 billion. These are not just figures. They are schools built, research projects funded, and borders protected. OLAF’s work is not abstract, and it is not distant. It directly supports Member States and benefits citizens," said OLAF Director-General Petr Klement. 

Key figures of the OLAF Report 2025:

• €597 million recommended for recovery to the EU budget
• €18 million prevented from being unduly spent from the EU budget
• 209 investigations closed, with recommendations issued to national and EU authorities for follow-up
• 254 new investigations opened, following preliminary analyses by OLAF experts
• 1,142 selections concluded
• In the last decade, €6.8 billion have been recovered to the EU budget and €873 million have been prevented from being unduly spent as a result of OLAF’s investigations. 

OLAF's work in 2025 spanned various areas, including complex financial irregularities, cross-border illicit trade, customs violations, and environmental fraud. Last year’s cases involved probes into conflict of interest, procurement manipulation, and inflated costs. OLAF also continued to investigate the circumvention of EU sanctions against Russia and Belarus and provided support to Ukrainian customs and law enforcement authorities.

“EU institutions must embrace transparency"

"EU institutions must embrace transparency," emphasized Director-General Klement. OLAF's internal investigations remain an essential part of the EU's accountability framework, ensuring that members and staff of the institutions comply with the highest standards of professional conduct and financial integrity. 

In 2025, OLAF investigations remained focused on complex and sensitive cases, including those involving high-ranking officials that could have caused reputational damage to the EU. “Independence, access to relevant information and the ability to carry out on-the-spot checks are indispensable for OLAF to fulfil this task,” he added. 

The way forward on the anti-fraud scene

The report also acknowledges the importance of the ongoing review European Anti-Fraud Architecture (AFA), which aims to improve coordination, efficiency and overall protection of the EU's budget against fraud and irregularities. OLAF is actively participating in this process, working with its partners such as the European Court of Auditors, European Public Prosecutor’s Office, Europol and Eurojust to strengthen the EU's anti-fraud efforts. OLAF's cooperation with national authorities and other partners remains key to its success. 

Despite an increasingly complex environment, OLAF’s results remain steady, and the office continues to stay ahead in a world where fraudsters constantly work for new ways to circumvent existing rules. It comes at a time when OLAF faces challenges, including a lack of human resources. The office has lost 110 permanent positions over the past 15 years, stretching its ability to carry out its tasks effectively. 

"We need adequate resources to continue carry out our mandate properly," said Director-General Klement. "For every euro invested in OLAF, over nine times that amount has been returned to the EU budget, thanks to the dedication of our staff, whose expertise and integrity are the backbone of this office."

OLAF mission, mandate and competences:

OLAF’s mission is to detect, investigate and stop wrongdoings related to 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 create 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.

Once OLAF has completed its investigation, it is for the competent EU and national authorities to examine and decide on the follow-up of OLAF’s recommendations. All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a competent national or EU court of law.

For further details:

Pierluigi CATERINO
Spokesperson
European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
Phone: +32(0)2 29-52335  
Email: olaf-mediaec [dot] europa [dot] eu (olaf-media[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu
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