Ukraine formalises participation in the Union Anti-Fraud Programme

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) welcomes the signature of the Association Agreement on the participation of Ukraine in the Union Anti-fraud Programme (2021-2027). The Association Agreement was signed by the Commissioner for Budget and Administration Johannes Hahn and Serhii Marchenko, Minister of Finance of Ukraine in Brussels on 20 March 2024.

Ukraine is the first non-EU Member State that has formalised its participation in the Union Anti-Fraud Programme (UAFP). The  programme, that is managed by OLAF, on behalf of the European Commission, provides financial support to the Member States and associated countries to implement anti-fraud measures in order to protect the Union’s budget. Ukraine is the first candidate country to join the programme which can contribute to its ongoing efforts to upgrade its national anti-fraud operational capacity.

The Ukraine can benefit mainly from the first component of the programme, which provides the Member States and associated countries with targeted assistance in achieving their obligations to protect the EU’s financial interests. This component finances the purchase of specialised anti-fraud equipment and tools, specific trainings as well as targeted conferences and studies.

Background on the UAFP

The fight against fraud to protect the EU’s financial interests is a shared responsibility for Member States and the EU. It is thus in the interest of the EU, and of EU taxpayers more generally, that national and regional authorities are sufficiently equipped to carry out this important mission. This is why the EU has supported national anti-fraud capacities for 16 years, and continues to do so through the Union Anti-Fraud programme (UAFP) set up for the 2021-2027 period. The programme is managed by OLAF on behalf of the European Commission.

The programme pursues three specific objectives, representing three distinct programme components:

1. to prevent and combat fraud, corruption and any other illegal activities affecting the financial interests of the EU;
2. to support the reporting of irregularities, including fraud, with regard to the shared management funds and the pre-accession assistance funds of the EU budget; and
3. to provide tools for information exchange and support for operational activities in the field of mutual administrative assistance in customs and agricultural matters.

To implement the UAFP, the EU has allocated EUR 181 207 000 in current prices for the period from 2021 to 2027.