Spark is proud to share the publication of a new study supporting the evaluation of the application of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). Led by Spark in collaboration with Ecorys and two independent experts, the study was conducted for the European Commission (OLAF).
The study provides a comprehensive assessment of the application and impact of the OLAF Regulation, including the amendments introduced in 2016 and 2020. It also examines the Regulation in the context of the evolving EU anti-fraud architecture, particularly following the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).
Based on targeted interviews and surveys with stakeholders, complemented by relevant desk research, the study evaluates the Regulation against the criteria of effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and EU added value, and relevance. It finds that the OLAF Regulation provides a robust legal framework that generally safeguards the EU’s financial interests. The study examines, among other areas, OLAF’s investigative framework and powers, cooperation with the EPPO and other partners in the EU anti-fraud architecture, procedural safeguards, and the follow-up to OLAF’s recommendations. It also considers how the framework can respond to emerging challenges, including digitalisation, increasingly complex cross-border fraud schemes and the growing use of performance-based funding instruments.
The study provides a basis for the ongoing reflections of the European Commission on the possible future revisions of the OLAF Regulation which are taking place in the context of the broader EU Anti-Fraud Architecture review. Spark is contributing to this process, in collaboration with CSES, Asterisk and Tetra Tech, through the ongoing study to support the joint impact assessment of the EPPO Regulation, the OLAF Regulation, and the PIF Directive.
The final report is available here.