Answer given by President von der Leyen on behalf of the European Commission
2.5.2025
The Commission, the European Court of Auditors, European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) carry out controls, audits, and investigations according to their competences to ensure the protection of the EU budget.
The Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) includes strict controls to prevent serious irregularities, including fraud. The first line of protection of the financial interests of the EU is the national control systems .
The Commission checks that Member States fulfil their obligations pursuant to the RRF Regulation[1] and Financing Agreement. The Commission has the right to reduce proportionately the support under the RRF and recover any amount due to the Union budget, in cases of serious irregularities, including fraud, affecting the financial interests of the EU that have not been corrected by the Member State. Commission decisions on reduction of support or recoveries are published with explanation of the facts.
Since the start of the RRF, the Commission reported serious irregularities it became aware of to OLAF and, where applicable, the EPPO. By February 2025, 31 cases were reported to OLAF.
The Commission was notified by OLAF of 36 cases and by the EPPO of 55 cases. The EPPO informs the Commission of its investigations when the Commission is the reporting entity or to allow it to take appropriate precautionary measures.
The Commission provides Members of Parliament with updates on investigations and audits in its Annual Reports, including the report on the protection of the EU’s financial interests[2].
When publishing information, the Commission balances the need for transparency with the obligation to protect personal data and the need to prevent interference with ongoing investigations.