The Hague/Brussels, 29 March 2023
Eurojust and OLAF (European Anti-Fraud Office) have concluded a new Working Arrangement to enhance their cooperation in the fight against fraud, corruption, environmental crime, intellectual property crime and other crimes affecting the EU’s financial interests. The Working Arrangement was signed today by Eurojust President Mr Ladislav Hamran and OLAF Director-General Mr Ville Itälä during their high-level meeting in The Hague.
Eurojust President Mr Ladislav Hamran said: ‘This new Working Arrangement reinforces our existing close partnership and will help both Eurojust and OLAF to better tackle those crime areas that have a devastating impact on the EU’s financial interests. It paves the way for a more practical and operational cooperation, enabling us to offer the strongest possible protection of taxpayers’ money.’
OLAF Director-General Mr Ville Itälä stated: ‘Institutional and legal changes have called for adaptations in the way that OLAF and Eurojust work together, while maintaining our strong ties and good collaboration. The new Working Arrangement formalises our cooperation, with the aim of making the fight against fraud and other illegal activities affecting EU financial interests as efficient as possible.’
The new Working Arrangement outlines the practical details of the institutional, strategic and operational cooperation between Eurojust and OLAF. It builds on the work of dedicated liaison teams and foresees the preparation of action plans on common cooperation priorities.
Eurojust and OLAF have agreed on several concrete ways in which they can cooperate, including mutual advice and assistance, participation in each other’s operational meetings and joint investigation teams. This practical approach will create optimal synergies between the work of both organisations, while allowing them to benefit from each other’s unique expertise.
Background
The Working Arrangement replaces the 2008 Practical Agreement, which had become largely outdated as a result of the significant changes in the institutional and legal landscape over the past 15 years, particularly the revisions of OLAF’s and Eurojust’s respective Regulations. The new Working Arrangement will enter into force tomorrow with immediate effect, and can be accessed here.
Eurojust, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, is a unique hub based in The Hague, the Netherlands, where national judicial authorities work closely together to fight serious organised cross-border crime.
The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) conducts independent administrative investigations into fraud, corruption and irregularities affecting the EU’s financial interests, investigates serious misconduct by staff and members of EU institutions, and develops policies to counter fraud.
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For more on EU actors for criminal justice across borders, click here.
