- The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) had 2,666 active investigations at the end of 2024, an increase of 38% compared to the previous year.
- The estimated damage to the EU budget is 24.8 billion euros, 22.5% more than in 2023.
- More than half of the estimated damage (13.15 billion euros) is related to cross-border VAT fraud, with almost systematic involvement of criminal organizations.
- Over 1,500 new investigations were launched in 2024, representing an estimated damage of 13.07 billion euros.
- By the end of 2024, the EPPO was handling 311 active cases related to NextGenerationEU, with the majority (307) coming from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
- The estimated damage to the EU’s financial interests amounts to 2.8 billion euros, representing 30% of the total estimated damage for fraud in subsidies.
- The rise in criminal investigations has been steady since the EPPO began operating in June 2021, demonstrating that crime against the EU’s financial interests has long been underestimated.
- The EPPO is not well-equipped to handle the increasing number of cases.
- More specialized investigators from police, tax administrations, and customs are needed to support EPPO investigations in all participating member states.
Source: taxheaven.gr
Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.
