Police and judicial cooperation: contact-point network against corruption

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted a report drafted by Hubert PIRKER (EPP-ED, AT) amending, in the framework of the consultation procedure, initiative by the Federal Republic of Germany with a view to the adoption of a Council decision on a contact-point network against corruption.

The main amendments are as follws:

-one of the main objectives of OLAF is to fight against corruption in connection with the Community budget. For this reason OLAF should be an integral part of this network;

-given the absence of a review mechanism, the Committee inserted a clause stating that the Network shall provide the Commission and the European Parliament on a yearly basis with a report on its findings under Article (3)(1)(1), including concrete proposals on the prevention and combating of corruption;

-the network shall organise itself under the chairmanship of the relevant Council Presidency, and build upon existing informal collaboration between the EPAC;

-the Commission shall bear all expenses of its members or representatives designated by it as well as the expenses of members or representatives designated by the Member States. The same rule shall apply to OLAF, Europol and Eurojust.