Fight against fraud and protection of the Communities' financial interests. Action plan 2001-2203, annual report 2000

PURPOSE: to present a communication from the Commission protecting the Communities' financial interests fight against fraud: Action Plan for 2001-2003. CONTENT: In response to the challenges identified in the overall strategic approach outlined by the Commission in 2000, and without prejudice to more specific initiatives in each Directorate-General or to the operational tasks assigned to the European Anti-Fraud Office by the Commission and the legislator, the Commission intends to implement a number of specific measures over the next three years. This is the purpose of the Action Plan for 2001-2003, the first working programme fully covered by this overall strategic approach. It sets out the priority measures and initiatives to be implemented by Commission departments, including the European Anti-Fraud Office in its non-operational role. As pointed out in the strategic approach adopted by the Commission in 2000, protecting the Communities' financial interests is the business of the Commission and all its departments and of the other institutions of the Member States. This is reflected in the Action Plan for 2001-2003, which lays down the priority measures to be implemented in line with the broad guidelines defined by the multiannual strategic approach: developing an overall anti-fraud policy; fostering a culture of cooperation between all the authorities responsible; an inter-institutional approach to preventing fraud and corruption and strengthening the criminal law dimension. The four challenges are in line with the dynamic of the May 1999 anti-fraud reform and the creation of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), in response to the high priority attached by the institutions and the Member States to the fight against economic and financial crime. This approach is based on the new Article 280, as amended by the Treaty of Amsterdam, with due regard for the fact that the Commission's special responsibility in this regard is also closely linked with its budget implementation tasks under Article 274 of the EC Treaty. Finally, cooperation between all the competent authorities is crucial to the success of the Action Plan. �