Fight against fraud and protection of the Communities' financial interests. Annual report 2002

In adopting a report by Herbert BöSCH (PES, A), Parliament called on all EU institutions and bodies and the Member States to do much better in the fight against fraud in the EU. The House is of the opinion that the Commission should review its policy of decentralising responsibility for financial management, separate the competences for the budget, the accounts, financial control and combating fraud and speed up the implementation of its action plan announced last November, as well as its proposals for amending the OLAF regulation. The Member States in particular, which pay out some 80 to 90% of EU funds, should take the reporting and the follow-up of irregularities and fraud more seriously. More generally, the Parliament urged the Commission to abolish the entire system of export refunds, which is prone to abuse. The outsourcing of Commission activities was another point of grave concern for the Parliament.�