Fight against fraud: mutual administrative assistance for the protection of the financial interests of the Community

 The committee adopted the report by Petr DUCHOŇ(EPP-ED, CZ) broadly approving the proposal under the 1st reading of the codecision procedure, subject to a few amendments:

- it should be clarified that the regulation will cover both direct and indirect EU funding;

- the Commission should keep a list of all the authorities taking part in cooperation under the regulation. The list should be constantly updated and made accessible on the Internet;

- Member States should be made aware of and use the service platform function of the EU anti-fraud office (OLAF), which will have a coordinating role;

- measures must be taken to strengthen information exchange at an early stage in order to facilitate the recovery of claims resulting from irregularities. The information must remain confidential;

- Member States should be able to seize and freeze assets when there is a serious suspicion of fraud. This would apply to "the proceeds of any irregularity involving sums of more than EUR 50 000 or property......the value of which corresponds to such proceeds".