On 5th of August the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) officially signed a declaration of support to the OPFA WASTE implementation. This is a very important achievement for the project, as it will ensure the specialized contribution to the OPFA WASTE project from a key actor in the European landscape in detecting frauds to the EU budget related to environmental criminality.
OLAF participation as supporting partner will be particularly relevant with respect to the development and strategic orientation of some of the activities undertaken with the support of the Operational Facility – Action Phase and, more in general, to the strengthening of the network of practitioners in the field of Illiicit Waste Trafficking. For instance, OLAF mandate and technical expertise applied to the research on Transfrontier Shipments of Waste will be key in engaging important players and in communication and outreach activities, with the potential to enhance more significant operational results.
The European Anti-Fraud Office is the only EU investigative body mandated to detect, investigate and work towards stopping frauds involving EU funds or resources. OLAF can investigate:
- EU revenue: customs and anti-dumping duties
- EU expenditure: structural funds, rural development funds, external aid
- Suspicions of serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU institutions
Stay tuned and head over to our Twitter account @opfawaste!