Uncovering organizational fraud

The European Commission has adopted a decision to create a new Fraud Prevention Office. The Office shall replace the present Task Force for Coordination of Fraud Prevention (UCLAF) and take over all its tasks. In addition, the Commission took note of an amended proposal for a European Parliament and Council Regulation on investigations carried out by the new Office. Since the Office shall be able to carry out investigations in all the European Union institutions it is also subject to an interinstitutional agreement between the Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the Commission. The Commission has approved the contents of this agreement as well as a "model decision" to be adopted by each individual institution on conditions and methods for internal investigations. With these new measures in place the Office will be able to exercise its powers of investigation in complete independence and without seeking or taking instructions from the Commission, any government or any other institution or body. The decision to create the new Office shall enter into force on 1 June 1999.