Press Release: Protection of the EU’s financial interests: stepping up cooperation with the Member States

The European Commission has published the 2006 annual report on the protection of the Communities’ financial interests and the fight against fraud. This is an area in which responsibility is shared between the Commission and the Member States. The report sets out the most significant measures taken in 2006 by the Member States and the Commission to improve prevention and fight against fraud. A statistical evaluation of all irregularities communicated to the Commission by Member States shows that the total number of irregularities increased for agriculture, cohesion and pre-accession funds, and decreased for own resources and structural funds. In spite of well over 12,000 irregularities notified, further progress in speed and quality of transmission remains an objective.