Fighting Fraud: Hercule III Work Programme adopted
27 May 2014 12:31 PM
The EC has adopted the first annual work programme for the new
anti-fraud programme Hercule III. In 2014, €13.7m will be made
available to support Member States in fighting fraud, corruption and other
illegal activities.
Algirdas Šemeta, EU Commissioner for
Taxation, Customs and Anti-Fraud, said “Fighting fraud and corruption in
the EU must really be a partnership. Hercule III means that Member States will
have significant financial support in catching fraudsters and protecting
tax-payers' money. Thanks to the Work Programme adopted yesterday, many
useful anti-fraud projects can now start to be put into practice”.
A major novelty under the new Hercule III
Programme is that Member States can apply for more funding. Potential
beneficiaries are now allowed to submit an application for funding even when
only minimal national co-funding can be made available. In fact, Member States
can apply for funding of up to 80% of the overall costs for actions to
strengthen the technical and operational capacity of customs and law
enforcement agencies. In exceptional and duly justified cases, the funding can
even be increased to 90%. This is all the more important in the current
economic climate, where many national budgets are under pressure.
The budget for technical assistance actions in
2014 amounts to € 10.3 million and will be used to help national
authorities to buy, for example, investigation tools, x-rays scanners and
computers for Automated Number Plate Recognition Systems (ANPRS). The
Commission will also pay for access to specialised databases for anonymous use
by Member States’ customs and tax authorities. This support is
particularly important in the context of the fight against tobacco smuggling,
which causes annual losses of about € 10 billion to the EU and
its Members States.
A further € 3.4 million from the
Hercule III programme will be spent on training activities, seminars and
conferences. Training will, for instance, be organised for operational staff in
Member States’ customs or police forces, to improve their skills in
digital forensics and to allow them to share best practice in this field.
Seminars, studies and conferences will facilitate the exchange of information
between legal experts and academics related to legal practices in fighting
fraud and corruption.
Next Steps
The Commission will publish notices for
“Calls for Proposals” to invite customs, tax authorities,
universities and legal experts in the Member States to apply for funding.
Useful links
OLAF
website: http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/media-corner/press-releases/press-releases
/2014/20140321_01_en.htm
Homepage of Commissioner Šemeta: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/semeta/index_en.htm
Follow Commissioner Šemeta on
Twitter: @ASemetaEU