Romania Tops EU Fraud Rankings in Use of European Funds, According to 2024 PIF Report

Romania ranks first in the European Union in both the number and value of fraud cases detected in the use of European funds, according to the 2024 Report on the Protection of the EU’s Financial Interests (PIF). The document, approved by the European Commission and published on the OLAF website, provides a detailed overview of fraudulent irregularities reported by Member States in the previous year.

According to the report, Romania reported 304 cases of fraudulent irregularities, with a total value of €255.38 million. Of these, 155 cases involved the agricultural sector, while 146 cases were related to cohesion policy and fisheries and aquaculture funds. Romania was followed by Portugal, with fraud cases totaling €51.17 million, and the Czech Republic, with €31.14 million.

The largest amounts defrauded in Romania were identified in the Cohesion Fund, with 18 cases totaling €178.83 million. Additional figures reported include:

• 78 cases under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – €54.96 million
• 20 cases under the European Social Fund (ESF) – €4.76 million
• 12 cases under the European Fisheries Fund – €1.67 million

In the agricultural sector, the report recorded 92 fraud cases, totaling €3.58 million, and in rural development, 63 cases with estimated losses of €3.18 million.

Most of these irregularities relate to projects from the 2014–2020 programming period, though the report also includes 9 fraud cases involving ERDF funds under the new 2021–2027 programming period, amounting to €4.09 million.

The 2024 PIF Report highlights the need to strengthen anti-fraud systems at both the national and EU levels, calling for increased digitalization, improved institutional coordination, and more effective reporting mechanisms. The European Commission recommends that Member States adopt national anti-fraud strategies and improve communication channels between the authorities involved.

European Commissioner for Budget and Anti-Fraud, Piotr Serafin, emphasized that the new EU budget framework requires an anti-fraud architecture capable of meeting future challenges and better protecting the Union's financial resources.

(Photo: Freepik)