Administrative Anti-Fraud Measures within the European Union: Necessity and Means

Agnieszka Aleksandra Murawska (Nowakowska) LL.M.

doi:10.5771/9783845206615

Summary

Das Problem des Betruges in der EU weckt das Interesse der Medien und der Öffentlichkeit. Im Mittelpunkt der vorliegenden Untersuchung stehen Aktivitäten des Europäischen Amtes für Betrugsbekämpfung (OLAF). Analysiert werden sowohl OLAF-Handlungen zur Vorbeugung und Aufdeckung von Unregelmäßigkeiten, dessen Zusammen-arbeit mit nationalen Strafverfolgungsbehörden sowie Folgemaßnahmen und Sanktionen.

Das Werk behandelt vor allem die Rechtslage der durch OLAF-Untersuchungen betroffenen Individuen im Lichte der gegenwärtigen Rechtsprechung der Gemeinschaftsgerichte. Untersucht werden auch Immunitäten und Privilegien der Gemeinschaftsbeamten während interner Untersuchungen, als auch der Schutz der internen Hinweisgeber und Zeugen. Zugleich werden auch Überwachungsmechanismen und richterliche Aufsicht von OLAF dargelegt.

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Bibliographic data

Edition: 1/2008
Copyright year: 2008
ISBN-Print: 978-3-8329-3199-5
ISBN-Online: 978-3-8452-0661-5
Publisher: Nomos, Baden-Baden
Language: English
Pages: 250
Product type: Book Titles

Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis No access Pages 2 - 18
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List of abbreviations No access Pages 19 - 22
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1. Objective of the study No access Pages 23 - 24
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2. Methodology No access Pages 24 - 25
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3. Delimitation of the research No access Pages 25 - 25
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4. Outline No access Pages 25 - 26
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1. 1. Authors:
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      1. Traditional own resources No access
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      2. VAT-based own revenues No access
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      3. GNI-based own revenues No access
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      4. Other revenues No access
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    2. Authors:
      1. Agricultural expenditures, EAGGF-Guarantee section No access
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      2. Structural Funds No access
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      3. Internal policies No access
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      4. External policies No access
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      5. Administrative expenditures No access
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      6. Other expenditures No access
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  2. Other financial resources No access Pages 37 - 38
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2. Fraud No access Pages 38 - 39
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3. Irregularities No access Pages 39 - 41
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4. 1. Officials of the Member States No access Pages 41 - 42
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  2. Officials of the European Communities No access Pages 42 - 43
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  3. Economic operators No access Pages 43 - 44
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5. 1. Authors:
    1. Irregularities affecting traditional own resources No access
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    2. Other forms of fraud affecting the revenues of the EC budget No access
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  2. Authors:
    1. Irregularities affecting Common Agricultural Policy No access
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    2. Irregularities affecting Structural Funds No access
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    3. Irregularities affecting other expenditures No access
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1. 1. Reporting obligations No access Pages 49 - 51
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  2. Implementation of reporting obligations by the Member States No access Pages 51 - 53
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2. Consequences of irregularities No access Pages 53 - 55
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3. 1. Authors:
    1. Numerous and complex rules of Community law No access
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    2. Incomplete system of detection and prevention No access
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    3. Transborder character of committed irregularities and fragmentation of the European criminal law space No access
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  2. Institutional obstacles No access Pages 59 - 60
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  3. Conclusion No access Pages 60 - 61
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1. 1. Historical development of anti-fraud mechanisms within the EC No access Pages 62 - 63
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  2. UCLAF and the protection of the financial interests of the EC No access Pages 63 - 65
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  3. Protection of financial interests in the Treaty of Maastricht No access Pages 65 - 66
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2. 1. Authors:
    1. Article 274 EC Treaty No access
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      1. General remarks – principle of subsidiarity No access
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      2. Allocation of competences in Article 280 EC Treaty No access
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        Competences of the Member States No access
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        Competences of the Community No access
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      2. Council Regulation (EC, EURATOM) No. 2185/96 No access
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    2. Legislation creating OLAF (Commission Decision 1999/352) No access
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    3. Procedural rules (Council Regulations (EC, EURATOM) 1073/ 99 and 1074/99) No access
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    4. Legal basis for internal investigations (Interinstitutional Agreement between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission) No access
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    5. Sectoral instruments No access
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    6. Instruments on recovery of sums wrongly paid No access
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3. Third-Pillar instruments aimed at harmonisation of Member State law No access Pages 79 - 82
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1. Sanctions as policy and enforcement element of EC law No access Pages 83 - 83
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2. 1. Functions of sanctions No access Pages 83 - 84
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  2. Addressee of the sanctions No access Pages 84 - 85
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  3. Authors:
    1. Competence of the Community No access
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    2. Scope of competence No access
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    3. Enforcement of sanctions No access
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  4. Nature of the sanctions No access Pages 86 - 86
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3. Principles for imposing sanctions No access Pages 86 - 87
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4. 1. Administrative measures No access Pages 87 - 88
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  2. Authors:
    1. Administrative fines No access
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    2. Payment of an amount greater than the amounts wrongly received or evaded No access
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    3. Total or partial removal of granted advantage No access
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    4. Withdrawal or exclusion – debarment lists (‘blacklisting’) No access
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    5. Temporary withdrawal of approval or recognition No access
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    6. Loss of security or deposit No access
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    7. Other penalties No access
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  3. Criminal penalties No access Pages 92 - 93
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5. Conclusions and prospects No access Pages 93 - 94
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1. Background No access Pages 95 - 95
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2. 1. The Director-General of OLAF No access Pages 95 - 98
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  2. Supervisory Committee No access Pages 98 - 99
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  3. The Staff No access Pages 99 - 99
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3. 1. Assessment by the Supervisory Committee No access Pages 99 - 101
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  2. Assessment by the ECA No access Pages 101 - 102
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  3. Conclusion No access Pages 102 - 102
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4. 1. Authors:
    1. Background No access
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    2. Legal basis for external investigations No access
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    3. Investigations based on the horizontal rules No access
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    4. Authors:
      1. Authors:
        OLAF investigations in the field of own resources No access
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        OLAF investigations in the field of customs and agriculture No access
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      2. Authors:
        OLAF investigations in the CAP No access
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        OLAF investigations in Structural Funds No access
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        OLAF investigations in the Cohesion Fund No access
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        OLAF investigations in the field of research No access
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        OLAF investigations in the ERF No access
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        OLAF investigations in projects regarding environment No access
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        OLAF investigations in pre-accession funds No access
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        OLAF investigations in the EDF No access
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  2. Internal investigations No access Pages 111 - 113
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5. 1. Principle of proportionality No access Pages 113 - 114
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  2. Rule of law No access Pages 114 - 115
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  3. Limitations with respect to enforcement No access Pages 115 - 116
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  4. Principle of internal organisational autonomy of EC institution No access Pages 116 - 117
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  5. Fundamental rights, immunities, privileges No access Pages 117 - 117
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1. General remarks No access Pages 118 - 119
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2. 1. Legal character of OLAF investigations No access Pages 119 - 121
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  2. Authors:
    1. Right to defence No access
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    2. Right to be given reasons for a decision No access
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    3. Right to legal representation No access
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    4. Right to legal privilege No access
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    5. Right to be heard No access
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    6. Authors:
      1. Content No access
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      2. Limitations No access
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    7. Right to confidentiality No access
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    8. Right to privacy No access
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    9. Right to a timely decision No access
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    10. Right to compensation of damages No access
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    11. Right to judicial review No access
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    12. Protection of personal data No access
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3. 1. The Immunities and Privileges No access Pages 135 - 137
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  2. Official secrecy No access Pages 137 - 138
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1. Background No access Pages 139 - 140
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2. Legal framework No access Pages 140 - 140
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3. 1. Informants No access Pages 140 - 141
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  2. Whistleblowers No access Pages 141 - 142
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  3. Witnesses No access Pages 142 - 142
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  4. Anonymous sources No access Pages 142 - 142
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4. 1. Authors:
    1. Background No access
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    2. Form of providing information No access
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  2. Internal procedure of whistleblowing No access Pages 144 - 145
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  3. External procedure of whistleblowing No access Pages 145 - 146
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  4. Exceptions No access Pages 146 - 146
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5. 1. Prerequisites for granting protection No access Pages 146 - 147
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  2. Penalties for making false and malicious allegations No access Pages 147 - 147
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  3. Authors:
    1. Rights of whistleblowers in case law of the EC courts No access
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    2. Authors:
      1. Right to be informed about the outcome of the investigation No access
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      2. Right to be informed about the duration of investigation No access
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    3. Rights of whistleblowers clarified by the European Commission No access
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    4. Rights of whistleblowers in the draft Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No. 1073/99 No access
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  4. Protection of persons who suffered retaliation No access Pages 150 - 151
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  5. Action against persons who engaged in retaliation No access Pages 151 - 151
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6. Conclusions No access Pages 151 - 152
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1. Accountability mechanism – OLAF reports No access Pages 153 - 154
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2. The Supervisory Committee No access Pages 154 - 155
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3. The European Parliament No access Pages 155 - 156
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4. The European Court of Auditors No access Pages 156 - 159
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5. 1. Introduction – competences and procedure No access Pages 159 - 161
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  2. Scope of the review of OLAF investigations by the European Ombudsman No access Pages 161 - 161
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  3. Authors:
    1. Theoretical approach No access
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    2. Practical approach No access
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  4. Impact of the review of OLAF investigations by the European Ombudsman No access Pages 164 - 165
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6. Judicial supervision of OLAF’s actions – role of the European Community courts No access Pages 165 - 165
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1. 1. Admissibility of the complaint No access
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  2. Merit of claim No access Pages 170 - 170
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2. Complaints for failure to act according to Article 232(3) EC Treaty No access Pages 170 - 171
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3. 1. ECJ No access Pages 171 - 175
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  2. Legal protection before the national courts No access Pages 175 - 176
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4. Action for damages (Article 288 EC Treaty) No access Pages 176 - 179
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5. 1. Complaint to the Director-General according to Article 90(2) of the Statute No access Pages 179 - 180
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  2. Complaint to the European Union Civil Service Tribunal according to Article 236 EC Treaty in conjunction with Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No. 1073/99 and Article 90 of the Staff Regulations No access Pages 180 - 182
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1. Enlargement and acquis communautaire with regard to protection of EC financial interests against fraud No access Pages 183 - 184
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2. Preparation for accession No access Pages 184 - 186
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3. Problems within the new Member States No access Pages 186 - 187
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1. General remarks No access Pages 188 - 188
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2. 1. Corpus Juris No access Pages 188 - 191
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  2. Draft Article 280a EC Treaty No access Pages 191 - 193
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  3. Commission Draft Directive of 23 May 2001 on protection of EU funds under criminal law No access Pages 193 - 194
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  4. Green Paper on criminal-law protection of the financial interests of the Community No access Pages 194 - 195
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  5. Constitutional Treaty No access Pages 195 - 197
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3. 1. Authors:
    1. First drafts No access
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    2. New proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No. 1073/1999 concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti- Fraud Office (OLAF) No access
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  2. Draft Commission Decision amending its Decision (1999/352/EC, ECSC, EURATOM) of 28 April 1999 establishing the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) No access Pages 199 - 200
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  3. Charter of fundamental rights No access Pages 200 - 201
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Conclusions No access Pages 202 - 204
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1. Commentaries No access Pages 205 - 205
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2. Books No access Pages 205 - 207
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3. Articles No access Pages 207 - 214
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1. Books No access Pages 215 - 218
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2. Articles No access Pages 218 - 226
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1. Primary law instruments No access Pages 227 - 227
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2. 1. EC Regulations No access Pages 227 - 230
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  2. EC Directives No access Pages 230 - 230
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  3. EC Decisions No access Pages 230 - 232
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  4. EC Resolutions No access Pages 232 - 232
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  5. Communications No access Pages 232 - 233
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  6. Council documents No access Pages 233 - 233
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  7. Legislative proposals No access Pages 233 - 234
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  8. Other documents and materials No access Pages 234 - 235
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1. Reports of the European Commission No access Pages 236 - 237
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2. Reports of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) No access Pages 237 - 237
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3. Reports of the Supervisory Committee No access Pages 237 - 237
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4. Reports of the European Court of Auditors No access Pages 237 - 238
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5. Reports of the Committee of Independent Experts No access Pages 238 - 238
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6. Reports of the European Parliament No access Pages 238 - 239
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7. Reports of the European Ombudsman No access Pages 239 - 239
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Appendix E. List of parliamentary questions No access Pages 240 - 240
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1. Judgments of the European Court of Justice No access Pages 241 - 245
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2. Judgments of the Court of First Instance No access Pages 245 - 247
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3. Cases before the EU Civil Service Tribunal No access Pages 247 - 248
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4. Decisions and recommendations of the European Ombudsman No access Pages 248 - 248
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Appendix G. Press releases No access Pages 249 - 249
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Appendix H. Internet sources No access Pages 250 - 250
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