Eleventh operational report of the European Anti-fraud Office. 1 January to 31 Dedcember 2010

The European Anti-fraud Office, OLAF, completed 691 assessments in 2010. As a result of these assessments 225 new investigative and operational cases were opened: 150 internal and external investigations and 75 coordination and assistance cases. 189 investigative and operational cases were closed during the year. At the end of 2010, OLAF was handling a total of 493 live investigative and operational cases, of which 139 concerned the EU institutions and bodies and 117 related to expenditure and revenue in the agricultural sector.

The average total duration of investigations and operations, including the assessment phase, was 27.9 months, a five-year low, in 2010. The average duration of OLAF investigations and operations, excluding the assessment phase, was lower than in recent years; below 23 months in 2010 compared with 25 months in 2009. During 2010, OLAF received 46 % of its incoming information from the public sector (at EU and Member State level). 52% came from citizens and the private sector.

Following up on OLAF's findings, national courts sentenced fraudsters to a cumulative 125 years' imprisonment during 2010 and imposed financial penalties totalling nearly € 1.47 billion.

In 2010, € 67.9 million was recovered in respect of OLAF's investigative and operational cases. The highest amounts were recovered in the structural funds sector (€ 32.9 million), followed by agriculture (€ 11.9 million) and direct expenditure (€ 10.6 million). A further € 351.2 million has also been recovered to date in respect of financial follow-up cases which are still ongoing.

OLAF welcomed its new Director General, Mr. Giovanni Kessler, in February 2011. A number of ongoing developments, including a new proposal to improve the legislative framework of OLAF and an internal review within OLAF, will have a major impact on the work of the Office in the years to come