EU fraud agency finds €625m of funds misused in 2022

European Union budget funds worth €625 million ($668 million) were misused in 2022, an increase of €100 million compared to 2021, a top EU fraud watchdog reported on Tuesday.

Tasked with uncovering and preventing fraudulent activity, the European Union's anti-fraud agency OLAF opened 192 new investigations while finishing 256 cases in 2022.

With 15 cases concluded in 2022, Hungary topped the list of countries investigated by the EU anti-fraud agency.

One case in Hungary involved the maladministration of an EU-funded waste management site. OLAF recommended the European Commission recover €11 million in EU funding from Hungary.

As well as starting an investigation into the potential misuse of finances from the EU's Covid-19 pandemic recovery fund, OLAF also investigated misconduct within the EU institutions

One incident involved a member of the European Parliament employing an assistant while the person worked full-time in an external role. The EU legislator also allowed two trainees to work on matters unrelated to the European Parliament in his home country.

The anti-fraud agency also had a high-profile role in uncovering adulteration in honey sold in the EU. In 320 samples collected from 133 businesses, 46% were interfered with.

OLAF also supported national authorities in seizing 531 million illicit cigarettes and 14.7 million litres of illegal spirits, wine and beer. Other investigations involved fake medicines.