Protection of EU funds
The EU budget runs into hundreds of billions and is distributed across the EU and beyond. One of OLAF’s main roles is protecting that funding making sure it is spent correctly and is fully accounted for.
Foreword
In 2025, OLAF continued to play a key role in protecting the EU's financial interests. Our results remain stable. Over the past decade, OLAF has already helped retrieve or protect about €6.8 billion. These are not just figures. They are schools built, research projects funded, and borders protected. OLAF’s work is not abstract, and it is not distant. It directly supports Member States and benefits citizens.
OLAF’s investigative performance in 2025
€597
million recommended for recovery
€18.1
million recommended to be prevented from being unduly spent
€572.3
million in revenue safeguarded
209
investigations concluded
254
investigations opened
216
recommendations issued
The OLAF report 2025
Revenue investigations & customs
OLAF protects EU revenues by tackling smuggling and counterfeiting and customs undervaluation, which reduces the amount of customs duty paid, undermines the EU single market, harms genuine EU producers, and can threaten the safety of EU citizens.
Internal investigations
OLAF has a unique mandate to carry out investigations into serious misconduct by staff and members of the EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies.
Financial impact of OLAF
The sums we recommend for recovery each year can vary and depend on the scope and scale of the investigations concluded in that particular year. The amounts recommended for recovery are the result of our investigative work in 2025, not an indication of the overall level of fraud against the EU budget
Protecting from the evasion of customs duties and VAT at import
OLAF plays a crucial role in supporting customs authorities identifying attempts by fraudsters to avoid paying correct customs duties and VAT on imported goods. In 2025, we estimated that our impact in this area was €957 million.
Supporting Member States' anti-fraud actions
The EU helps Member States to fight fraud by:
- Protecting the EU’s financial interests through financial support, in particular technical support, operational support for investigations, specialised training and research activities.
- Organising mutual administrative assistance and cooperation in customs and agricultural matters.
- Operating the Irregularity Management System so Member States can report irregularities.
