Anti-fraud and risk
Protecting the financial interests of the European Union is a common task for both the EU and the Member States, as established in Article 325 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
Under Article 317 TFEU, the European Commission is responsible for implementing the EU budget in accordance with the principles of sound financial management, ensuring that effective and efficient internal control systems are in place to prevent, detect, correct, and follow up on fraud and irregularities.
The responsible Commission departments and OLAF will continue to help and support Member States in monitoring and taking action to fight fraud by providing and operating integrated IT tools for data mining and enrichment. Operational tools such as Arachne and Irregularity Management System help to identify potential risks linked to the riskiest projects and contracts.
The objectives are to improve the detection of risk areas of the use of programme and project resources and improve accuracy in the reporting and monitoring of EU funds.
The European Commission’s Anti-Fraud Strategy reinforces this approach by focusing on the protection of EU funds from fraud, corruption, and other intentional irregularities, including risks of serious wrongdoing within institutions and bodies.
Where to start
Interreg programmes operate in a complex, cross-border environment, which increases exposure to risks related to fraud and irregularities. Strengthening anti-fraud measures is therefore essential to:
- Safeguard the EU’s financial interests
- Ensure reliable use of programme and project resources
- Improve the quality and accuracy of reporting and monitoring
Managing Authorities play a central role. Under the Common Provisions Regulation (Article 74(1))., managing authorities are responsible for having in place effective and proportionate anti-fraud measures and procedures.
This includes:
- Establishing robust management and control systems
- Carrying out risk assessments
- Ensuring appropriate preventive and detective measures
- Promoting a culture of awareness and compliance among beneficiaries
What we are working on
Interact continues to place strong emphasis on the topic of anti-fraud and conflict of interest. This key issue has been activelly addressed through:
- InterFIN and Networks for Finance Officers
- Controllers’ meetings and dedicated exchanges
- A specialised webinar with a representative from the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, focusing on fraud prevention, detection, and reporting
In 2026, this work is being further strengthened, with a focus on:
- Enhancing detection and reporting of irregularities and fraud
- Promoting proportionate, risk-based anti-fraud measures
- Supporting programmes with practical guidance and tools, and dedicated sessions
Contact
For more information, please contact Florin Neculcea
Want to exchange on this topic?
Interact offers a dedicated space for those working on anti‑fraud, risk management, and financial management. Within our MS Teams channel on Financial programme management you can exchange experiences, share practices, and discuss common challenges with peers across Interreg.
You can find out more about our MS Teams environment on our Networks page, and see all our networks in our Portal.
If you would like to learn more about this, please contact Florin Neculcea.
