On 16 July 2025, the European Commission published a White Paper that launches the review of the EU's anti-fraud architecture (AFA). The AFA refers to the framework of policies, institutions, and mechanisms established to protect the financial interests of the EU by preventing, detecting, and addressing fraud and other illegal activities that could affect the EU budget. The AFA review complements the preparatory work on the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) aiming to ensure a strengthened and more efficient protection of the EU's financial interests.

The White Paper sets out preliminary orientations and several key questions that are designed to initiate a broader reflection on the future AFA. It is addressed to the major EU anti-fraud actors, such as the EPPO, OLAF, Europol, Eurojust, the AMLA, the European Court of Auditors, etc. and other stakeholders, which are invited to take part in the review process.

The questions relate to the following topics:

• Improving detection, including the use of new technologies and AI, data analysis and intelligence sharing;
• Improving investigation and prosecution capabilities, including data sharing and operational analysis as well as enhanced complementarity and coordination between the EPPO and OLAF;
• Improving the efficiency of the recovery process for the EU budget;
• Improving the governance of the anti-fraud architecture.

The review of the overall Anti-Fraud-Architecture, taking into account the results of relevant ongoing evaluations and building on the work of Europol and the EPPO, is one of the priorities of current Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration, Piotr Serafin. On the occasion of the publication of the White Paper, he said: " To ensure that the Anti-Fraud-Architecture is fit for purpose and all relevant EU bodies can fulfil their function to their best ability, we are kick-starting a holistic review of the entire architecture. No stone will be left unturned in this exercise, from identifying loopholes in the cooperation of key anti-fraud actors to the effectiveness of deterrence, prevention and correction of fraud."

The results of the AFA review will be presented in a Commission Communication in 2026. It may be accompanied by possible legislative proposals related to the main anti-fraud actors, i.e., OLAF, the EPPO, Eurojust, and Europol, as well as the Eurofisc Regulations and - as far as the substantive legal anti-fraud framework is concerned - the PIF Directive. The overall aim is to establish a more coherent AFA with simplified and operational answers in reply to the issues mentioned in the White Paper.