By 31 December 2024, we had 2 666 active investigations, for estimated damage of over €24.8 billion. With estimated damage of €13.15 billion, VAT fraud accounted for more than 53% of the overall estimated damage under investigation at the end of 2024.
The proportion of investigations with a cross-border dimension (acts either committed on the territory of several countries, or which caused damage to several countries) remained stable (29%). Judges granted European Delegated Prosecutors freezing orders worth €2.42 billion, while the value of assets frozen during the year amounted to €849 million.
0 Opened investigations
€ 0billion Estimated damage
All active investigations
Estimated total damage
of which are active VAT fraud investigations
Active investigations with a cross-border dimension
Decisions to assign measures to assisting EDPs in a different participating Member State
Freezing orders granted in 2024
Assets frozen in 2024
A single investigation may target a variety of criminal offences.
This section outlines the different types of offences investigated by the EPPO.
0
Non-procurement expenditure fraud
33.19%
Procurement expenditure fraud
9.32%
PIF crime-focused criminal organisation
6.07%
Non-VAT revenue fraud
7.57%
VAT revenue fraud
20.29%
Corruption
3.01%
Misappropriation
1.81%
Money laundering
5.99%
Inextricably linked offence
12.74%
In 2024, we can confirm that investigations into organised crime are at the core of the EPPO’s operational activity. Through several of our investigations, we have uncovered long-lasting and well-structured criminal networks, allowing organised crime groups to expand their activities beyond their traditional criminal activities, such as drug trafficking, racketeering, or firearms trafficking, into financial criminality.
These poly-criminal networks are involved in multiple major crime areas including mafia-style criminal organisations based in the EU, as well as similar organisations headquartered in third countries, especially active in customs fraud and specialised in money laundering services.
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By the end of 2024, the EPPO was handling 311 active cases related to the NextGenerationEU, out of which 307 stemmed from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), corresponding to approximately 17% of all active expenditure fraud investigations.
The estimated damage to the EU’s financial interests amount to €2.8 billion, which corresponds to 30% of the overall estimated damage for expenditure fraud (compared to 25% last year).
In 2024, the EPPO pursued the implementation of its external strategy to reinforce ties and foster cooperation with relevant counterparts, including institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the EU, authorities of non-EU countries and EU Member States not participating in the EPPO, as well as international organisations, expert networks and fora. Raising awareness, around the globe, of the EPPO’s mandate, unprecedented tools and jurisdiction where EU funds are involved, is key to increasing the reporting of crime, and to ensuring trust and effective cooperation from its partners in transnational investigations.
As regards non-participating Member States, the year 2024 was marked by the accession of Poland and Sweden to the EPPO, as of 20 March and 19 July 2024, respectively.
As regards non-EU countries, the EPPO pursued strengthening cooperation with authorities from candidate countries to EU accession.
