2024 annual report: Eppo leads the indictment against EU fraud

2 666 active examinations at the end of the year

(Luxembourg, March 3, 2025) – The latest annual report of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) shows a continuous increase in the activity of the EPPO. It will continue to increase in the coming years, since the detection and reporting on EU fraud further improves and its Polish and Swedish offices become in operation. This year's figures show that the EPPO has become of central importance for the future of the so-called EU-Anti-Fraud architecture for the serious considerations of the future.

At the end of 2024, the EPPO had a total of 2,666 active examinations (an increase of 38% since the previous year), with the EU budget of € 24.8 billion estimated (22.5% more than in 2023). More than half of the estimated damage (€ 13.15 billion) is associated with cross -border VAT fraud, whereby almost systematic criminal organizations are a major risk to internal security.

In 2024, more than 1,500 new examinations were opened (almost 10% more than in the previous year), which corresponds to an estimated damage of € 13.07 billion. This increase is mainly based on improved cooperation between the EPPO and the responsible national authorities and the determination of the EPPO for criminal organizations, in particular the value of VAT, but also in amounts with EU funds.

By the end of 2024, the EPPO 311 worked out active cases in connection with the Next Generationu, most (307) of which came from the recreation and resilience function (RRF). The estimated damage to the financial interests of the EU amounts to EUR 2.8 billion, which is 30% of the overall estimated damage to subsidies. This number is expected to increase in the context of the accelerated implementation of the Next -Generationu -Financing.

The increase in criminal investigations has been a constant since the beginning of the Eppo in June 2021, which has long been underestimated that the prevalence of crime against the financial interests of the EU has long been underestimated.

“A few years ago, the general expectation that the Eppo would not have much to do. It was designed small to deal with the generally respected crime as “niche”. After more than three years of activity that reveals a new punishment continent, the capacity of the EPPO must be adapted to reality”, Said European prosecutor Laura Kövsi.

“For us, in the Eppo, these are the most important questions: is Eppo well equipped? Is Europol well equipped? Are there committed and specialized investigators from the police, tax administrations and customs that support EPPO's investigation in all participating Member States? The answer to each of these questions is currently “no”. If we want the “EU -antifraud -architecture” to improve, we need every answers to be “yes”. “

Increased crime reports and assets frozen

In 2024, the EPPO 6 547 crime reports (56% more than in the previous year). Over 70% came from private parties and almost 27% of the national authorities. Only 1.7% came from institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the EU, which shows that they have to increase the detection and reporting of fraud to the EPPO.

In 2024, submitted with 205 charges (47% more than in 2023), the Eppo continued to bring more perpetrators from the EU fraud to the national courts.

In the course of the year, the EPPO solidified the assets worth 849 million euros. This corresponds to the existing assets that are frozen, in view of the potential confiscation after the final judgment, almost 11 times the budget of the EPPO budget in 2024.

Some of the most important numbers, valid on December 31, 2024:

2024 in numbers

Here are some of the most important figures in the annual report, which is valid on December 31, 2024:

• 6 547 crime reports were processed (56% more than in 2023);
• 1 504 examinations were opened (+9.7%) with an estimated damage of € 13.07 billion;
• 2 666 active examinations with an estimated damage of € 24.8 billion;
• 18% of the active examinations (488) were associated with VAT fraud, but accounts for 53% of the estimated total damage (€ 13.15 billion); 
• Over 300 active examinations in connection with the financing within the framework of Next Generationu with an estimated damage of over € 2.8 billion (+ 25%);
• 849 million € effectively frozen in assets;
• 161 European investigations and inquiries about mutual legal aid to non-participating Member States and non-EU countries;
• 205 charges submitted (+ 47%), charged with 869 people; 
• 166 European delegated prosecutorsappointed;
• 275 employees of the headquarters in Luxembourg.

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The full annual report 2024 can be consulted here:

The EPPO is the independent public prosecutor's office of the European Union. It is responsible for the investigation, persecution and conviction of crimes against the financial interests of the EU.