OLAF project on the development of an EU evaluation mechanism in the area of anti-corruption with a particular focus on identifying and reducing the costs of corruption in Public Procurement involving EU Funds

The main objective of the study was set out by the European Parliament – a methodology to measure the cost of corruption – but the Commission added to this point the identification of best practices, indicators and benchmarks in order to understand the magnitude of the problems in individual Member States, which could be used for further policy development. It should also identify innovative tools to detect and measure corruption.

This study should collect information and develop methodologies and tools for the Commission to implement and also to assist the Member States authorities with the implementation of Commission/EU anti-corruption policies.  Since the legal framework and policy context has been set out, the study should not focus on a comprehensive description of national legislation and administrative systems regarding corruption or procurement. It should rather look at the pressing issues, such as specific problems and shortcomings in the application of the rules, in the Member States.

It should also analyse the theory on corruption only as far as necessary for the objectives of the study.

The Report will go beyond European funds, thus the study does not need to follow the structure or the purpose of the Report; the findings of the study would nevertheless be taken into consideration for the Report. The same goes for other initiatives in the field of anti-corruption – we will seek cooperation and exchange of relevant findings as much as possible.

The study will use the broad EU definition of corruption: ‘the abuse of power for private gain’. Based on this definition, and based on the OECD findings that corruption and collusion often occur in tandem we will investigate both adjunct irregularities in the procurement process. A translation into operationally applicable concepts and sub-definitions is currently taking place.