OLAF and Hungary’s Integrity Authority pedge stronger EU-wide anti-corruption efforts

The Director-General of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and Hungary’s Integrity Authority discussed cross-border cooperation within the European Union on fighting corruption and fraud, the Hungarian authority told MTI in a statement on Wednesday.

At their talks in Budapest, Ville Itala and Ferenc Pál Bíró underscored the importance of combining resources and expertise in handling complex cross-border crimes that target EU taxpayers’ money, the statement said.

They declared their common commitment towards expanding the powers and capabilities of the two authorities, uncovering and investigating international fraud and enhancing legal procedures.

“Protecting EU resources and safeguarding the integrity of our financial systems is of paramount importance,” the statement quoted Itala as saying. “OLAF’s cooperation with national authorities such as the Hungarian Integrity Authority is fundamentally important for cross-border transparency and accountability,” he said.

Bíró said: “We are committed to the cooperation with OLAF to swiftly unveil and eliminate corrupt practices, and to facilitate the responsible use of taxpayers’ money.”

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