Home » News » The Prosecution Service of Hungary files indictments in OLAF cases significantly higher than the EU average

Accord­ing to OLAF's annu­al report for 2020, pub­lis­hed on 10 June 2021, the Pro­se­cu­tor Ser­vi­ce of Hun­gary filed indict­ment in 67% of the cases recom­men­ded by OLAF bet­ween 2016 and 2020, which is sig­ni­fi­cantly above the EU aver­age (37%).

The num­ber of OLAF's judi­ci­al recom­men­da­tions to the Pro­se­cu­ti­on Ser­vi­ce of Hun­gary is cons­tantly dec­re­a­sing year by year.

OLAF is repea­tedly mak­ing judi­ci­al recom­men­da­tions in cases that are alre­ady under investiga­ti­on in Hun­gary.

OLAF investiga­tes admi­nistra­tive irre­gu­la­ri­ti­es invol­ving EU funds; it does not est­ab­lish cri­mi­nal facts and does not carry out cri­mi­nal investiga­ti­on. It has neit­her the aut­ho­rity nor the means to do so.

The Pro­se­cu­ti­on Ser­vi­ce of Hun­gary, alt­ho­ugh it is not leg­ally obli­ged to do so, orde­red an investiga­ti­on in all cases fol­lo­wing OLAF's judi­ci­al recom­men­da­ti­on, in accor­dance with the pro­to­col always fol­lo­wed, or, if an investiga­ti­on was alre­ady in prog­ress, OLAF's recom­men­da­ti­on was atta­ched to the investiga­ti­on file and eva­lu­a­ted in the frame of it.

OLAF's annu­al report for 2020 shows that the Pro­se­cu­ti­on Ser­vi­ce of Hun­gary filed indict­ments in 67% of OLAF cases. This figu­re is an out­stand­ing result, as it is almost, the doub­le, of the EU aver­age of 37%.

In 2020, OLAF made a total of 2 judi­ci­al recom­men­da­tions to the Pro­se­cu­ti­on Ser­vi­ce. Both judi­ci­al recom­men­da­tions were asses­sed in ongo­ing investiga­ti­on by the aut­ho­rity.

The num­ber of judi­ci­al recom­men­da­tions is dec­re­a­sing year by year: 10 recom­men­da­tions were rece­i­ved in 2016, 6 in 2017, 4 in 2018, 3 in 2019 and 2 in 2020.

On 31 Janu­ary 2020, Dr. Péter Polt Pro­se­cu­tor Gene­ral wel­co­med the visit of Ville Itälä Direc­tor Gene­ral of OLAF, at the Offi­ce of the Pro­se­cu­tor Gene­ral. At the mee­ting, the par­ti­es reaf­fir­med that effec­tive exc­han­ge of infor­ma­ti­on and coope­ra­ti­on bet­ween orga­ni­za­tions on cri­mi­nal misu­se of EU funds is regar­ded as pri­o­rity. They also agreed to deve­lop a coope­ra­ti­on agree­ment to deepen furt­her the well-functioning pro­fes­si­o­nal rela­ti­onship, which will be fina­li­zed in a short time.

The Pro­se­cu­ti­on Ser­vi­ce of Hun­gary and OLAF coope­ra­te clos­ely, with regu­lar mee­tings both at the level of leaders and experts.