A European Commission staff working document published on 28 July 2026 confirms that adoption of National Anti-Fraud Strategies (NAFS) for protecting EU financial interests has stalled, with only 10 Member States having a strategy in place and no new NAFS adopted in 2025. The report, accompanying the Commission's 37th Annual Report on the protection of the EU's financial interests and the fight against fraud for 2025, notes that the qualitative assessment from the 2024 PIF Report remains valid.
The 10 Member States with a NAFS are Bulgaria, Czechia, France, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Romania, and Slovakia. Of these, seven cover both EU expenditure and revenue, while three (Hungary, Malta, Portugal) cover only EU expenditure. Eight of the 17 Member States without a NAFS are in the process of adopting one: Belgium, Denmark, and Germany are at a preliminary stage; Luxembourg is in a preparatory phase; and Cyprus, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain are in formal approval. Nine Member States have no NAFS and no ongoing procedure: Austria, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, and Sweden.
The document highlights that 22 out of 27 Member States have other types of anti-fraud strategies, such as sectoral, regional, or authority-level strategies. Additionally, 23 Member States have an Anti-Fraud Coordination Service (AFCOS) network, and in 19 of them, AFCOS plays a key role. The main obstacles to adopting a NAFS include legislative barriers, resource issues, and institutional factors. The most requested form of Commission support is updated guidelines.
The Commission reiterates its recommendation that remaining Member States adopt a NAFS, emphasizing the importance of a coordinated approach to protect EU financial interests. The report does not set new deadlines or propose additional measures beyond the existing recommendation.