German MEP Markus Buchheit (ESN) has asked the European Commission whether organised crime deliberately targets EU projects worth under €150,000 to avoid investigation by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO). In a written parliamentary question submitted on 9 June 2026, Buchheit cites a recent study suggesting that the Italian Mafia has adapted its fraud methods to skim EU funds by exploiting de minimis thresholds, as watchdogs consider such small-scale cases not worth prosecuting.
first, whether the Commission can corroborate the study's findings that organised crime favours projects below €150,000 precisely because OLAF, EPPO and other departments deem them too insignificant; second, what conclusions the Commission intends to draw regarding existing de minimis and minor offence thresholds in the fight against fraud. The question does not propose specific numerical targets or deadlines but signals a policy orientation toward tightening oversight of small-scale EU projects, potentially lowering the threshold for mandatory anti-fraud checks.
Buchheit's intervention targets a gap in the EU's anti-fraud architecture: while large projects face rigorous scrutiny, smaller grants may escape detection, creating a vulnerability that criminal networks can exploit. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks; its answer will indicate whether it acknowledges the problem and whether it plans to adjust thresholds or increase monitoring of low-value projects. The issue pits the efficiency of anti-fraud bodies (which prioritise high-value cases) against the need to close loopholes that allow systematic small-scale siphoning of EU funds.
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