OLAF and Cyprus Authorities advance digital fight against fraud to better protect EU funds

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The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the Cyprus Anti-Fraud Coordination Service (AFCOS) are hosting the 2^nd Technical Workshop on Digital Anti-Fraud Tools in Lemesos, Cyprus. The event, taking place from 22 to 24 June 2026, brings together nearly 100 anti-fraud specialists from EU Member States, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), Europol, Eurojust, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) and OLAF. The workshop is supported by the Treasury of the Republic of Cyprus.

Organised under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the workshop marks an important milestone in the digital transformation of anti-fraud cooperation in Europe. It also forms part of the Republic of Cyprus' continued efforts to strengthen cooperation with OLAF and the Member States, promoting modern, practical and effective solutions for the protection of the European Union's financial interests.

Participants are reviewing the first concrete deliverables developed by expert project groups established under the Digital Anti-Fraud Toolbox initiative launched in May 2025.

Over the past year, national and EU experts have worked together to develop practical tools and methodologies that help authorities detect fraud earlier, investigate cases more effectively and better protect the Union's financial interests. Their work has focused on how Artificial Intelligence can assist investigators in identifying suspicious patterns, how advanced analytical methods can strengthen early fraud detection and how data from different national and EU data sources can be collected, integrated and interpreted together to support faster and more effective cross-border investigations.

In his opening remarks, the Accountant General of the Republic and Chair of AFCOS Cyprus, Mr Andreas Antoniades, underlined that the digitalisation of controls is a tool for more timely and effective protection of public and EU funds. As he stated, "Digitalisation is not an objective in itself. It is a means for better prevention, earlier detection, stronger support to investigations and more reliable assurance that public and EU funds are effectively protected."

OLAF Director-General Mr Petr Klement said: "Our joint work on digital anti-fraud tools demonstrates the shared determination of OLAF and the Cyprus Presidency to robustly defend the protection of the Union's financial interests in an increasingly complex digital landscape. At a time when new technologies and evolving fraud threats are reshaping the operating environment of public authorities, strengthening digital resilience and enhancing cooperation are more important than ever."

With the preparations for the next Multiannual Financial Framework advancing, the need for scalable, data-driven and cost-efficient anti-fraud solutions is becoming increasingly important. In an environment characterised by growing financial complexity, rapid technological change and heightened pressure on public budgets, effective cooperation, pooling expertise and innovation are essential to safeguard EU funds. By avoiding duplication of effort across Member States and promoting shared innovation, the Digital Anti-Fraud Toolbox enhances Europe's collective capacity to respond effectively to increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes that exploit digital technologies and operate across borders.

In this context, Cyprus also presented its own approach to strengthening ex ante and horizontal controls relating to conflicts of interest and double funding. This effort combines European and national tools and data sources, such as ARACHNE, the civil registry and other data through the Government Data Warehouse, the Beneficial Ownership Register and the IT system of the Registrar of Companies.

The workshop takes place at a time when Cyprus has significantly strengthened its national anti-fraud framework through the national AFCOS legislation and the recent adoption of its first National Anti-Fraud Strategy for the protection of the European Union's financial interests. The Strategy and its accompanying Action Plan serve as a coordination framework between competent authorities, translating strategic priorities into concrete actions and operational results.

In the margins of the event, OLAF and the Department of Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property signed a bilateral administrative agreement facilitating OLAF's access to national company data.

Cyprus Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property Mrs Irene Mylona-Chrysostomou said: "Today's arrangement goes beyond the technical exchange of data. It is a tangible demonstration of mutual trust, institutional cooperation and shared responsibility. By facilitating secure and efficient access to reliable corporate and beneficial ownership information, we strengthen transparency, support effective investigations and contribute to the protection of the European Union's financial interests."

Alongside the workshop, on 22 June 2026, OLAF also delivered a dedicated training to Cypriot authorities on anti-fraud tools and techniques, covering, among other topics, the use of open-source intelligence (OSINT), artificial intelligence as an analytical support tool and the use of satellite imagery in fraud investigations.