site.btaBulgaria Brings No Charges on EU Anti-Fraud Office Recommendations Since 2021

No charges were brought in Bulgaria between 2021 and 2025 on recommendations by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the office’s annual report showed on Monday.

A total of 42 checks were carried out over the period. 

In five cases where follow-up action was recommended, the national authorities decided to discontinue the cases, while one decision was still pending. Last year, five checks were concluded in Bulgaria, with follow-up action recommended in two of them.

The report noted that when OLAF concluded an investigation, it issued recommendations to national authorities for follow-up action where it had identified suspicions of fraud or irregularities. Financial recommendations concerned the recovery of funds. If it found compelling evidence of a crime, the office passed the information to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and could recommend that national courts assess whether judicial proceedings should be opened.

Between 2021 and 2025, OLAF issued 145 judicial recommendations to EU countries. National authorities took 73 decisions, 27 of which led to charges being brought. The data showed that over the previous 10 years the office’s recommendations led to varying amounts being recovered for the EU budget. In 2017, for example, the figure exceeded EUR 3 billion, while last year it was just over EUR 500 million.