Misuse of EU funds for criminal purposes puts the EU's objectives of generating jobs and growth and improving living conditions at stake. The European Commission has therefore proposed new rules to fight fraud against the EU budget by means of criminal law to better safeguard taxpayers' money. The Directive creates a more harmonised framework for prosecuting and punishing crimes involving the EU budget so that criminals no longer exploit differences between national legal systems.

The proposal defines offences such as fraud, or other fraud related crimes such as corruption, the misappropriation of funds, money laundering, or obstruction of public procurement procedures to the detriment of the EU budget. These common definitions will help to ensure equal application by judicial authorities across the EU.
The Commission proposal provides for Member States to impose a minimum sanction of six months' imprisonment for serious cases. In order to help the recovery of funds it provides for confiscation of the proceeds of these crimes, as well as common framework for periods within which it is possible to investigate and prosecute offences. This will help to deter fraudsters, provide for more effective legal action at national level, and make it easier to recover lost funds.

More information: http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/policy/preventing-fraud/index_en.htm