OREANDA-NEWS. OLAF had a good start to the new year by signing Administrative Arrangements with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on Wednesday, 13 January. Giovanni Kessler, the Director General of OLAF, and Georges Dassis, the President of EESC, agreed on the practicalities of the cooperation between their services in case of investigations at the EESC.

"This Arrangement is the result of a common effort to foster cooperation and coordination between the two services in fighting fraud and corruption in the EU," Giovanni Kessler said.

In the context of these newly-signed arrangements, OLAF and EESC will meet from now on once a year to monitor ongoing issues in the fight against fraud and corruption.

These arrangements reinforce the fight against corruption, which is also one of main the guidelines of the opinion that the EESC adopted in September 2015. The opinion calls for the development of a comprehensive five-year anti-corruption strategy and action plan for the European Union. It also emphasizes that EU policies should promote transparency and prevent corruption. The EESC also called on the European Council to establish a European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO).