Analysis
The statement aligns with the **EU’s 2021 Anti-Fraud Strategy** and the **2021–2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)**, both of which explicitly prioritize protecting the EU budget (€1.8 trillion) and the **NextGenerationEU recovery plan** (€806.9 billion) from financial irregularities. The **European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO)**, operational since 2021, and strengthened **OLAF (European Anti-Fraud Office)** mandates directly support this claim. Von der Leyen’s framing of taxpayer accountability is consistent with **Article 325 TFEU**, which obliges the EU to counter fraud affecting its financial interests.
Background
The **EU’s 2021 Anti-Fraud Strategy** was adopted in May 2021, introducing measures like digital fraud detection tools, whistleblower protections, and closer cooperation between OLAF, EPPO, and national authorities. The **NextGenerationEU** fund—created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic—includes stringent audit and control mechanisms to mitigate misuse, reflecting heightened scrutiny after past cases like the **Qatargate scandal** (2022) exposed vulnerabilities in EU institutional integrity.
Verdict summary
Ursula von der Leyen’s 2021 statement accurately reflects the EU’s formal commitments to combat fraud, corruption, and conflicts of interest in its budget and recovery funds, as documented in official strategies and legal frameworks.