The Council of the European Union announced on 5 May 2026 an agreement to strengthen cooperation between Member States, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and the European Anti-Fraud Office in tackling cross-border VAT fraud.
The aim is to give investigation authorities better access to the data they need to detect and prosecute fraud schemes, including carousel fraud.
The measure grants the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and OLAF more direct access to cross-border VAT transaction data. This includes information from the Eurofisc network, which allows national tax authorities to share data and identify risks.
This stronger cooperation should improve coordination between actors by making better use of available data and accelerating investigations into fraud damaging the EU’s financial interests.
