Protection of the European Union’s financial interests – combating fraud – annual report 2024

Tabled by Daniel Freund

Added: 54b. Recalls that on 31 March 2025, the Paris Criminal Court convicted Marine Le Pen, eight other former Members of the European Parliament from the Rassemblement National party and 12 parliamentary assistants for the misappropriation of public funds, finding that, between 2004 and 2016, European Parliament funds intended for parliamentary assistants were systematically diverted to finance the party’s domestic political activities through fictitious contracts; notes that the total damage to the European Parliament’s budget was estimated at EUR 4.8 million; stresses that this ruling, together with the EPPO’s ongoing investigation into the now-defunct European Parliament political group, Identity and Democracy, illustrates the systemic risks posed to the EU’s financial interests by the organised misuse of parliamentary allowances, and underlines the imperative of swift and effective recovery procedures, irrespective of the political affiliation of the beneficiaries concerned;

Wording as published by the EP, in English. PE783.022v01-00