EDPS Opinion: Balancing Data Access for EPPO and OLAF with EU Data Protection in VAT Fraud Cases

• The EDPS reviewed the European Commission’s proposal to give EPPO and OLAF more direct access to VAT data for anti-fraud purposes.
• The EDPS supports the goal of combating cross-border VAT fraud but stresses that direct access to data should be exceptional, limited, and clearly defined.
• The EDPS calls for strong legal, technical, and organizational safeguards, including restricting access to only what is strictly necessary for specific investigations.
• The Opinion highlights the need to balance enhanced anti-fraud powers with data protection and respect for national legal systems.
• The EDPS sees the proposal as a short-term solution and expects broader anti-fraud reforms to address these issues more comprehensively.

Source: vatabout.com

Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.

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