FINANCIAL IRREGULARITIES PANEL

General statement on the protection of personal data

The Financial Irregularities Panel (FIP) was set up in 2003. The task of the panel, which functions independently, is to determine whether a financial irregularity has occurred and what the consequences, if any, should be (Article 66(4) of the Financial Regulation). An irregularity has been further defined as “any infringement of a provision of the Financial Regulation or of a provision relating to financial management or the checking of operations resulting from an act or omission of an official or other servant” (art. 74 of the Implementing Rules).

In the context of its activities, the panel will receive, for opinion, information on potential cases of financial irregularities either from the Appointing Authority (i.e. factual conclusions of reports of the Investigation and Disciplinary Office of the Commission (IDOC) or OLAF) or from any member of staff acting under Article 60(6) of the Financial Regulation. The conclusions of the panel are transmitted to the Appointing Authority with a copy to the person(s) concerned.

In accordance with Regulation (EC) n° 45/2001 on data protection, any staff member involved in an evaluation will be informed of the information received by the panel and has the right of access to, and the right to rectify the data concerning him or her. The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has, however, recognized that these rights are restricted for ongoing (OLAF or IDOC) investigations.

Requests for exerting these rights must be submitted to the data controller, Mr E. Brandt, who has been appointed as Secretary of the FIP.

Such data will be kept no longer than five years after the panel has given its opinion on the existence and possible consequences of the financial irregularities.

Staff is reminded of the fact that they have the right of recourse at any time to the EDPS, who can be contacted at the following address: edps@edps.europa.eu.

More information regarding the protection of personal data (Regulation 45/2001)

More information regarding the FIP in the Manual of Operating Procedures of the Commission.