Abstract: Protection of the Communities' financial interests has, at this point of constant changing, an organization on two pillars: a Community dimension which ensures through standards and European institutions will effectively fight against all forms of fraud and a national dimension. The Office for Anti-Fraud, competent to carry out any investigation into the fraudulent administration of EU funds are still dependent on national judicial resources. At national level, the EC measures are doubled by the skills and procedures of judicial bodies, coordinated by OLAF and by national legislation which evolves to a standard model for all member states before forming community criminal standards. The investigative activities of OLAF are consolidated by the actions taken on investigative records. The next stept, criminal procedure continues the mesures disposed in the investigation stage. These can be grouped into two broad categories: financial suites - including recovery activities for prejudice and judicial and disciplinary suites. To this purpose, the national public prosecution bodies and national Courts  of the Member States in relation to offenses under domestic law, are the only ones able to propose and apply criminal sanctions.

Keywords: financial interests of the UE, OLAF, European protection, national protection.