Aanhef

The high contracting parties to this Convention, Member States of the European Union,

Referring to the Act of the Council of the European Union of 26 July 1995;

Desiring to ensure that their criminal laws contribute effectively to the protection of the financial interests of the European Communities;

Noting that fraud affecting Community revenue and expenditure in many cases is not confined to a single country and is often committed by organized criminal networks;

Convinced that protection of the European Communities' financial interests calls for the criminal prosecution of fraudulent conduct injuring those interests and requires, for that purpose, the adoption of a common definition,

Convinced of the need to make such conduct punishable with effective, proportionate and dissuasive criminal penalties, without prejudice to the possibility of applying other penalties in appropriate cases, and of the need, at least in serious cases, to make such conduct punishable with deprivation of liberty which can give rise to extradition,

Recognizing that businesses play an important role in the areas financed by the European Communities and that those with decisionmaking powers in business should not escape criminal responsibility in appropriate circumstances,

Determined to combat together fraud affecting the European Communities' financial interests by undertaking obligations concerning jurisdiction, extradition, and mutual cooperation,

Have agreed on the following provisions: