18.9.2013 Official Journal of the European Union L 248/1 (Legislative acts) REGULATIONS REGULATION (EU, EURATOM) No 883/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 September 2013 concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (Euratom) No 1074/1999 THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 325 thereof, in conjunction with the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 106a thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, Having regard to the opinion of the Court of Auditors (1), Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (3), Whereas: (1)  The Union institutions and the Member States attach great importance to the protection of the financial interests of the Union and to the fight against fraud, corruption and any other illegal activity affecting those interests. The Commission’s responsibility in that connection is closely bound up with its duty to implement the budget pursuant to Article 317 of the () OJ C 254, 30.8.2011, p. 1. (3) Position of the European Parliament of 20 November 2008 (O] C 16 E, 22.1.2010, p. 201) and position of the Council at first reading of 25 February 2013 (O] C 89 E, 27.3.2013, p. 1). Position of the European Parliament of 3 July 2013 (not yet published in the Official Journal). Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and the importance of action to that end is confirmed by Article 325 TFEU. 2)  All available means should be deployed fully to attain that objective, notably in the context of investigative duties devolving upon the Union, while the current distribution and balance of responsibilities between the Union and the Member States should be maintained. (3)  To reinforce the means available for combating fraud, while respecting the principle of each institution’s internal organisational autonomy, the Commission, by Decision 1999/352/EC, ECSC, Euratom (}), has estab- lished the European Anti-Fraud Office (the Office) among its own services with responsibility for conducting administrative fraud investigations. The Commission has given the Office full independence to exercise its investigative function. Decision 1999/352/EC, ECSC, Euratom provides that for the purposes of inves- tigations the Office is to exercise the powers conferred by Union law. 4 Regulation (EC) No1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council (¥} was adopted to regulate investigations conducted by the Office. In order to make the Office’s investigative activities more effective, and in the light of the evaluations of its activities made by the Union institutions, in particular the Commission’s evaluation report of April 2003 and the Special Reports No 1/2005 (°) and No 2/2011 (°) of the Court of Auditors concerning the management of the Office, there is a need to revise the current legal framework. (}) Commission Decision 1999/352/EC, ECSC, Euratom of 28 April 1999 establishing the European Anti-fraud Office (OLAF) (O] L 136, 31.5.1999, p. 20). (*) Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 1999 concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) (OJ L 136, 31.5.1999, p. 1). () OJ C 202, 18.8.2005, p. 1. (©) O] C 124, 27.4.2011, p. 9.