Privileges and immunities

Protocol No 7 on the privileges and immunities of the European Union shall apply to the Authority and its staff.

Article 35

Language arrangements

1. The provisions laid down in Council Regulation No 1 (30) shall apply to the Authority.

2. The translation services required for the Authority’s functioning shall be provided by the Translation Centre.

Article 36

Transparency, protection of personal data and communication

1. Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 shall apply to documents held by the Authority. The Management Board shall, within six months of the date of its first meeting, adopt the detailed rules for applying Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001.

2. The Management Board shall establish measures to comply with the obligations laid down in Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, in particular those concerning the appointment of a Data Protection Officer of the Authority and those relating to the lawfulness of the processing of data, the security of the processing activities, the provision of information and the rights of data subjects.

3. The Authority may engage in communication activities on its own initiative within its field of competence. The allocation of resources to communication activities shall not be detrimental to the effective exercise of the tasks referred to in Article 4. Communication activities shall be carried out in accordance with the relevant communication and dissemination plans adopted by the Management Board.

Article 37

Combating fraud

1. In order to facilitate the fight against fraud, corruption and other illegal activities under Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013, the Authority shall, within six months from the day that it becomes operational, accede to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 25 May 1999 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the Commission of the European Communities concerning internal investigations by OLAF and shall adopt appropriate provisions applicable to all employees of the Authority using the template set out in the Annex to that Agreement.

2. The Court of Auditors shall have the power of audit, on the basis of documents and on-the-spot checks, over all grant beneficiaries, contractors and subcontractors who have received Union funds from the Authority.

3. OLAF may carry out investigations, including on-the-spot checks and inspections, with a view to establishing whether there has been fraud, corruption or any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests of the Union in connection with a grant or a contract funded by the Authority, in accordance with the provisions and procedures laid down in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 and in Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 (31).

4. Without prejudice to paragraphs 1, 2 and 3, cooperation agreements with third countries and international organisations, contracts, grant agreements and grant decisions of the Authority shall contain provisions expressly empowering the Court of Auditors and OLAF to conduct such audits and investigations, in accordance with their respective competences.