Article 2
Tasks of the Office 1. The Office shall exercise the Commission's powers to carry out external administrative investigations for the purpose of strengthening the fight against fraud, corruption and any other illegal activity adversely affecting the Community's financial interests, as well as any other act or activity by operators in breach of Community provisions. The Office shall be responsible for carrying out internal administrative investigations intended: (a) to combat fraud, corruption and any other illegal activity adversely affecting the Community's financial interests, (b) to investigate serious facts linked to the performance of professional activities which may constitute a breach of obligations by officials and servants of the Communities likely to lead to disciplinary and, in appropriate cases, criminal proceedings or an analogous breach of obligations by Members of the institutions and bodies, heads of the bodies or members of staff of the institutions and bodies not subject to the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the Communities. The Office shall exercise the Commission's powers as they are defined in the provisions established in the framework of the Treaties, and subject to the limits and conditions laid down therein. The Office may be entrusted with investigations in other areas by the Commission or by the other institutions or bodies. 2. The Office shall be responsible for providing the Commission's support in cooperating with the Member States in the area of the fight against fraud. 3. The Office shall be responsible for the activity of developing a concept for the fight against fraud as referred to in paragraph 1. 4. The Office shall be responsible for the preparation of legislative and regulatory initiatives of the Commission with the objective of fraud prevention as referred to in paragraph 1. 5. The Office shall be responsible for any other operational activity of the Commission in relation to the fight against fraud as referred to in paragraph 1, and in particular: (a) developing the necessary infrastructure; (b) ensuring the collection and analysis of information; (c) giving technical support, in particular in the area of training, to the other institutions or bodies as well as to the competent national authorities. 6. The Office shall be in direct contact with the police and judicial authorities. 7. The Office shall represent the Commission, at service level, in the forums concerned, in the fields covered by this Article.