Franz-Hermann Brüner
Encyclopedia
Franz-Hermann Brüner was a German
public official who was until recently director-general of OLAF
, the European Union
Anti-Fraud Office. He was first appointed to the post in 2000, and was reappointed to the post in 2006 over the European Parliament
’s preferred candidate.
Brüner was born in Bad Nauheim
in Hesse
and began his working life as an apprentice businessman in Darmstadt
in 1968. Three years later he went to the University of Munich to study law, economics and political science, and in 1976 joined the Ministry of Justice in Bavaria
to train for the judiciary.
In 1979 he became an investigating and trial judge in criminal matters at the Municipal Court Weilheim in Oberbayern
. He transferred to be public prosecutor in Munich
in 1981, and because Deputy Head of the Criminal Law section of the German Federal Ministry of Justice from 1983 to 1986. He was then transferred back to be a full Judge in Weilheim, where he served for a further three years.
Brüner then became Deputy Head of the Criminal Law Department of the Public Prosecutor's office in Munich, and in 1991 was Senior Public Prosecutor at the Office of the General Prosecutor in Berlin
. He headed the Criminal Law Department of the Ministry of Justice in Saxony
from 1993 to 1995 before becoming Senior Prosecutor in the Office of the General Prosecutor in Munich for a year. From 1996 to 1998 he was made Head of the Department fighting against organised crime, fraud and corruption.
His first post outside Germany was in April 1998 when he was appointed Head of the Anti-Fraud Unit and Deputy Head of the Economics Department of the Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
. He was still working there when appointed to be director of OLAF from 1 March 2000.
Dutch EP member Paul van Buitenen has criticized Brüner heavily on several occasions, suggesting that the fraud hunter acted less than scrupulously himself. In particular, selection procedures for staff are suspected to have been irregular, lacking in transparency and not in accordance with the Staff Regulations of the European Commission.
Brüner died on 9 January 2010.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
public official who was until recently director-general of OLAF
OLAF
The European Anti-fraud Office is charged by the European Union with protecting the financial interests of the European Union: Its tasks are to fight fraud affecting the EU budget, as well as corruption and any other irregular activity, including misconduct, within the European Institutions, in an...
, the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
Anti-Fraud Office. He was first appointed to the post in 2000, and was reappointed to the post in 2006 over the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
’s preferred candidate.
Brüner was born in Bad Nauheim
Bad Nauheim
Bad Nauheim is a town in the Wetteraukreis district of Hesse state of Germany. , Bad Nauheim has a population of 30,365. The town is located approximately 35 kilometers north of Frankfurt am Main, on the east edge of the Taunus mountain range. It is a world-famous resort, noted for its salt...
in Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
and began his working life as an apprentice businessman in Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
in 1968. Three years later he went to the University of Munich to study law, economics and political science, and in 1976 joined the Ministry of Justice in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
to train for the judiciary.
In 1979 he became an investigating and trial judge in criminal matters at the Municipal Court Weilheim in Oberbayern
Weilheim in Oberbayern
Weilheim in Oberbayern is a town in Germany, the capital of the district Weilheim-Schongau in the south of Bavaria.Weilheim has an old city-wall, historic houses and a museum.-Sport:...
. He transferred to be public prosecutor in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
in 1981, and because Deputy Head of the Criminal Law section of the German Federal Ministry of Justice from 1983 to 1986. He was then transferred back to be a full Judge in Weilheim, where he served for a further three years.
Brüner then became Deputy Head of the Criminal Law Department of the Public Prosecutor's office in Munich, and in 1991 was Senior Public Prosecutor at the Office of the General Prosecutor in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. He headed the Criminal Law Department of the Ministry of Justice in Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
from 1993 to 1995 before becoming Senior Prosecutor in the Office of the General Prosecutor in Munich for a year. From 1996 to 1998 he was made Head of the Department fighting against organised crime, fraud and corruption.
His first post outside Germany was in April 1998 when he was appointed Head of the Anti-Fraud Unit and Deputy Head of the Economics Department of the Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was created in 1995 immediately after the Dayton Peace Agreement to oversee the civilian implementation of this agreement. The High Representative and the OHR represent the...
. He was still working there when appointed to be director of OLAF from 1 March 2000.
Dutch EP member Paul van Buitenen has criticized Brüner heavily on several occasions, suggesting that the fraud hunter acted less than scrupulously himself. In particular, selection procedures for staff are suspected to have been irregular, lacking in transparency and not in accordance with the Staff Regulations of the European Commission.
Brüner died on 9 January 2010.