The European Public Prosecutor’s Office
20 EU members states established the European Public Prosecutor's Office
Bogdan Matei, 06.10.2017, 13:35
“We have zero tolerance for fraud against the EU budget. Every cent of it needs to be spent for the benefit of EU citizens,” Commissioner Günther H.Oettinger, in charge of Budget and Human Resourcea has said. “The European Public Prosecutors Office will complement the important work of Eurojust, the EU criminal justice agency, allowing it to dedicate more resources to the fight against terrorism, human trafficking or other crimes”, the EU Commissioner for Justice Vera Journa has also stated, in support for setting up a dedicated institution to combat fraud at EU level.
The European Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO) whose establishment had been negotiated ever since 2013 and became official following the European Parliaments vote on Thursday, will become operational in 2020. The new institution will have the power to investigate and prosecute criminal cases affecting the EU budget, such as corruption or fraud with EU funds, or cross-border VAT fraud. It will have jurisdiction in 20 EU countries, including Romania. Countries like Germany, France, Portugal, Finland and several Baltic states have agreed to contribute to a so-called enhanced cooperation in fighting financial fraud.
Other countries, like the Netherlands, Sweden or Hungary have been reluctant to the setting up of the institution, but have not ruled out the possibility of joining it later. The EPPO will have its main office in Luxembourg, where prosecutors representing participant countries will work together, and also decentralised offices in all member countries. The project endorsed by the MEPs does not provide for the setting up of community tribunals, so criminals caught by EU investigators will be judged by national courts.
A former prosecutor and justice minister, the Romanian MEP Monica Macovei contributed to the establishment of the famous National Anti-Corruption Directorate in Romania and has also been one of the most important promoters of the European Public Prosecutors Office. This institution will help investigate fraud with European money more thoroughly and more quickly. According to Macovei, the European Prosecutor will collect evidence from every member state involved in cross-border fraud. For instance, searches in Romania will be conducted under the Romanian law, phone tapping in Germany will be done under the German law, and hearings and other investigations in other countries will be governed by the laws in force in the respective countries.
However, all evidence collected will be admissible in the Court where the case is tried. “In cases leading to convictions, as a result of the European Prosecutors investigations, the money stolen from our pockets will be confiscated,” Macovei has explained. The Romanian MEP has recalled that at least 50 billion euro account for fraud perpetrated within the EU every year. Moreover, alongside European Commission officials and representatives of other member states she has pleaded for extended powers to be granted to the new institution, to help it cope with other major threats to Europes security, such as terrorism and organised crime.
(Translated by Elena Enache)
