Understanding the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) | Think Tank | European Parliament (original) (raw)
It took over 20 years of discussion in various forums for the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) to come to fruition. Established in 2017 through a regulation adopted via enhanced cooperation, it followed an unsuccessful attempt to reach unanimity in the Council on a 2013 Commission proposal. The outcome of the protracted negotiations is a complex body with strong collegial elements. The EPPO is composed of two levels: the central level and the decentralised one. The Central Office, located in Luxembourg, brings together the European Chief Prosecutor and 22 European Prosecutors (one per participating EU Member State), with two of them serving as Deputies to the European Chief Prosecutor. Additionally, it includes the College, the Permanent Chambers, and the Administrative Director. At the decentralised level, European Delegated Prosecutors, situated in the Member States, operate within the national criminal justice systems. Despite their integration in these systems, they maintain complete independence from Member States' authorities when acting on behalf of the EPPO. The EPPO Regulation designates the responsibility of appointing the top EPPO posts to the European Parliament and the Council. While both institutions are involved in appointing the European Chief Prosecutor, the Council alone is responsible for appointing the European Prosecutors. The negotiations leading to the inaugural appointment of the European Chief Prosecutor were marked by a protracted power struggle between the two institutions. While the EPPO was established to address crimes affecting the EU's financial interests, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) leaves the door open to expanding its mandate. The European Council may adopt a decision extending the EPPO's powers to include serious crimes with a cross-border dimension. This possibility has been debated in relation to various forms of crime, including terrorism and the violation of EU sanctions.