EESC opinion: European Public Prosecutor's Office

Key points

The Committee welcomes the Commission's initiative. The establishment of a European Public Prosecutor's Office is an important step in creating new legal mechanisms to protect both the EU's financial interests and Europeans' financial contributions to the EU budget.

While the Committee considers that the EU's financial interests should be defended, the consistency of the EU criminal law system would be better ensured if the regulation defined with accuracy and precision not only the terminology used but especially the offences in question that affect the EU's financial interests and which are to be subject to prosecution in the Member States.

The Committee believes that the remit of the new European Public Prosecutor’s Office should remain within the limits of the provisions of Article 86(2).

In proceedings and disputes involving the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Committee recommends applying procedural safeguards for suspects in line with the relevant standards under the regulation, in particular the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, especially the right to a fair trial and the rights of defence.