European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) will be the guardian of our taxpayers' money

The European Parliament today adopted, with a large majority, the interim Report on the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor's Office. Prosecuting offences against the EU budget is currently within the competence of each Member State. The EPP Group calls for a single and independent office that can effectively investigate across all Member States and prosecute any offences that affect the EU budget.

Every year, billions of Euros from the EU budget are lost due to fraud against EU funds. The current system, even if it works well in some Member States, has proved to be rather inefficient throughout the Union in terms of prosecutions and fund recovery: this needs a serious change Monica Macovei MEP

"We need to protect our citizens' money, as all the money is in the same basket. We will all lose out if we don't fight together against these criminal activities. The European Public Prosecutor's Office will bring a real added value as it will be able to carry out independent investigations with streamlined procedures in cross-border cases and in full respect of the fundamental rights of the suspects in criminal proceedings. The EPPO will be the guardian of our citizens' money."

"Member States' law enforcement authorities will not be replaced, but supported in their anti-fraud investigations. The EPPO will bring cases before the competent courts in compliance with national legal systems, protecting taxpayers' money and restoring people's trust in the EU Institutions", concluded Macovei.