The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is an independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU. These include several types of fraud, VAT fraud with damages above 10 million euro, money laundering, corruption, etc.
The EPPO undertakes investigations, carries out acts of prosecution and exercises the functions of prosecutor in the competent courts of the participating Member States, until the case has been finally disposed of. Up until the EPPO starting its operations, only national authorities could investigate and prosecute these crimes, but their powers stopped at the borders of their country. Organisations like Eurojust, OLAF and Europol do not have the necessary powers to carry out such criminal investigations and prosecutions.
Since starting its operations on 1 June 2021, EPPO has registered more than 4000 crime reports from participating EU Member States and private parties; over 929 investigations have been opened (as of June 2022). Members of the public are able to report crime to EPPO using the special web form.
The mandate of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office is defined in Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 that entered into force on 31 October 2017. See the Legal Framework page to learn more about the laws governing various aspects of the EPPO.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Palermo (Italy) has seized over €700 000 in assets against seven suspects and their companies, in an investigation into fraud involving national and EU agricultural funding aimed at supporting the conversion to organic farming.
We are pleased to announce that the EPPO will participate for the first time in the Europe Day Festival on 9 May, from 12.00 to 18.00, in Place de l’Europe, Luxembourg City.
Yesterday, an explosive device detonated on the way of the convoy of the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Bulgaria. I condemn in the strongest possible terms the attack against the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Bulgaria.
On behalf of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), the State Police of Latvia carried out searches today, 26 April 2023, in 10 locations, and arrested eight suspects, in an investigation into a €2.5 million fraud involving agricultural funds.
As previously reported, in March this year, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Zagreb filed an indictment against two Croatian citizens for unlawful favouritism and incitement to unlawful favouritism.
This morning, 21 April 2023, the Carabinieri of Palermo (Italy) executed restrictive measures of house arrests against three suspects, issued by the judge for preliminary investigations of the Court of Palermo. This is based on the findings of an investigation into embezzlement and corruption, led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Palermo.
Last Thursday, 13 April 2023, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Ljubljana (Slovenia) sent an indictment to the District Court in Celje. The two suspects are alleged to have caused estimated damages of almost €648 000 to the EU and national budgets by fraudulently obtaining funds to finance projects for long-term social activation and labour market insertion programmes.
On 5 April 2023, two individuals were convicted by the Zemgale District Court in Riga (Latvia), following an indictment by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) for fraud involving EU agricultural funds, filed on 10 March 2023.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Palermo (Italy) seized over €320 000 in assets and real estate, in an investigation, carried out in Calabria, into fraud involving agricultural funding.
On 30 March 2023, two individuals and one company were convicted by the Specialised Criminal Court in Slovakia of VAT and EU fund fraud committed between 2017-2018, following an indictment by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) regarding overevaluation of machinery to obtain EU funds.
Source: https://www.eppo.europa.eu/en/news
By
Robert Williams
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