The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) could soon be expanded to include a new member state, Sweden, the Czech deputy head of the body, Petr Klement, told Euractiv.cz in an interview.
The EPPO, which began work in June 2021, is responsible for investigating, prosecuting, and issuing judgments on crimes against the financial interests of the EU. While it has 22 member states, Klement has confirmed that the group wants to welcome a new member.
“Sweden has recently declared that it is considering joining the 22 member states. I would like all of them to join,” Klement said.
He also emphasised that he “would not write off” any countries outside the enhanced EPPO cooperation.
“On the contrary, I would invite them to reconsider their position over the next few years based on the results that already exist, which are, I think, clear because the EPPO has shown that it is effective and has added value, particularly in terms of cross-border cooperation,” Klement explained.
According to Europe’s deputy chief public prosecutor, artificial intelligence and its use in financial investigations and improved exchange of information between EU institutions are the biggest challenges facing the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.
While there are currently around 130 European public prosecutors, Klement pointed to a significant increase in the number of cases being dealt with by the EPO.
“This applies, in particular, to the countries with the largest number of cases under investigation – Italy comes first, then Germany, Bulgaria, but the Czech Republic is also quite high up the list,” the deputy European chief prosecutor said.
He also emphasised that EPPO’s staff capacity and budget should also be increased as the number of cases increases. Debates about its budget have been a growing concern in the past, as the European Commission was reluctant to invest significant sums in the new body at the start of its operations.
“Errors in the budget have been corrected, and the budget has been increased several times. I think this was mainly due to the support of the European Parliament and the fact that the European Commission finally understood our demands and needs,” Klement said, adding that the discussions about the EPPO’s budget are still open.
(Aneta Zachová, Dávid Pásztor | Euractiv.cz)
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