European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO)

Overview

• Role: investigating, prosecuting, and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU
• European Chief Prosecutor: Laura Codruța Kövesi
• Operational since: 2021
• Location: Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
• Website: European Public Prosecutor’s Office

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is an independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It seeks to protect the budget of the European Union and bring to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU. 

What does the EPPO do?

The EPPO undertakes investigations, carries out acts of prosecution, and exercises the functions of prosecutor in the competent courts of the participating Member States.

The EPPO deals with the so-called ‘PIF offences’ listed in Directive (EU) 2017/1371. These include: 

• cross-border VAT fraud involving total damages of at least €10 million
• expenditure and customs fraud
• corruption that damages, or is likely to damage, the EU’s financial interests
• misappropriation of EU funds or assets by a public official
• money laundering
• any other offences inextricably linked to one of the previous categories

The EPPO also prosecutes offences regarding the participation in a criminal organisation – if its focus is to commit a PIF offence.

Composition

The EPPO is composed of two levels: the central level and the decentralised (national) level.

• The central level consists of the European Chief Prosecutor, 22 European Prosecutors (two of whom are Deputy Chief Prosecutors), the Administrative Director, and the support staff.
• The European Chief Prosecutor and the European Prosecutors form the College of the EPPO. Together, they decide on strategic matters and adopt internal rules of procedure.
• The EPPO’s decentralised level consists of the European Delegated Prosecutors in the participating Member States. To date, 24 EU Member States participate in the enhanced cooperation.

How does the EPPO work?

Every crime report received by the EPPO is verified and registered in the Case Management System, after which it is assigned to a European Delegated Prosecutor. If an investigation is opened, the European Delegated Prosecutor – supported by EPPO financial investigators and case analysts, as well as national police, customs and tax services – investigates from start to finish.

The EPPO’s Permanent Chambers monitor the actions taken by the European Delegated Prosecutors. Each Permanent Chamber (15 in total) is made up of three European Prosecutors from countries other than the one involved in the investigation. This creates an extra layer of independence.

At the end of the investigation, the case is tried before the national courts. 

The EPPO and you

If you have grounds to suspect that a criminal offence has been committed against the financial interests of the EU, you must report it to the EPPO. You are not required to provide supporting evidence if it is not available. Every EU, non-EU citizen, or legal entity can report a crime to the EPPO, in any of the official languages of the EU, via the Report a Crime web form.

Further information

Members

News

Jobs at the EPPO

Report a crime