The European public prosecutor’s office – necessary instrument or political compromise?

Norel Neagu

The legislation in the field of criminal law has evolved significantly in the last ten years in the European Union. This article deals with a new institution, intended to provide new tools for changing traditional judicial cooperation in criminal matters into a framework for united and coordinated proceedings in a criminal law trial throughout the entire EU territory: the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. Besides general observations related to the historical development of this idea and a brief examination of the EPPO regulation proposal, the article focuses on the scope of the competence of EPPO: whether it should deal with fraud affecting the financial interests of the EU, or/and with serious crimes with transnational dimensions. The article concludes that establishing the EPPO according to the lines of the proposal, even if necessary, responds mainly to political compromise rather than real needs of the EU citizens.

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