Author: Lorenzo Salazar. Federica Gentilini
Committee: Collaborate Committee
Date: 17/10/2023
Renewal of the EU Public Prosecutor’s Office:
On September 28th, 2023 the Council appointed a new European prosecutor to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office: Miranda De Meijer[1].
Her mandate is due to start on the 1st of November 2023, for a non-renewable period of six years. Her nomination led to the completion of the partial renewal of the EPPO College.
The partial renewal of the EPPO College involved the appointment of eight European prosecutors from different countries, namely Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands. The renewal started in June and, within July 2023, seven European prosecutors were appointed. With the designation of the Dutch European prosecutor, M. De Meijer, the Council concluded the partial replacement of the EPPO College.
The partial replacement was needed because one third of the European prosecutors of the EPPO College had a three-year mandate instead of six-year non-renewable one.
This was part of the transitional rules for the first term of office following the creation of the EPPO in order to stagger the renewal of the College. The States whose prosecutors held a shorter mandate were chosen by drawing slots, and it was then the time to replace them.
The EPPO College is formed by twenty-two prosecutors plus the Chief European Prosecutor. Their assignment is to supervise investigations and prosecutions.
European prosecutors are appointed for a period of six years but the Council may decide to extend their term for a maximum of three years. An exception is made for the Chief EU Prosecutor whose mandate lasts for a period of seven years.
EPPO College Selection Process:
Each member State nominates candidates for the position of European prosecutor. The candidates need to be active members of the public prosecution service or judiciary of their member States. They need to have relevant practical experience of national legal systems, financial investigations and international judicial cooperation in criminal matters.
Once the nomination phase is concluded, the second step is conducted by a selection panel that draws up opinions and ranks the candidates for each member State.
The members of the selection panel are appointed by the Council itself. Starting from the 20th of January 2023, for a period of four years, the members of the selection panel are[2]:
- Mr. Jean-François BOHNERT,
- Mr. Vítor Manuel DA SILVA CALDEIRA,
- Mr. Peter FRANK,
- Ms. Margreet Fröberg,
- Ms. Ulrike HABERL-SCHWARZ,
- Ms. María Ángeles GARRIDO LORENZO,
- Ms. Saale LAOS,
- Mr. Ján MAZÁK,
- Mr. Marin MRČELA,
- Mr. Lorenzo SALAZAR (Chair of the Collaborate Committee of the Centre of Excellence – EPPONFI),
[1] https://eur–lex.europa.eu/legal–content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32023D2098&qid=1697464377380
[2] https://eur–lex.europa.eu/legal–content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32023D0133
- Ms. Martine SOLOVIEFF,
- Ms. Tuire TAMMINIEMI.
The third and last step is conducted by the Council, which selects and appoints one of the candidates as the European prosecutor for their member State[3].
Next phase:
It is going to take place in 3 years with the designation of the new European Chief Prosecutor and of the European prosecutors whose mandate expire in 2026. The Panel may resume in advance in case of participation of new Member States in the reinforced cooperation or in case of anticipate termination of the mandate of an European prosecutor.
COLLABORATE COMMITTEE:
Chair: Lorenzo Salazar
Member of the Committee: Federica Gentilini
[3] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/it/press/press–releases/2023/09/28/eu–public–prosecutor–s-office–eppo–councilappoints–a–new–european–prosecutor/