On Wednesday 31 May, the Committee of Permanent Representatives to the EU (Coreper) will discuss the European Prosecutor’s Office project, which is expected to come into being soon, in the shape of strengthened cooperation. Coreper is due to discuss the general approach that will be submitted to the Council of EU Justice Ministers on 9 June in Luxembourg. Once this general approach is adopted, it will be up to the European Parliament to endorse the Prosecutor’s Office project, so that the Council can then permanently adopt the project.
So far, 17 member states have expressed a wish to participate in this strengthened cooperation (this will be the fourth example of this kind of cooperation launched in the EU, following those on divorce, patents and the tax on financial transactions). According to one source, the apparently realistic objective, is to bring 20 states together in this kind of cooperation in the long term. Countries, such as Italy, still have to confirm whether they are going to participate.
Following three and a half years of negotiations, the Council of the EU, attained the impossible by reaching a unanimous agreement on the European Prosecutor’s Office project on 7 February. This body seeks to help fight against fraud being committed against the financial interests of the EU. The European Council made this approach official on 9 February by launching the strengthened cooperation procedure. This procedure was supported by 16 member countries and received the subsequent backing of Latvia.
In the regulation that will facilitate the setting up of the Prosecutor’s Office, the Maltese Presidency attempted to promote relations between countries participating and other member states, according to a note from the Council, as well as help to bring the new member states into the European Prosecutor’s Office Project. On 24 May, however, there were still a few points that still needed to be defined, according to this note, such as the importance of providing references to the directive on the “protection of financial interests”. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)