On Wednesday 20 February, Member States' ambassadors to the EU (Coreper) chose the French candidate, Jean-François Bohnert, to head the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), a diplomatic source confirmed to EUROPE.
The Frenchman, who is currently Attorney General in Reims and was Deputy Representative of France to Eurojust from 2003 to 2007, came out on top with 50 points, while the Romanian candidate, Laura Codruţa Kövesi, and the German candidate, Andrés Ritter, finished on an equal footing with 29 points each.
Only the 22 countries participating in enhanced cooperation took part in the vote, which was held by secret ballot. Each country had a total of six points and could award three points, two points or one point to the different candidates. It should be noted that countries could also make a strategic decision not to award all their points.
The Council's ranking therefore differs from the one established by the Selection Committee at the beginning of February, which placed Mrs Kövesi at the top, followed by Mr Bohnert, then Mr Ritter (see EUROPE 12093). Romania, which currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU, has made no secret of its opposition to Mrs Kövesi's candidacy, which it discredited in a letter sent to the other Member States (see EUROPE 12193).
This is only an “internal and informational vote” to allow the ambassadors of the trio of forthcoming EU Council Presidencies, namely Finland, Croatia and Portugal - Germany having been excluded since it has a candidate - to go and negotiate with the European Parliament, a European source recalled.
The co-legislators have until the end of March to appoint by mutual agreement the very first Head of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), which will be operational in 2020.
Next week, Parliament will hold hearings with the candidates in parliamentary committee before deciding on its ranking.
If MEPs also choose the French candidate, the procedure could go very quickly. Otherwise, one of the two institutions may have to vote again and revise its ranking. Second place votes and the point spread may thus prove to be powerful negotiating tools. (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)