The ongoing procedure for the appointment of the Head of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (see EUROPE 12198/7) was not officially on the agenda of the meeting of European Ministers of Justice on Friday 8 March. However, the subject ignited the press conference given at the end of the Justice Council.
At the meeting – which was held in camera – no minister took the floor and the Commission simply reviewed the progress made in setting up the institution, in particular on staff recruitment, future premises in Luxembourg and this year's budget, confirmed a European source.
The Romanian Minister of Justice, Tudorel Toader, did not fail to point out, when he arrived at and left the meeting, that the subject was not on the agenda. He also reminded his European counterparts of this during the session, according to the same source.
But at a press conference, the subject was quickly brought up again. "The Commission’s role is to ensure the process is fair (...). I therefore would like to call everyone to play fair and not to try to discredit or undermine any of the candidates", said the European Commissioner for Justice, Věra Jourová. She was then asked to clarify her comments and added, “I had in mind the case of Ms Kövesi”.
She made thee appeal while standing beside the Romanian minister who published on Wednesday in the Financial Times (see EUROPE 12209/4) a letter discrediting Romanian candidate Laura Codruța Kövesi.
Still uncomfortable with the possible appointment, Mr Tudorel largely avoided journalists' questions about Ms Kövesi's eligibility for the position if she were indicted in Romania. The Romanian Minister merely pointed out the difference between the procedure for appointing the head of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, which in his opinion does not require the support of the candidate's country of origin, and that of the Deputy European Public Prosecutors, which remains a national competence.
"Don't put me in trouble, I don't have to answer you before the Commissioner, if you want, I'll answer you in private," he replied to a Romanian journalist who asked him about the famous letter published by the Financial Times.
"I never mentioned any suspicions about any of the candidates... In this letter, I simply described things I have seen in the past... that led me to believe that there were slippages in relation to the role of the head of this institution (the Romanian anti-corruption prosecutor's office headed by Ms Kövesi: editor's note)", he explained.
Towards Swedish participation in the European Public Prosecutor's Office?
At a press conference, Commissioner Jourová also indicated that she had discussed Sweden's participation in the European Public Prosecutor's Office with Swedish Justice Minister Morgan Johansson.
"The minister sounded rather optimistic. So I count on the Sweden government to join the group of 22 countries as soon as possible,” she declared. However, according to a European source, there was no official announcement from the country at the meeting.
Indeed, apart from the countries that benefit from an 'opt-out' in this area, Sweden, alongside Hungary and Poland, did not wish to join the enhanced cooperation establishing the European Public Prosecutor's Office. (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)