On Thursday 6 June, the European Commission informed the European Ministers of Justice of the progress made in setting up the European Public Prosecutor's Office. Although this is a traditional information point at the Justice Council, it has once again taken the opportunity to convey several messages to the Member States.
"The EPPO chief plays a key role in the timely setting up of the office", recalled the European Commissioner for Justice, Věra Jourová, at a press conference, regretting once again the inability of the European Parliament and the European Council to agree on a name (see EUROPE 12232/11).
"We have to wait for the fully fledged appointed EPPO Chief to do many serious steps of work. That’s why it is quite urgent, and I would like to encourage the Council and the European Parliament to resume their negotiations as soon as possible”, she continued.
The appointment of the Head of the European Public Prosecutor's Office is not the only problem. The Commissioner also asked those Member States that have not yet presented her with their three candidates for the post of European Prosecutor – when the deadline was the end of March – to do so quickly. According to our information, there are at least five slowcoaches, including Romania, Slovakia and Italy.
"We still see it realistic that EPPO will start full speed at the end of next year. But to make this happen, it requires a lot of activity now”, she said when she arrived at the ministers' meeting. (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)