The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) ordered the freezing of €359.1 million in 2022, its first full year of work, according to the 2022 annual report published on Wednesday 1 March. There were 1,117 investigations opened in 2022, for damages estimated at €14.1 billion.
According to the report, 16.5% of active investigations concern VAT fraud, but this accounts for no less than 47% of the estimated damage (€6.7 billion).
Laura Kövesi, European Chief Prosecutor of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, welcomes these results but calls for the full potential of her institution to be deployed: “If we want the European Public Prosecutor’s Office to make a lasting difference, we need organisational and legal adjustments. This includes the revision of the EPPO Regulation, and the assignment to the EPPO cases of dedicated and specialised financial fraud investigators in all the participating Member States”, she insists.
Since 2021, Ms Kövesi has deplored the uneven cooperation of the countries participating in the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (see EUROPE 12935/13).
She also requests the ability to look into the case of circumvention of European sanctions by Russian oligarchs. Interviewed by AFP, Ms Kövesi said she was ready to work on this issue, if given the competence at political level.
See the annual report for 2022: https://aeur.eu/f/5ly (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)