A working agreement was signed on Wednesday 27 November between the European Parliament and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) to structure their exchanges and strengthen their collaboration in the fight against offences affecting the Union’s financial interests. This cooperation framework, which is based on Regulation (EU) 2017/1939, aims to make investigations and legal action more effective.
According to the text, which sets out the precise arrangements for the exchange of information, EPPO must inform Parliament of investigations that are underway or closed, within the limits of confidentiality and the proper conduct of proceedings, to enable it to take precautionary measures, recover sums due to the EU budget or intervene as a civil party in legal proceedings.
For its part, the European Parliament undertakes to forward without delay any relevant information concerning criminal offences falling within the remit of the EPPO. The agreement also covers requests to waive the immunity of MEPs or members of staff, as well as access to Parliament’s premises and archives in the event of an investigation.
To coordinate these interactions, contact points have been appointed within the two institutions.
The agreement: https://aeur.eu/f/ej0 (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)