EPPO Granted Authority to Investigate Corruption in EU Parliament

Strasbourg (Eurotoday) – The European Parliament and EPPO sign an agreement allowing corruption investigations, enhancing anti-fraud efforts and transparency.

As reported by Politico, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola inked a working arrangement with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) authorising investigations within the institution.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is an autonomous public prosecution office of the European Union. It is mandated for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment offences against the financial interests of the EU. These include several sorts of fraud, VAT fraud with impairments above 10 million euros, money laundering, corruption, etc.

How will the EPPO investigate corruption within the parliament?

The agreement between the parliament and the prosecutor’s office is the first agreement of its kind between the two institutions. Most especially, it will make it more manageable for EPPO to access the EU Parliament and probe corruption cases within the institution. “It will make our fight against crime and fraud faster and better. Ultimately this agreement is about protecting EU taxpayers’ money,” stated.

How does the agreement improve access to parliamentary records?

The arrangement makes it easier for EPPO to access the Parliament’s premises, to request to renounce the immunity of lawmakers and team and to access documents linked to investigations. The agreement comes weeks after EPPO informed it is conducting an investigation into one of the Parliament’s political parties, the European People’s Party (EPP). For investigations linked to members of the European Parliament, EPPO will have to reach Metsola. For investigations into Parliament staff, it will reach the secretary-general.

According to the contract, the EPPO will need to report to the Parliament any searches at least 48 hours in advance. In addition, the EPPO will need to inform the Parliament regarding ongoing investigations, and in turn, the Parliament must notify the EPPO of financial criminal conduct among its staff. 

What does the new EPPO-Parliament agreement aim to achieve?

In his remarks, blank” rel=”noopener”>Victor Negrescu, the Parliament vice-president for the fight against corruption and transparency policies, claimed that the agreement, which reflects a similar deal between EPPO and the European Commission in 2021, aims to “improve our anticorruption mechanisms” and to “provide legal certainty to EPPO investigations.” “It is a huge step forward for our institution and a clear message of support for EPPO by the European Parliament,” he stated. 


Comments

3 responses to “EPPO Granted Authority to Investigate Corruption in EU Parliament”

  1. Heavenly Connection Avatar
    Heavenly Connection

    Oh, fantastic! Finally, the EPPO gets a backstage pass to the EU Parliament—like letting the fox guard the henhouse, innit? 😏 Who knew fighting corruption could be as bureaucratic as a snail race on a Sunday? 🐌💼

  2. Twix Esses Avatar

    Oh, brilliant move! Nothing screams “We’re serious about transparency!” quite like a fancy agreement to check each other’s pockets. 🤔💼 Let’s just hope the EPPO doesn’t trip over all the red tape while searching for loose change! 😅

  3. Oh fantastic, the EPPO can now investigate the Parliament—because who doesn’t love a good bureaucratic tango while the rest of us are just trying to get our taxes sorted? 🤷‍♂️ Hope they’ve packed their lunch; it might take a while to find anything in that maze! 🍽️

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Last News

Musk Celebrates, Tusk Despairs: Global Reactions to AfD’s Election Victory

Musk Celebrates, Tusk Despairs: Global Reactions to AfD’s Election Victory

The AfD secured 43.8 percent and 39 of 83 seats, falling three seats short of a majority, marking their most successful state election result. This positions them closer to governing a German state than any far-right party since World War II.
Allies across Europe celebrated. Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini congratulated his “friend” Weidel, saying: “Another Europe is possible.” Austri

Read More

Reform UK Officials Resign Amid Electoral Law Allegation in Birmingham

Reform UK Officials Resign Amid Electoral Law Allegation in Birmingham

Birmingham, 4 September (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Two senior Reform UK figures have temporarily stepped down after an undercover investigation raised Reform UK funding claims involving political polling allegedly financed by a foreign donor. The party denies wrongdoing and has launched an internal investigation.
The development came as Reform UK opened its annual party conference in Birming

Read More

Taiwan Travelogue Discovers Strength in Dining

Taiwan Travelogue Discovers Strength in Dining

Yáng Shuāng-zǐ turns food, translation and thwarted intimacy into a subtle study of colonial rule
Taiwan Travelogue, translated by Lin King, is an enchanting historical novel where abundant meals reveal a stern investigation into empire. Through the bond between a Japanese writer and her Taiwanese interpreter, Yáng Shuāng-zǐ illustrates how affection can be sincere yet distorted by privilege, cl

Read More

Germany’s Far-Right Shockwave

Germany’s Far-Right Shockwave

Following a resounding victory in the regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) might be in a position to lead the state, marking the first time since World War II that a far-right party could govern a part of Germany.
As Europe reacts to the AfD’s win, Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur engage with Head of Playbook Germany, Hans von der Burchard, t

Read More

UK Construction Decline Worsens with Sharp Drop in Housebuilding, London

UK Construction Decline Worsens with Sharp Drop in Housebuilding, London

London, 4 September (Eurotoday Newspaper) – Britain’s construction sector contracted for a 20th consecutive month in August as a sharp deterioration in housebuilding outweighed modest improvements elsewhere in the industry. The latest UK construction PMI fell to 44.3, signalling that the sector remains under significant pressure.
The S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index dec

Read More

Expiration of EU Biometric Border Safeguard

Expiration of EU Biometric Border Safeguard

AITETAI-generated illustrationTransparency information

AI-generated images: One or more images accompanying this report were generated or substantially modified using artificial intelligence. They are illustrative and should not be understood as documentary photographs unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Schengen authorities face pressure to enforce digital checks consistently without allowi

Read More

Nasdaq and S&P 500 Futures Climb Before Key US Jobs Report

Nasdaq and S&P 500 Futures Climb Before Key US Jobs Report

New York, 4 September (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – US stock futures edged higher on Friday, led by technology shares, as investors awaited the August employment report for fresh evidence about the strength of the American labour market and the Federal Reserve’s next interest-rate decision.
Nasdaq 100 futures were up 0.42% at 4.24am ET, while S&P 500 futures gained 0.06%, according to Reut

Read More

Guerre au Soudan : al-Burhane, armes chimiques, islam politique et accusations contre les Émirats arabes unis

Guerre au Soudan : al-Burhane, armes chimiques, islam politique et accusations contre les Émirats arabes unis

Behind the war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces lies a regional conflict involving Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Russia, and several transnational armed networks. Yet, the international debate mainly focuses on accusations against the United Arab Emirates. A more comprehensive view requires examining the chemical weapons attributed to the army, the foreign support for G

Read More

Germany’s Far-Right AfD Poised for Biggest Victory

Germany’s Far-Right AfD Poised for Biggest Victory

“The AfD has emerged as the leading party in Saxony-Anhalt’s state parliament, a development requiring the CDU to navigate this outcome,” he remarked.
The fact that 40% of voters backed the AfD, despite its regional branch being identified as a right-wing extremist group by the state intelligence agency and reports linking lead candidate Siegmund’s associates to an organization inspire

Read More

Norway Wealth Fund to Reduce US Treasury Holdings by $80bn, Oslo

Norway Wealth Fund to Reduce US Treasury Holdings by $80bn, Oslo

Oslo, Norway, 4 September (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Norway’s vast sovereign wealth fund has proposed sharply reducing its exposure to US government debt, a portfolio shift that could result in nearly $80 billion (£60 billion) being removed from US Treasury holdings. The Norway wealth fund, managed by Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), is seeking broader changes to its bond benchmark

Read More