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”
-
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? 🐌💼
-
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! 😅
-
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! 🍽️
Last News
Ireland’s Leader Defends Starmer Against Trump’s Insults in White House Meeting
He addressed misconceptions a
‘Glimmer of Hope’ in Haiti Amid Shifting Gang Frontlines
Following a 10-day mission to Haiti, O’Neill addressed journalists at the UN Headquarters in New York, stating that the ongoing human rights crisis is causing i
La guerre en Iran et la crise énergétique perturbent le programme du sommet européen
What to Do If You’re Scammed Online in Europe
The notification seemed legitimate. It could be a delivery update, a bank notification, or a message from a marketplace seller requesting a quick payment. Only later do many realize the truth: the money is lost, the site has disappeared, and the “company” was never real.
Online scams have become one of the most prevalent consumer crimes in Europe. Scammers exploit urgency, impersonate trusted in
Finland’s Stubb: Brexit Was Like Sawing Off Your Leg for No Reason
OSCE Conference Explores Democratic Legislation
At the midpoint of a two-day OSCE human-dimension meeting in Vienna, attention has focused on a growing concern across Europe and beyond: how democracies can be weakened not just by open repression, but also by the laws they enact, the manner in which they are passed, and the safeguards that fail to halt democratic erosion in time.
As delegates continued through the second day of the first Suppl
EU-Kommission plant Überarbeitung der Marktreserve vor ETS-Reform
Germany’s €500bn Fund Faces a Reality Check
Europe Rejects Trump’s Iran Demands
Progress is being made on enlargement. Ukraine and Moldova are advancing in their EU accession talks, while Montenegro is set to close another chapter.
The conflict with Iran is challenging transatlantic unit
Leave a Reply