The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), an independent EU body, starts operating on Tuesday. Based in Luxembourg, this first supranational public prosecution office will investigate, prosecute and take to judgment criminal offences that damage the EU’s financial interests.

In her recent statement, European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi underlined that the EPPO has been created to improve the level of protection of the financial interests of the EU. “We haven’t been set up to allow anyone to put cases in a drawer, “ she said.

The Public Prosecutor's office is expected to investigate approximately 3,000 cases every year.

In its scope are crimes against the EU budget, such as fraud, corruption or serious cross-border VAT swindles.

The regulation establishing the EPPO under enhanced cooperation was adopted in October 2017 and entered into force on 20 November 2017.

For now, there are 22 participating EU countries. Denmark, Ireland, Hungary, Poland and Sweden do not participate in the EPPO.

The office starts work with European Delegated Prosecutors from 20 countries. Finland and Slovenia did not send their nominations.

The European prosecutor from Bulgaria is Teodopa Georgieva.

The delegated prosecutors are Svela Shopova-Koleva, Dimitar Belichev, Boyko Kalfin and Veronika Trifonova.

EU Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi will visit Sofia very soon. She said so in an interview with BNR, after the official launch of the European Public Prosecutor's Office in Luxembourg today.

Koveschi did not specify what she meant by "very soon", but added that she would give more information later.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!