European Public Prosecutor’s Office 2024 Budget Review

Parliament's Decision on the EPPO

The European Parliament made the following decisions regarding the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) for 2024:

• Budget Approval: The Parliament granted "discharge," confirming that the EPPO spent its 2024 budget properly and that its accounts are reliable.
• Account Closure: The EPPO’s financial accounts for 2024 were formally closed.
• Publication: The decision will be published in the Official Journal of the EU.

EPPO Performance and Workload

The Parliament noted that the EPPO is the EU’s independent prosecutor for crimes that harm the Union’s finances, such as fraud and money laundering.

Key Achievements in 2024:

• Reports and Investigations: The EPPO received 6,547 crime reports and opened 2,666 investigations—both significantly higher than in 2023.
• Financial Impact: The estimated damage from these cases was €24.8 billion.
• Seized Funds: The EPPO secured €2.42 billion in freezing orders.
• Budget Use: The office spent 98.5% of its budget and paid 86% of its invoices on time.

Areas of Focus and Challenges

The Parliament highlighted several areas where the EPPO is growing but requires more support:

Staffing and Resources

• The EPPO has grown its staff to 258 employees.
• However, the office needs more staff and money to handle its increasing workload, especially related to the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
• The Parliament noted that the EPPO’s salaries are currently low, making it difficult to recruit and keep experienced prosecutors.

Operational Needs

• IT Systems: While the EPPO achieved IT autonomy, it still requires more resources to maintain its case-management system and cybersecurity.
• Member State Cooperation: The EPPO works with 24 Member States. The Parliament called for better cooperation from all Member States and urged action against any state that obstructs investigations.
• Fund Recovery: The EPPO can recover seized money, but the Parliament requested clearer rules so that these recovered amounts can be properly returned to the EU budget.

Future Work

• Ukraine: The EPPO is preparing for increased investigative work related to EU funds in Ukraine.
• Ethics: The EPPO is developing a full ethics framework, including policies for conflicts of interest and whistleblowing.

In summary, the Parliament confirmed that the EPPO is busy and increasingly important for protecting EU finances, but it stressed that the office needs more money, more staff, and better cooperation from Member States to remain effective.

Broader Context

The discharge procedure is Parliament's yearly check on how EU bodies like the EPPO spent their budget. It verifies if funds followed EU rules on sound financial management, including economy, efficiency, and effectiveness. Parliament approved the EPPO's 2024 accounts after review by the Court of Auditors, confirming proper use of €76.4 million. europarl.europa

The EPPO, created in 2017 via enhanced cooperation, prosecutes crimes harming EU finances like fraud, VAT fraud over €10 million, corruption, and money laundering across 24 Member States. It works with OLAF, Eurojust, and Europol but leads criminal probes where national efforts fall short on cross-border cases. en.wikipedia

Impact on People Living in the EU

EU residents pay taxes that fund the EU budget, including aid like the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The EPPO fights fraud stealing this money, such as the €24.8 billion in 2024 cases (53% VAT fraud), securing €2.42 billion in freezes to recover funds. This protects taxpayers, keeps prices fair by stopping VAT scams, and ensures EU money reaches projects like roads and schools. eucrim

People can report suspected fraud directly to the EPPO. ec.europa

Impact Outside the EU

Ukraine benefits as the EPPO prepares probes on EU funds sent there amid the war, with agreements for cooperation. Poland and Sweden residents gained EPPO coverage in 2024, adding protection against EU fund crimes. europarl.europa