| Abstract [eng] |
The master's thesis analyses the European Public Prosecutor's Office, which has been developed over two decades and whose creation was necessitated by the enlargement of the European Union in the number of Member States and the increase in its budget, which has led to a broader range of opportunities for financial crime. 12 October 2017 The Regulation established it through enhanced cooperation between some Member States, with the main task of combating criminal offences affecting the financial interests of the European Union. The analysis of the legal framework leads to the conclusion that the structure of the European Public Prosecutor's Office is rather complex, consisting of two levels: a central one, composed of the European Chief Prosecutor, his deputies, the European prosecutors forming the College and the Permanent Chambers, and the Director of Administration, and a decentralised one, consisting only of European delegated prosecutors based in the Member States. They investigate, prosecute and bring to the court, on the basis of decisions of the Permanent Chambers, offences exceeding €10,000 in damages as defined in the Directive and the Regulation, taking into account additional criteria. The work also examines the European Public Prosecutor's Office's relations with other institutions, organisations, in particular Eurojust, OLAF and Europol, and with states, which are mainly based on cooperation through the conclusion of working arrangements. The paper rightly argues that the independence of the European Public Prosecutor's Office may be compromised during the budget allocation process. An analysis of the annual reports shows that a significant number of investigations have been carried out in almost three years of operation, and almost 70 cases have resulted in final convictions. In response to the question of the meaning of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, and in the light of the positive results, the extension of the material competence to include other offences could be considered. |
