Mission and tasks

As the independent prosecution office of the European Union, we investigate and bring to justice crimes against the financial interests of the EU. Essential to the rule of law, we work at the service of the EU public interest. When a crime has been committed, our mission is to prove it. In accordance with the law and in respect of the fundamental rights of the people involved, we gather evidence and take cases to court when appropriate. Acting transnationally within the EPPO zone, we work relentlessly to ensure that crime does not pay.

We aspire to be a trusted European judicial institution with a global reach. As a central pillar of the EU’s anti-fraud architecture, we protect the EU budget from criminals and facilitate the recovery of damages, making a lasting contribution to the prosperity, stability and security of the Union and its citizens.

The mandate of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office is defined in Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1939, which entered into force on 20 November 2017. See the Legal Framework page to learn more about the laws governing various aspects of the EPPO.

All revenues, expenditures and assets covered by, acquired through, or due to the European Union budget and the budgets of the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies established under the Treaties, and budgets managed and monitored by them.

Participating Member States need to have the ‘PIF Directive’ adopted into their national legislations. This directive of the Council and the Parliament covers the fight against fraud to the European Union’s financial interests by means of criminal law, and increases the level of protection of the EU budget by harmonising the definitions, sanctions and limitation periods of criminal offences affecting the EU’s financial interests.

It also defines which crimes are within the mandate of the EPPO:

• cross-border VAT fraud involving total damages of at least EUR 10,000,000;
• other types of fraud affecting the EU’s financial interests;
• corruption that damages, or is likely to damage, the EU’s financial interests;
• misappropriation of EU funds or assets by a public official;
• money laundering and organised crime, as well as other offences inextricably linked to one of the previous categories.

For example: If a civil servant takes a bribe in relation to an EU-funded project and conceals it by buying a house, the EPPO can investigate both the passive corruption and the subsequent money laundering.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office has established privileged partnerships with other EU institutions, bodies and agencies.

An agreement has been concluded with the European Commission, and working arrangements have been signed with OLAF, Eurojust, Europol, European Court of Auditors, European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund.

In addition to cooperating with other EU institutions, bodies and agencies (such as the ones mentioned above), the EPPO also works with the following additional categories of partners:

• authorities of non-participating EU Member States;
• authorities of non-EU states (third countries);
• authorities of participating Member States;
• judicial cooperation and law enforcement networks (e.g. European Judicial Network, CARIN, etc.);
• international organisations and equivalent (Council of Europe, Interpol, etc.).

You can find the publicly available working arrangements with some of the above bodies in the Documents section of our website.