site.btaFour Candidates Approved to Compete for European Chief Prosecutor

The European Parliament's Committees on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and Budgetary Control (CONT) announced, in a statement on Friday, that four candidates have been shortlisted to compete to head the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO). The public hearing of the candidates for European Chief Prosecutor, a key position in setting EPPO's strategic direction and ensuring EU-wide enforcement against complex financial crime is scheduled for December 3 in Brussels, the statement said.

The candidates will present their vision for leading the EPPO, answer questions from members of the LIBE Committee and the CONT Committee, and demonstrate how they plan to effectively investigate and bring to justice crimes against the financial interests of the EU with independence, professionalism, and integrity.

The European Chief Prosecutor will head the EPPO for a mandate of seven years, organise the work and direct the activities of the EU's independent public prosecution office.

The shortlisted candidates admitted to the hearing are Stefano Castellani (Italy), Ingrid Maschl-Clausen (Austria), Andres Ritter (Germany), and Emilio Ulled (Spain). All of the candidates are prosecutors, Maschl-Clausen and Ritter already work at the EPPO. The current European Chief Prosecutor, Laura Kovesi (Romania), was appointed to the post in October 2019 by a decision of the European Parliament and the EU Council.