opinion parliamentary committee, 5 December 2023
On the 2022 discharge: EU general budget - European Public Prosecutor's Office
Document JURI-AD-753633 · (2023/2139(DEC))
Committee on Legal Affairs · Rapporteur: Gilles Lebreton
AI:In short
The Committee on Legal Affairs gives its opinion on the 2022 discharge for the European Public Prosecutor's Office. It asks the Committee on Budgetary Control to include its suggestions in the discharge resolution. It encourages the Office and European Delegated Prosecutors to keep working in a coordinated way and to supervise data processing effectively while respecting data protection rights. It regrets the Office's insufficient appreciation in handling waiver-of-immunity requests made to Parliament in 2022, stresses the Office's independence and its responsibility towards other institutions and the public, and recalls Parliament's support for the Office. It invites the Office, in its relations with national and European institutions, to understand and comply with their procedures without undermining its status and tasks.
Position. The Committee on Legal Affairs asks the Committee on Budgetary Control to include its suggestions in the discharge resolution. It supports the Office's work and independence, regrets its handling of waiver-of-immunity requests, and invites it to comply with institutional procedures.
Key points
- The Committee on Legal Affairs calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control to incorporate its suggestions into the motion for a resolution on the 2022 discharge.
- It encourages the European Public Prosecutor's services and the European Delegated Prosecutors to continue coordinated work and to ensure effective supervision of data processing while guaranteeing data protection rights.
- It regrets the insufficient appreciation shown by the European Public Prosecutor's Office in handling waiver-of-immunity requests made to Parliament in 2022.
- It stresses the independence of the European Public Prosecutor's Office and the responsibility that imposes on it towards other institutions and the public in legal-system matters.
- It recalls Parliament's strong support for establishing the Office and acknowledges its role in investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes affecting the Union's financial interests.
- It notes that since starting operations on 1 June 2021 the Office has registered more than 4000 crime reports from participating member states and private parties, with over 929 investigations opened as of June 2022.
- It points out that the Office was set up recently but invites it, in official relations with national and European institutions, to gain insight into their procedures and comply with them without undermining its status and tasks.
Who is affected
- European Public Prosecutor's Office: encouraged on coordination and data supervision, criticised on immunity waivers, reminded of its independence and duties.
- European Delegated Prosecutors: encouraged to continue coordinated work and ensure effective data processing supervision.
- Committee on Budgetary Control: asked to incorporate the suggestions into its motion for a resolution.
- National and European institutions: the Office is invited to understand and comply with their procedures.
Figures and deadlines
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Full text
Suggestions 6 paragraphs
The Committee on Legal Affairs calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its motion for a resolution:
1. Encourages the services of the European Public Prosecutor and the European Delegated Prosecutors to continue their work in a coordinated fashion and to ensure the effective supervision of processing of the data they gather , at the same time guaranteeing respect for individuals’ rights with regard to data protection ;
2. Regrets the insufficient appreciation shown by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in the handling of waiver-of-immunity requests made to the European Parliament for waivers of immunity in 2022;
3. Stresses the independence of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and the particular responsibility that that imposes on it towards the other institutions and the public at large in areas falling with the remit of the legal system;
4. Recalls EP's strong support for the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor Office (EPPO); acknowledges the important roleof EPPO as an independent European Union body in investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes affecting the financial interests of the Union;highlights that since starting its operations on 1 June 2021, EPPO has registered more than 4000 crime reports from participating EU Member States and private parties and over 929 investigations have been opened (as of June 2022);
5.Points out that it was set up recently, but nonetheless invites it, in the official relations it is called upon to develop with national and European institutions, to gain an insight into the various procedures they implement and to comply with them , taking care not to undermine its status and tasks.
Annex: list of entities or persons from whom the rapporteur for the opinion has received input 1 paragraph
The rapporteur declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not receive input from any entity or person to be mentioned in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.
Information on adoption in committee asked for opinion 1 paragraph
| Date adopted | 29.11.2023 | |
| Result of final vote | +: –: 0: | 14 3 0 |
| Members present for the final vote | Pascal Arimont, Geoffroy Didier, Ibán García Del Blanco, Virginie Joron, Pierre Karleskind, Sergey Lagodinsky, Gilles Lebreton, Karen Melchior, Sabrina Pignedoli, Jiří Pospíšil, Raffaele Stancanelli, Adrián Vázquez Lázara, Axel Voss, Marion Walsmann, Tiemo Wölken, Javier Zarzalejos | |
| Substitutes present for the final vote | Daniel Buda, Pascal Durand, Heidi Hautala | |
| Substitutes under Rule 209(7) present for the final vote | Sylvie Guillaume, Pedro Marques, Anne-Sophie Pelletier |
Procedure pages
How the committees handled the text, and how their members voted on it.
Final vote by roll call in committee asked for opinion 3 paragraphs
14 · For
- ECR
- Raffaele Stancanelli
- ID
- Virginie Joron, Gilles Lebreton
- No group
- Sabrina Pignedoli
- EPP
- Pascal Arimont, Daniel Buda, Geoffroy Didier, Jiří Pospíšil, Axel Voss, Marion Walsmann, Javier Zarzalejos
- The Left
- Anne-Sophie Pelletier
- Greens
- Heidi Hautala, Sergey Lagodinsky
3 · Against
- Renew
- Pierre Karleskind, Karen Melchior, Adrián Vázquez Lázara
0 · Abstained