La procura europea nasce come “cooperazione rinforzata” cioè promossa e applicata da un gruppo di Stati membri, anziché da tutti gli aderenti all’UE. Il mandato di EPPO dipende dall’applicazione di meccanismi di cooperazione che hanno natura intergovernativa che richiedono un’espressa adesione e partecipazione dello Stato. Il rifiuto di collaborare con l’istituzione europea può creare gap tra i differenti meccanismi di tutela degli interessi finanziari dell’UE?
The European Chief Prosecutor addressed a letter to the European Commission pointing at Poland’s refusal to cooperate with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO). Poland does not take part in the enhanced cooperation on the establishment of the EPPO, nonetheless a cooperation between the judicial institutions relies on the existing instruments for judicial cooperation and mutual recognition. The signature of a working arrangement with the EPPO has been conditioned to a prior approval of an amendment of the Polish Criminal procedure code that would allow recognition of the EPPO as competent authority. This consists, in fact, in rejecting the EPPO’s requests for judicial cooperation since the start of its operations.
The refusal will hinder EPPO’s ability to counter criminality affecting the Union’s budget, while carrying out a criminal investigation needing to obtain evidence located in Poland.
The EPPO currently has 23 ongoing investigations involving Poland.