MEPs back the establishment of a European Public Prosecutor’s Office, but some Member States question its necessity.

Investigating fraud against EU funds with a European Public Prosecutor?

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/12033884/n005-150429-002-enx.srt

More than 3 billion euros is  the annual total of fraud against EU funds.

At present it's up to Member States  to try to get taxpayers’ money back.

On Wednesday, a majority of MEPs  expressed their support

for a regulation establishing  a European Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Some countries are doing a fine job,  in many other Member States they don’t.

So if the prosecutors in some Member  States do nothing or very little

to investigate fraud cases,  then we all suffer.

However, some national parliaments  and MEPs strongly oppose such an office.

This proposal is a Trojan horse.  It would solve nothing.

It destroys yet more national sovereignty.

But fraud is often committed  across Europe’s borders.

Some MEPs say  a European Public Prosecution Office

would facilitate  and speed up the investigation.

The office would be independent  but monitored nonetheless.

This mustn't be done politically,  it must be done legally.

The European Court of Justice must be  able to control what the prosecutor does.

Several Member States are still against  a European Public Prosecutor’s Office.

But for those in favour it could lead  to an enhanced circle of cooperation.