(1)

The EPPO was established by Regulation (EU) 2017/1939.

(2)

Article 6(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 provides that the EPPO is to be independent, that the European Prosecutors of the EPPO are to act in the interest of the Union as a whole, as defined by law, and neither seek nor take instructions from any person external to the EPPO, any Member State of the European Union or any institution, body, office or agency of the Union in the performance of their duties under Regulation (EU) 2017/1939, and that the Member States of the European Union and the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the Union are to respect the independence of the EPPO and not seek to influence it in the exercise of its tasks.

(3)

Pursuant to Article 16(3) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1939, the Council, acting by simple majority, is to select and appoint the European Prosecutors for a non-renewable term of 6 years. The Council may decide to extend the mandate for a maximum of 3 years at the end of the 6-year period. Article 16(4) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 provides that every 3 years there is to be a partial replacement of one third of the European Prosecutors.

(4)

By Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1117 (2), the Council appointed 14 European Prosecutors for a non-renewable period of 6 years. The mandates of those European Prosecutors will expire on 28 July 2026. They are the European Prosecutors from the following participating Member States: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Estonia, France, Croatia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland.

(5)

To ensure the continuity of the functioning of the College of the EPPO, which consists of the European Chief Prosecutor and one European Prosecutor per participating Member State, by ensuring the staggered renewal of the European Prosecutors by one third every three years and preserving the independence of the EPPO and the European Prosecutors, it is appropriate to extend the mandates of seven European Prosecutors in accordance with Article 16(4) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 until 30 June 2029, taking into account their availability to stay in office until that date.

(6)

On 29 February 2024, the Council consulted the 14 European Prosecutors whose mandates will expire on 28 July 2026. All 14 expressed their availability to stay in office until 30 June 2029. To determine the seven European Prosecutors whose mandates are to be extended, a drawing of lots was held on 12 April 2024. The European Prosecutors from the following Member States were drawn: Germany, Estonia, Croatia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Romania and Finland.

(7)

It is therefore appropriate to extend the mandates of the European Prosecutors from Germany, Estonia, Croatia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Romania and Finland until 30 June 2029,

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Mr Andrés RITTER (3),

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Ms Kristel SIITAM-NYIRI (4),

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Ms Tamara LAPTOŠ (5),

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Mr Gatis DONIKS (6),

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Mr Gabriel SEIXAS (7),

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Mr Cătălin-Laurențiu BORCOMAN (8),

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Mr Harri Tapio TIESMAA (9).