[1][2] The EPPO was established as a response to the need for a prosecutorial body to combat crimes affecting the financial interests of the European Union (EU).

[6] The EPPO's primary mandate is to investigate and prosecute offences such as fraud, corruption, and money laundering that harm the financial interests of the EU, as defined by the PIF Directive.

[7] The EPPO represents a significant step towards a more integrated and effective approach to combating transnational crimes within the EU, fostering collaboration and coordination among member states to protect the Union's financial resources.

It was strongly backed by the former Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security, Franco Frattini as part of plans to strengthen the Eurojust agency.

Frattini stated in August 2007 that he is "convinced that Europe will have its general prosecutor in the future" and suggested that the commission was just waiting for the treaty to come into force.

[13] The signing, in late 2007, of the Lisbon Treaty by all Member States of the European Union, which refers explicitly to the idea of creating a European Public Prosecutor's Office to combat crimes affecting the financial interests of the Union and, where appropriate, to combat serious crime with a cross-border dimension, resulted in the conclusion of an International Seminar in Madrid to study the new institution and the possibilities of its implementation.

The seminar was called by the Spanish Attorney General Cándido Conde-Pumpido and was led by Prosecutors Jorge Espina and Isabel Vicente Carbajosa.

The presentations, discussions, and conclusions of the meeting were collected in a book, The future European Public Prosecutor's Office, in English and Spanish, and have served to date to guide the proposals and jobs that have been carried out in the implementation of this institution.

[14] Following the short selling of certain euro-zone financial products in 2009 and 2010, Spain proposed that the EU enact the European Public Prosecutor's Office provision so the post could coordinate legal action in retaliation.

"Spain wants the European Union to use a planned public prosecutor's office for the region to protect the euro currency against speculators", Spanish attorney general Cándido Conde-Pumpido said in March 2010.

[15] In March 2010 Eurojust cited the European Public Prosecutor's Office as a potential solution to the problem of cross-border crime in the EU.

Despite opposition from some member states seeing it as impinging on their sovereignty (partly due to the necessary harmonisation of legal codes), Eurojust set up a working group to study the idea.

Conde-Pumpido, speaking with the President of the Commission of Justice and Home Affairs of the European Parliament, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, and the Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union (SEUE), Diego Lopez Garrido, presented a technical project, developed from the conclusions of the International Conference convened by the Spanish Prosecutor in 2008 and 2009, which would be discussed later in the Luxembourg Council.

Moreover, particular procedural issues (EP involvement, legislative process, what if unanimity requirements are not met, enhanced cooperation with which member states, etc.)

Irregularities affecting the European budget may reach or exceed €1 billion per year, from which around €280 million could be suspected EU fraud cases to be investigated within the EPPO's competence.

The administrative burden would depend on the new relations established between the EPPO and the national authorities, and whether the initiative would impose new information obligations on Member States.

In November 2013 the Commission concluded that the establishment of a European Public Prosecutor's Office complied "with the principle of subsidiarity" in a report addressing the issue after it was raised by 14 national parliamentary chambers in 11 Member States.

At the member state level, the European Delegated Prosecutors are responsible for prosecuting PIF offences (see Brodowski for an overview).

The table below lists the number of candidates proposed and appointed per country (as of 2 August 2021): Source: EPPO News "European Delegated Prosecutors Overview per Country"[36][37] When the EPPO launched its operations on 1 June 2021, Finland and Slovenia had failed to appoint their respective European Delegated Prosecutors.

[40] Shortly before the repeatedly postponed but then set 1 June 2021 starting date of the EPPO, it emerged that Slovenia's acting head of government Janez Janša prevented the selection and nomination of two Slovenian European Delegated Prosecutors.

[41] Kozlovič belongs to the smaller ruling party SMC and had asked the independent Prosecutorial Council to appoint two suitable candidates.

[47] As a result, 17 EU member states (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain) requested on 14 February 2017 that the proposal be referred to the European Council for their consideration.

[55] Other member states, apart from Denmark which has an opt-out from the area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ), are permitted to join subsequently.

[65][66][67] On 13 November 2019 Stefan Löfven, Prime Minister of Sweden, declared that joining the EPPO was first among three EU policy objectives for his government.

[70][71] Hungary's opposition Tisza Party, which is leading in opinion polling for the 2026 Hungarian parliamentary election, has committed to joining the EPPO.

[73][74] The article states the following: Establishment Role So far, the limited mission of the EPPO is to investigate, prosecute and bring to judgement, before national courts, persons suspected of offences affecting the financial interests of the Union.