EU chief prosecutor Laura Kovesi was responsible for jailing dozens of high-ranking officials in Romania as chief anti-corruption prosecutor between 2013 and 2018, before being ousted by the then-ruling party (Photo: European Commission)

New EU anti-fraud prosecutor starts hunt

Rule of Law

by Eszter Zalan, Brussels,

After two decades of legal and political battles, the EU public prosecutor's office (EPPO), responsible for uncovering and prosecuting fraud against the EU budget, started its operations on Tuesday (1 June).

The Luxembourg-based, independent office is headed by former Romanian anti-corruption chief, Laura Kövesi, who described the start of operations a "historic moment".

"We are the first really sharp tool to defend the rule of law in the EU. Our success is a matter of credibility...