MEP Nikolas Farantouris (S&D) has asked the European Commission to assess recent Greek legislative amendments and judicial decisions that the European Chief Prosecutor says threaten the effective and independent functioning of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) in Greece. The written question, submitted on 27 May 2026, follows a letter from European Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruța Kövesi to the Commission on 22 May 2026, warning that changes to Greece's Code of Criminal Procedure and the refusal of the Hellenic Supreme Judicial Council to recognise the renewal of three European Delegated Prosecutors' mandates could undermine EPPO's investigations and its independence.
Farantouris's question explicitly references that the Chief Prosecutor's letter was sent under recital 16 of the EU's budget conditionality regulation (2020/2092), which can trigger procedures to protect the Union budget from rule-of-law breaches. The MEP asks whether the Commission has examined the letter, how it assesses the Greek measures, and what steps it will propose to the Greek government to address the concerns.
This is a parliamentary question for written answer under Rule 144, meaning the Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. The answer will signal whether the Commission views the Greek developments as a potential rule-of-law issue linked to EU funds, or whether it considers the matter a bilateral judicial cooperation problem. The question puts pressure on the Commission to take a stance on EPPO's operational independence in a member state, with implications for the credibility of the EU's anti-fraud architecture.
Stakeholders impacted include the EPPO itself, whose ability to investigate fraud against the EU budget in Greece could be constrained; the Greek government, which faces potential scrutiny under the conditionality mechanism; the Commission, which must balance rule-of-law enforcement with political relations with Athens; and EU taxpayers, whose funds are at risk if fraud cases are not effectively prosecuted.
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