European Parliament allows internal investigations led by EU’s fraud busters

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola signed a working agreement with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) allowing for investigations within the institution, in an agreement seen by POLITICO.

It’s the first agreement of its kind between the two institutions. Most significantly, it will make it easier for EPPO to access the Parliament and investigate corruption cases within the institution.

“It will make our fight against crime and fraud faster and better. Ultimately this agreement is about protecting EU tax payers’ money,” said Metsola.

The agreement makes it easier for EPPO to access the Parliament’s premises, to request to relinquish the immunity of lawmakers and staff, and to access documents related to investigations.

The agreement, which was signed on Wednesday, comes weeks after EPPO revealed it is conducting an investigation into one of the Parliament’s political groups, the European People’s Party (EPP).

For investigations related to members of the European Parliament, EPPO will have to contact Metsola. For investigations into Parliament staff, it will contact the secretary-general.

Victor Negrescu, the Parliament vice-president for the fight against corruption and transparency policies, argued that the agreement, which mirrors a similar deal between EPPO and the European Commission in 2021, seeks to “improve our anticorruption mechanisms” and to “provide legal certainty to EPPO investigations.”

“It is a huge step forward for our institution and a clear message of support for EPPO by the European Parliament,” he said. 

EPPO will need to inform the Parliament of any raids at least 48 hours in advance, according to the agreement. In addition, EPPO will need to inform the Parliament about ongoing investigations, and in turn, the Parliament must inform EPPO of financial criminal conduct among its staff.