European Chief Prosecutor Holds Talks in Budapest

Head of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), European Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kövesi, has held talks on the technical details of Hungary’s membership of the EPPO with Justice Minister Márta Görög, Finance Minister András Kármán, Interior Minister Gábor Pósfai and Deputy Prosecutor General István Lajtár at the Ministry of Justice in Budapest, the ministry said on Tuesday.

The EPPO is an independent European Union body tasked with investigating criminal offences affecting the financial interests of the European Union, conducting prosecutions and bringing perpetrators to justice. These offences include budgetary fraud affecting the financial interests of the EU, active and passive corruption, embezzlement, money laundering, cross-border tax fraud and other connected offences.

In criminal cases falling outside the jurisdiction of the EPPO, the Hungarian Office of the Prosecutor General and the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office will continue to act as public prosecutors, while criminal liability will continue to be determined by the Hungarian courts in accordance with the Hungarian legal system, the statement said.

The accession process, opposed by the previous Hungarian government, involves significant professional, institutional and legislative tasks, which must be carried out "as soon as possible", it added.

Legislative tasks will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, the system for selecting the European Public Prosecutor and the delegated European Public Prosecutors will be established. This will require amendments to three acts. The relevant legislative package will be submitted to parliament as early as in 2026.

The aim is to establish a selection procedure that ensures the highest possible level of independence, objectivity and professional rigor. Due to the high professional standards required, the legislative process necessitates a longer preparation period, as the aim is to conduct wide-ranging consultations with the organizations concerned regarding the selection criteria and the details of the procedure, the ministry said.