Appointment of the European Chief Prosecutor

Decision (EU) 2026/800 appoints Mr Andrés RITTER as European Chief Prosecutor of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO).

Non-legislative act

Decision (EU) 2026/800 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 March 2026 appointing the European Chief Prosecutor of the European Public Prosecutor's Office.

Content

Mr Andrés RITTER is appointed European Chief Prosecutor of the EPPO, serving as a temporary agent at grade AD 15. His term of office runs from 1 November 2026 for a non-renewable period of seven years. The appointment follows the expiry on 31 October 2026 of the mandate of Ms Laura Codruța KÖVESI, who was the first European Chief Prosecutor of the EPPO.

Procedural context

The appointment is made by common accord of the European Parliament and the Council, as required by Article 14 of Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1939. An open call for candidates was published on 28 April 2025. A selection panel drew up a shortlist of four candidates on 8 October 2025, ranking them by qualifications and experience, though that ranking was not binding on the two institutions. On 3 December 2025, the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, acting in association with the Budgetary Control Committee and after holding a public hearing of the four shortlisted candidates, voted in support of Mr RITTER as Parliament's preferred candidate. On the same date, the Council established its position in support of his appointment. Both institutions then assessed the respective merits of the candidates before reaching common accord.

Entry into force

The Decision enters into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It was published on 1 April 2026 and therefore entered into force on 4 April 2026.

This summary was AI-generated and human-reviewed.