Cooperation in criminal and civil law

FROM 2021, MEMBER STATES’ JUDICIARY AND PROSECUTORIAL SERVICES AS WELL AS LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS WILL HAVE TO WORK WITH THE EPPO IN TACKLING LARGE-SCALE, CROSS-BORDER CRIMES AGAINST THE EU BUDGET. UNDERSTANDING THE EPPO’S COMPETENCES AND HOW THESE AFFECT NATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE BASED ON REGULATION (EU) 2017/1939 IS THEREFORE VITAL IN EFFICIENTLY HANDLING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS AND PROSECUTIONS RELATED TO CRIMES AGAINST THE EU’S FINANCIAL INTERESTS. THE SEMINAR PROVIDES A PRACTICE-ORIENTED INTRODUCTION TO THE EPPO’S WORKING STRUCTURES AND FUNCTIONS AND EXPLAINS HOW THE EPPO WILL COLLECT EVIDENCE, INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE IN COOPERATION WITH THE NATIONAL AUTHORITIES IN COMBATING CRIMES AGAINST THE EU’S FINANCIAL INTERESTS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE SEMINAR IS TO PREPARE LEGAL PRACTITIONERS FOR WORKING WITH THE EPPO, BY EXPLAINING THE EPPO’S COMPETENCES AND THE PROCEDURES IT FOLLOWS AND HOW NATIONAL LAW COMPLEMENTS THEM. BY THE END OF THE SEMINAR, PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: ·         IN WHAT CASES DOES THE EPPO TAKE ACTION? ·         HOW DOES THE EPPO INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE? ·         HOW DOES THE EPPO WORK WITH NATIONAL AUTHORITIES IN THE FIELD OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE? PARTICIPANTS WILL LEARN HOW TO WORK WITH THE EPPO ON A DAILY BASIS IN COMBATING CRIMES AGAINST THE EU’S FINANCIAL INTERESTS, WHAT PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS ARE IN PLACE AND WHAT JUDICIAL REVIEW IS AVAILABLE IN CASES HANDLED BY THE EPPO. THE SEMINAR ESPECIALLY WELCOMES CRIMINAL LAW PRACTITIONERS WHO DEAL WITH ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES, FRAUD, ORGANISED CRIME, CRIMES AGAINST THE FINANCIAL INTERESTS OF THE EU, VAT FRAUD AND RELATED CRIMES, BUT IS ALSO OPEN TO THOSE WHO WISH TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS VERY NEW BODY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. THE SEMINAR IS BASED ON PRESENTATIONS THAT ARE SUPPORTED BY PRACTICE-ORIENTED DISCUSSIONS LED BY EXPERTS WHO HAVE AN IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF THE EPPO. DEPARTING FROM THE VERY RICH ACADEMIC WRITING ON THE EPPO, THE SEMINAR WILL FOCUS ON THE PRACTICAL ISSUES ARISING IN THE DAILY OPERATION OF THE EPPO.