The European Parliament selected German prosecutor Andrés Ritter on Wednesday afternoon as the leading candidate to head the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, replacing Laura Codruța Kövesi, whose term expires in 2026. According to official communications from the European Parliament, MEPs in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) voted by secret ballot on their preferences for appointing the next European Chief Prosecutor, who will lead the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).
The voting results in the European Parliament Committee were as follows:
- Andrés RITTER: 46 votes
- Stefano CASTELLANI: 11 votes
- Emilio Jesús SÁNCHEZ ULLED: 7 votes
- Ingrid MASCHL-CLAUSEN: 4 votes
German prosecutor Andrés Ritter currently serves as Deputy European Prosecutor. According to Euractiv, he is a prosecutor with over 25 years of experience in his home country and has specialized in financial crime and EU subsidy fraud. He built his candidacy on his professional track record when he first sought the position six years ago.
Among the significant cases he is expected to handle, as Euractiv notes, are high-profile investigations related to COVID vaccine procurement contracts signed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a new investigation concerning the EU’s diplomatic service and the College of Europe, as well as multiple cases involving alleged misuse of EU funds by MEPs or political parties, including the French far-right. It should be noted that the current European Chief Prosecutor, Laura Codruța Kövesi, was the first to hold this position when she was appointed in October 2019.
Next steps
According to the European Parliament’s official statement, following the parliamentary vote, negotiations with the Council are expected to begin in order to agree on the new European Chief Prosecutor, who will be appointed for a seven-year term.
