Europese openbare aanklager prioriteit voor Spaanse voorzitterschap (en)

The establishment of a European Public Prosecutor's Office, envisaged in Article 86 of the Treaty of Lisbon, is one of the priorities of the Spanish Ministry of Justice within the framework of the rotating Presidency of the European Union, according to the Spanish Public Prosecutor, Cándido Conde-Pumpido.

In a press conference following the seminar on money laundering organised in Granada by Eurojust, the legal body of the European Union, Conde-Pumpido was confident that this body, towards which the first steps have been taken, will be established within a "reasonable" period of time.

The Spanish Public Prosecutor called for "financial crimes" arising from "speculative attacks on the European currency" to be investigated and prosecuted, which in his opinion could contribute to establishing this Prosecutor's Office.

"At times of economic crisis, when we are suffering speculative attacks on the European currency and our finances, we lack the possibility of a European-level institution that could direct the fight against this financial crime that can cause serious harm to us", he said.

For Conde-Pumpido, one of the main problems that arises when combating money laundering is that “borders have disappeared for criminals while our legal systems still operate a a strictly national level".