The prosecutors of the newly-established European Public Prosecutor's Office were sworn in before the Court of the EU in Luxembourg on Monday.

The prosecutors will be overseeing criminal investigations and prosecution and together with the Public Prosecutor make up the College of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).

They are appointed for a term of six years, which is non-renewable.

Romanian Laura Codruta Kovesi has been appointed the first European Public Prosecutor.

The EPPO currently consists of 22 member countries, including Croatia, and each has a prosecutor in the EPPO. Croatia’s representative is Tamara Laptos.

Vera Jourova, Vice-President for Transparency and Values, Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Budget and Administration and Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Justice and Consumers, made the following statement:

“We welcome and congratulate the new European Prosecutors, who today have taken their solemn oath to do their crucial work for the European Union in combatting fraud and corruption.

Their mission is clear: to fight financial crime and protect the EU taxpayer’s money.

Criminals know no borders. It is time prosecutors do not either. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office will be a game changer in fighting cross-border financial crimes.

The Office will complement the important work of Eurojust and OLAF, creating a unified European approach to fighting crimes that affect the Union’s financial interests.

The European Prosecutors have a crucial job to do: they need to bring justice into an area where impunity is frequent and losses are significant for both the EU and national budgets. For this, they must be independent, determined and thorough in their investigations.”