On January 19, 2021, the newly established European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) began performing its task as an independent EU body responsible for investigating and prosecuting crimes affecting financial interests of the EU and its member states by adopting a working arrangement around which to structure its cooperation with Europol, the EU Agency responsible for cooperation in law enforcement, and the Financial and Economic Crime Centre within Europol.
The working arrangement is a legal instrument that delineates the areas of responsibility of the two cooperating agencies, and emphasizes adherence by all parties to the applicable legal frameworks in their operations and in particular in their collection, exchange, use and storage of personal information. The arrangement also sets forth guidelines for assessment of the reliability and accuracy of information that is shared, and requires the establishment of a secure communication line for the purpose of information exchanges between EPPO and Europol.
EPPO news release | Europol press release | Working Arrangement