Andrés Ritter has taken office as Chief Prosecutor of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), following the end of the term of Laura Codruta Kövesi, the institution’s first head. Ritter will lead the European body for a seven-year term, IPN reports.

His appointment was approved earlier this year by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Until now, Ritter had served as Deputy European Chief Prosecutor at the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).

In the final days of her term, Laura Codruta Kövesi told Politico in an interview that the EPPO’s achievements do not guarantee its future, warning that the institution risks being gradually weakened unless it is given the resources and legal tools it needs.

Kövesi also criticised the attitude of some European politicians and officials towards criminal investigations, saying that some people at EU level appear to consider themselves above the law. She argued that politicians defend judicial independence as long as investigations do not target them or those close to them, but that their attitude changes once their own interests are at stake.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is responsible for investigating and prosecuting fraud affecting the European Union’s budget, including fraud involving EU funds, corruption, and serious cross-border VAT offences. EPPO currently handles more than 3,600 active cases, with estimated losses totalling around €67 billion.