Laura Codruța Kovesi concludes her mandate at the helm of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office on Friday, after seven years

Ana Maria Eftene

30 October 2026, 07:03

Current Affairs

Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock.com

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Laura Codruța Kovesi is ending her term as European chief prosecutor on Friday, after seven years at the helm of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), an institution she helped establish and develop. From November 1, the position will be taken over by German prosecutor Andrés Ritter, who has been appointed for a seven-year term.

Kovesi became the EPPO’s first chief prosecutor in October 2019, and the institution began its operational activity in June 2021. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office investigates fraud affecting the European Union’s budget, including corruption, fraud involving EU funds and cross-border VAT fraud.

According to the European Commission, the number of active investigations rose from 515 in 2021 to 3,602 at the end of 2025. Suspected damages in ongoing cases reached €67.27 billion, while 2,030 new investigations were opened in 2025. The conviction rate in cases resolved by verdict was nearly 95%.

Before her departure, Kovesi warned that the EPPO’s results do not guarantee its future. She cited a lack of resources, administrative bottlenecks and jurisdictional conflicts with national authorities, arguing that the institution needs 230 delegated European prosecutors, while current funding covers only 180. The European Commission positively assessed the EPPO’s work, but also pointed to similar problems concerning staffing, funding and judicial cooperation.

Context: The EPPO has recently been involved in sensitive investigations and has expanded its external cooperation

Before Laura Codruța Kövesi’s departure, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) was conducting the “Pfizergate” investigation into negotiations for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines, examining possible interference in public office, the destruction of SMS messages, corruption, and conflicts of interest. According to media reports, Ursula von der Leyen had not yet been interviewed “in person” by the EPPO, although the investigation was taken over in 2024 after initially being opened in Belgium.

Meanwhile, European Prosecutor Cătălin Borcoman stated that, in 2025, the EPPO had approximately 3,600 ongoing cases, involving estimated fraud of 67 billion euros, while Romania accounted for around 10% of the cases, with investigated damages of approximately 6 billion euros. At the same time, the EPPO and China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate signed a working arrangement in Luxembourg on 4 September concerning cooperation in investigations related to organized crime affecting the EU budget, money laundering, and corruption, including through an action plan for 2026–2028.