EU ministers approve Andrés Ritter as new European chief prosecutor
The Council of the European Union agreed on March 9 to the appointment of Andrés Ritter as the new European chief prosecutor to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) with effect from November 1 2026.
Ritter joined Germany’s prosecution service in 1995 and headed various prosecution offices.
He has been deputy European chief prosecutor since 2020.
The EPPO is an independent body of the EU responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing crimes against the financial interests of the Union (e.g. fraud, corruption, cross-border VAT fraud above 10 million euro) to judgment.
The European chief prosecutor is the head of the EPPO, organises its work and represents the Office in contacts with EU institutions, member states and third countries.
The European chief prosecutor is appointed for a non-renewable term of seven years. The mandate of the current EPPO chief, Laura Codruța Kövesi, expires on October 30 2026.
European prosecutors, together with the European chief prosecutor, form the EPPO College. They supervise investigations and prosecutions. The Council appoints a European prosecutor for each of the 24 participating member states.
The European chief prosecutor is appointed by common agreement between the Council and the European Parliament, which must now also confirm the appointment.
(Photo: Council of the EU)
