Toward a Prosecutor for the European Union ─ Draft Rules of Procedure

In an era in which the EU's influence in criminal law matters has expanded rapidly, attention has recently turned to the possible creation of a European Public Prosecutor's office. This two-volume work presents the results of a study carried out by a group of European criminal law experts, with the financial support of the EU Commission in 2010-2011, whose aims were to examine in detail current public prosecution systems in the Member States and to scrutinise proposals for a new European office. Volume two presents a draft set of model rules for the procedure of the European Public Prosecutors' Office and continues with a set of comparative studies of the national legal systems which cover the gathering of evidence, seizure of assets, arrests, tracking and tracing, prosecution measures, procedural safeguards, the presumption of innocence and the right to silence, access to the file and victim reconciliation. Volume two concludes with the final report, written by Professor Ligeti, summarising the findings of the group and reporting on the prospects for the proposed reform.

Katalin Ligeti is a Professor of European and International Criminal Law at the University of Luxembourg, and Secretary-General of the International Association of Penal Law.