National prosecution authorities and European criminal justice system: the challenges ahead

Abstract

The author gives an overview from his standpoint as General Prosecutor of Spain of the various instruments used by the national Public Prosecution services within the European Union to exchange information and coordinate their activities. He stresses the need to go even further by creating new tools to coordinate the activities of prosecuting authorities, not merely through the strengthening of Eurojust, but also by bringing together the heads of Public Ministries and Directors of Public Action so that their experience can be taken into account by the European Union institutions in charge of defining political priorities in the field of criminal justice. He also elaborates on the prospects of establishing a European Public Prosecutor’s Office, an idea that has been included among the priorities of the upcoming Spanish Presidency and which is firmly supported by the author.