EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT CALLS FOR A EUROPEAN ANTI-FRAUD PROSECUTOR.

The European Parliament adopted the report tabled by Diemut Theato (EPP, Germany) on January 19 on establishing legal protection for the European Union's financial interests. MEPs have called on the IGC to incorporate into its work programme discussions on the creation of a European public prosecutor's office to deal with any offences which might damage the EU's financial interests. The report invites Member States which have not yet ratified the Convention on the Protection of the European Community's financial interests to do so without further delay.In plenary session, however, the original report was shorn of two important elements requesting i) a proposal from the Commission on the legal protection of the European Union's financial interest and ii) a procedural proposal on the creation of an "independent European body", under the "institutional responsibility" of the Commission, which would check that OLAF carried out its enquiries in the proper manner. The Parliament voted in a Socialist amendment (replacing the...