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What we do
To exploit the potential of the digital, we develop memorable websites and help brands with their visual image strategy.
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We work with over 30 top-tier brands and industry leaders. We could also work with you!
Dolore Magna
User interface
CMS-System
Webshop-System
Native-Apps
out clients
We work with over 30 top-tier brands and industry leaders. We could also work with you!
Dolore Magna
User interface
CMS-System
Webshop-System
Native-Apps
testimonials
Preface
Laura Koveši
Lawyer and Attorney General
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is the first transnational Prosecution Office. It is competent to investigate crimes against the financial interests of the EU. The European Delegated Prosecutors (EDP) investigate with the support of national law enforcement officers and prosecute suspects before the national courts, where the trials are performed by national judges, the EDPs and lawyers.
The latest Annual Report of the EPPO shows that, at the end of 2023, we had a total of 1 927 active investigations, with an overall estimated damage to the EU budget of €19.2 billion. More than half of it was linked to serious, cross-border VAT fraud. This type of fraud often involves sophisticated criminal organisations, and is nearly impossible to uncover in a purely national investigation. In 2023 we saw a significant increase of crime reports – from private parties as well as from national authorities. This evolution proves that the level of detection of fraud affecting the financial interests of the EU in the participating Member States is improving.
In 2023 we opened 1 371 investigations, which is 58% more than in 2022 – corresponding to damage estimated at €12.28 billion. This is mostly the result of the combination of improved cooperation between the EPPO and the relevant national authorities, and the EPPO’s determination to target criminal organisations particularly active in subsidy fraud (non-procurement expenditure fraud) and revenue fraud (VAT and customs). In 2023, judges granted freezing orders worth €1.5 billion in relation to EPPO investigations, which is over four times more than in 2022.
However, this is still only a fraction of the illicit profits of criminal networks, which could exceed hundreds of billions annually, according to recent estimates. You might remember Giovanni Falcone for his famous motto, ‘follow the money’. The EPPO makes it possible to go one step further, and ‘focus on the money’. If we want to seriously affect criminals’ ability to operate, let alone grow and expand their activities, we must take white-collar criminals out of the equation. Our strategy should be to cripple the financial capacity of the serious organised crime groups.
With this objective in mind, training of the European Delegated Prosecutors, law enforcement officers, tax investigators, customs officials, judges and lawyers is key. This is why the Academy of European Law (ERA) is an essential partner for the EPPO.
Let me focus on law enforcement officers, who constitute one of ERA’s important target groups. In September 2023, together with the Italian Guardia di Finanza, we launched the “EPPO Academy”. To fight against serious financial crime efficiently, the EPPO needs the support of dedicated and specialised investigators in all the participating Member States. Currently, in the European Union, there is a significant room for improvement when it comes to experience in investigations into financial and economic crimes in general, and crimes affecting the EU budget in particular.
Our objective is to give any law enforcement officer working on EPPO cases the opportunity to learn from the best in any field relevant to the EPPO’s competence. This can of course only be done with the help of our partners such as ERA.
ERA has accompanied the EPPO from the very beginning, when it was only a Commission legislative proposal. Since 2013, it has been organising conferences, on site trainings and e-learning courses on topics relating to the EPPO competence and on the EPPO itself. Furthermore, for the last ten years, the development of the EPPO formed part of ERA’s Annual Conferences on European Criminal Law, Summer Courses on European criminal justice, Annual Conferences on White-Collar Crime and Seminars on Anti-Money Laundering for the Judiciary and Law Enforcement.
In 2023, in a consortium with the EJTN, ERA implemented 14 online training events for EPPO staff. ERA hosted a seminar training judges and prosecutors on the EPPO’s operational framework and investigations and prosecutions with the EPPO. For the first time in 2023, ERA conducted a study visit to the EPPO in the framework of a training for law enforcement, prosecutors from EU and Third countries, and judges.
We are grateful for this support, which will become even more important in the upcoming years.
Interview
with the director
1. What were the highlights of ERA’s activities in 2023?
In 2023, over 8,600 legal practitioners attended our training programmes – not counting the number of users of our e-learning courses or other online resources available on our website.
ERA was able to consolidate the diversification of its training offer that began during the pandemic: 37% of our activities were offered online-only, 46% in a face-to-face format and 17% in a hybrid format. In other words, 54% of the entire training programme was accessible regardless of the location of the target audience. All in all, nearly 50% of the total number of participants took part remotely, allowing us to reach a wider and different audience.
2023 was also the year with the highest number of open events and related participants ever. This is a development we can certainly be proud of, as it shows a good match between the target audience and the topics selected, and therefore a good identification of training needs by the Programme Department.
The very high success rate of our applications for EU-funded training projects in 2023 is another source of satisfaction, confirming ERA’s competitiveness in the field. For example, the Academy was awarded another four-year service contract to continue its important work in the field of anti-discrimination and gender equality law. Other service contracts were won in the field of EU environmental law as well as in an area of law hitherto largely unexplored by ERA, namely investment protection. It is also worth mentioning an original project newly awarded by the EU that will support the creation of a network of judges and prosecutors as experts in EU law in the Baltic States. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the numerous national judicial training institutes and the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN) for their support in applying for and implementing these EU-funded projects.
ERA was able to consolidate the diversification of its training offer that began during the pandemic: 37% of our activities were offered online-only, 46% in a face-to-face format and 17% in a hybrid format. In other words, 54% of the entire training programme was accessible regardless of the location of the target audience. All in all, nearly 50% of the total number of participants took part remotely, allowing us to reach a wider and different audience.
2023 was also the year with the highest number of open events and related participants ever. This is a development we can certainly be proud of, as it shows a good match between the target audience and the topics selected, and therefore a good identification of training needs by the Programme Department.
The very high success rate of our applications for EU-funded training projects in 2023 is another source of satisfaction, confirming ERA’s competitiveness in the field. For example, the Academy was awarded another four-year service contract to continue its important work in the field of anti-discrimination and gender equality law. Other service contracts were won in the field of EU environmental law as well as in an area of law hitherto largely unexplored by ERA, namely investment protection. It is also worth mentioning an original project newly awarded by the EU that will support the creation of a network of judges and prosecutors as experts in EU law in the Baltic States. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the numerous national judicial training institutes and the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN) for their support in applying for and implementing these EU-funded projects.
Sabine Verheyen Mep
Chair of the European Parliament Committee on Education and Culture - Chair of the ERA Executive Board" Over the last few years, I have seen the Academy rightly rethink its training offer by making greater use of digital technologies and integrating them into its education system by design. I am therefore very pleased that the European Parliament approved the European Commission’s proposal to increase the operating grant that ERA receives under the Jean Monnet Actions for 2023. Indeed, the Academy is one of only six institutions that «pursue an aim of European interest», which is explicitly mentioned in the Erasmus+ Regulation. In 2023, this increased funding was used to implement key strategic objectives, in particular for the younger generation, the Western Balkans and Ukraine. ERA’s role in Europe for a better application and understanding of EU law among legal practitioners is paramount."
Marc Van Der Woud
President of the General Court of the European Union, Luxembourg - Chair of the ERA Board of Trustees"The Board of Trustees has two main functions for ERA. Internally, it provides advice and support on strategy and programmes. Its role is also to challenge the Management Board and staff by providing critical feedback. Externally, Board members should be seen as ambassadors of the organisation, promoting ERA and its activities wherever and whenever appropriate. The Board’s term of office, which ends in 2023, was complicated by the pandemic, so much of the work had to be done online. Nevertheless, members have been able to follow and support the profound changes in the ERA programme in recent years, both in terms of content and methodology. I am grateful to the outgoing Board of Trustees for its valuable commitment to this unique and truly European training institute."
Jean-Claude Junckers
President of the ERA Governing Board"In November 2023, the Republic of Albania became a full member of ERA, which I consider an important step towards European integration. By signing the accession agreement to ERA, the Ministry of Justice has created a suitable environment for training and exchange of experience within the framework of ERA. It is hoped that this membership will lead to enhanced legal harmonisation with EU standards, better preparation for EU accession and increase legal expertise for the enforcement and good application of EU law in Albania. I would like to thank all the ERA patrons for their decision. I hope that the other countries of the Western Balkans will join ERA in the coming months, because their place is in Europe and therefore with us."