Spain selects its seven European Delegated Prosecutors

Oihana Azcue Labayen, Víctor Joaquín González-Herrero González, Gloria Yoshiko Kondo Pérez, María Elena Lorente Pablo, Olga Muñoz Mota, Laura Pellón Suárez de Puga and Pablo Rafael Ruz Gutiérrez are the seven European Delegated Prosecutors selected by Spain to form part of the European Public Prosecutor's Office of the Council of the EU, according to the Ministerial Order published in the OSG on Monday.

The selection process, which 25 active members of the Public Prosecutor's Office and of the judicature have taken part in, demanded, as pre-requisites for participation, that they offer absolute guarantees of independence and hold the necessary qualifications to perform in the post, and in particular, accredit practical experience in the investigation of economic offences and a sufficient practical level of English.

The number of European Delegated Prosecutors to be designated by Spain is set at seven. It will then be the College of the European Prosecutor's Office, upon a proposal from the European Chief Prosecutor, which will appoint the European Delegated Prosecutors designated by the Member States, and can reject the candidates designated if they do not comply with the criteria demanded.

The national procedure for the selection is regulated in Royal Decree 37/2019, of 1 February, and provides for a selection committee, chaired by the Minister for Justice, with the vice-presidency held by the State secretary.

Other members also include the Secretaries-General for Innovation and for Public Service Quality of the Ministry of Justice and representatives from the Directorate-General for Integration and Coordination of EU General Affairs, attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (Spanish acronym: MAEC), a representative designated by the General Council of the Judiciary and another from the Spanish Public Prosecutor's Office.

The Selection Committee has interviewed all the candidates to accredit compliance with the requirements and the suitability of the candidates to be presented to the College of the European Prosecutor's Office.

The European Prosecutor's Office is presently finalising preparations to start operating once all of the participating Member States have designated their European Delegated Prosecutors.

Non official translation