On Monday, 20 December 2021, the NTA Governor, Mr. Angelos Binis, had a working meeting with the Greece’s European Union Prosecutor, Mr. Dimitrios Zimianitis, on the development of synergies between NTA and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and the improvement of coordination between all national audit mechanisms involved in investigating cases of misuse of EU funds and illegal actions affecting the financial interests of the European Union. The meeting was also attended by Mr. Nikolaos Ornerakis, who serves as a European Delegated Prosecutor in the EPPO office in Athens.
During the meeting, the commitment of the two institutions to reinforce the mechanisms of transparency and public accountability was reaffirmed with the NTA to provide substantial support to the mission and work of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, offering technical expertise and high professionalism on the part of its staff. Furthermore, during the meeting, the two bodies discuss the main axes of their forthcoming actions. These include the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation, in accordance with the corresponding agreements concluded by the EPPO with national and international authorities and bodies (e.g. EIB, OLAF, Eurojust), the development of a stable channel of communication between the NTA and the EPPO, the exchange of strategic information and the undertaking of a series of joint initiatives in terms of skills development and scientific support.
It is recalled that Mr. Zimianitis is the first Greek European Public Prosecutor entrusted with the investigation, prosecution, and referral to justice of criminal acts affecting the financial interests of the European Union. The European Public Prosecutor's Office represents a novel European judicial institution, comprising 22 countries of the European Union, including Greece. Its remit is to investigate and prosecute criminal acts of significant gravity perpetrated against the EU budget, which ultimately impacts European taxpayers