Uloga i položaj europskog javnog tužitelja u hrvatskom prethodnom postupku ; The Role and Position of the European Public Prosecutor in Croatian Preliminary Proceedings
Sažetak Financijski interesi Europske unije danas nisu dovoljno zaštićeni, a na prekogranične prijevare povezane s PDV-om otpada velik dio gubitaka u nacionalnim proračunima. Postojećim tijelima Europske unije, Europskom uredu za borbu protiv prijevara (OLAF), Agenciji Europske unije za suradnju u području kaznenog pravosuđa (Eurojust) i Europskom policijskom uredu (Europol) nedostaju potrebna ovlaštenja za provođenje kaznenih istraga i progon počinitelja kaznenih dijela počinjenih na štetu financijskih interesa Europske unije. Stoga su države članice Europske unije zaključile da im je u borbi protiv počinitelja kaznenih djela počinjenih na štetu financijskih interesa Europske unije nužna pojačana suradnja osnivanjem neovisnog i visoko specijaliziranog ureda tužiteljstva, čiji će tužitelji provoditi istrage na usklađen način u svim državama članicama sudionica, te će brzo razmjenjivati informacije i udružiti napore kako bi osigurali koordinirane istrage, te brzo zamrzavanje ili oduzimanje imovine u cilju što učinkovitije zaštite financijskih interesa Europske unije. Integracija Ureda europskog javnog tužitelja (u daljnjem tekstu: EPPO ) u nacionalne pravne sustave država članica sudionica zahtijevat će promjene određenih zakonskih propisa, pa tako i u Republici Hrvatskoj. Stoga će i kaznenopravni sustav Republike Hrvatske morati doživjeti određene prilagodbe i izmjene. Prilagodbe će biti nužne u načinu rada i postupanju državnih odvjetnika ali i drugih sudionika u kaznenom postupku, osobito u prethodnom postupku, u kojem će EPPO putem europskih delegiranih tužitelja obavljati sve radnje i preuzeti prava i obveze državnih odvjetnika. The Role and Position of the European Public Prosecutor in Croatian Preliminary Proceedings The present financial interests of the European Union are not sufficiently protected, and VAT-related cross-border frauds account for extensive losses in national budgets. Existing EU bodies, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the European Union's Judicial Cooperation Unit (Eurojust) and the European Union's law enforcement agency (Europol) lack the necessary powers to conduct criminal investigations and prosecute perpetrators of criminal offences committed to the detriment of financial interests of the European Union. To combat the perpetrators of criminal offences committed to the detriment of the European Union's financial interests, the EU Member States recognized the need for enhanced cooperation. Thus, by setting up an independent and highly specialized prosecutor's office, whose prosecutors will conduct investigations in a coordinated manner in all participating Member States, information will be exchanged swiftly, and forces joined to ensure coordinated investigations, rapid seizure and confiscation of assets in order to protect the European Union's financial interests as effectively as possible. The integration of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (hereinafter: EPPO) into the national legal systems of the participating Member States will require changes in their legislation, the Republic of Croatia included. Therefore, the criminal justice system of the Republic of Croatia will have to undergo certain adjustments and changes. How prosecutors and other criminal proceedings participants work and act will need to be adjusted especially in the preliminary proceedings in which EPPO will perform all actions and assume the rights and obligations of the prosecutors through the European Delegated Prosecutors. Keywords: European Public Prosecutor's Office, European prosecutors, European Delegated Prosecutors, the financial interest of the EU, Council Regulation implementing enhanced cooperation on the establishment of the EPPO, PIF Directive. ; Financial interests of the European Union are not sufficiently protected nowadays, and VAT-related cross-border frauds account for much of the losses in national budgets. Existing EU bodies, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the European Union's judicial cooperation unit (Eurojust) and the European Union's law enforcement agency (Europol) lack the necessary powers to conduct criminal investigations and prosecute perpetrators of criminal offences committed to the detriment of financial interests of the European Union. Therefore, EU Member States concluded that in order to combat perpetrators of criminal offences committed to the detriment of the European Union's financial interests, enhanced cooperation is needed by setting up an independent and highly specialized prosecutor's office, whose prosecutors will conduct investigations in a coordinated manner in all participating Member States, and swiftly exchange information and join forces to ensure coordinated investigations, rapid seizure and confiscation of assets in order to protect the European Union's financial interests as effectively as possible. The integration of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (hereinafter: EPPO) into the national legal systems of the participating Member States will require changes in certain legislation, including in the Republic of Croatia. Therefore, the criminal justice system of the Republic of Croatia will have to undergo certain adjustments and changes. The manner in which prosecutors and other criminal proceedings participants work and act will need to be adjusted especially in the preliminary proceedings in which EPPO will perform all actions and assume the rights and obligations of the prosecutors through the European Delegated Prosecutors.