#62025TJ0099EU Court Ruling on EPPO Access to Court of Auditors Witnesses
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
The judgment deals with whether the European Court of Auditors could refuse to release 12 EU officials from confidentiality so they could testify in an EPPO criminal investigation linked to alleged recruitment irregularities. For EU institutions and compliance teams, the case matters because it clarifies how far institutional confidentiality can go when the EPPO is investigating possible offences. It highlights the need for EU bodies to cooperate in good faith while still protecting legitimate Union interests.
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Key Changes
- Clarifies that a refusal to lift confidentiality for witnesses can be challenged before the EU courts
- Reinforces the duty of EU institutions to cooperate in good faith with EPPO investigations
- Frames confidentiality decisions around the interests of the Union, not only the internal preferences of the institution
Obligations
What this law requires
In EPPO investigations, EU institutions must cooperate in good faith while assessing requests to lift officials' duty of confidentiality so witnesses can be heard.
Article 19 of the Staff Regulations is relevant when EU officials are asked to give evidence about facts learned in the course of their duties, because institutional authorisation may be required before confidentiality is lifted.
An EU institution may consider legitimate interests of the Union when deciding whether to release officials from confidentiality for witness testimony in an EPPO criminal investigation.