European Prosecutors in Athens Secure New Five-Year Terms

The College of European Prosecutors has unanimously renewed the five-year terms of three European Delegated Prosecutors serving in Athens, ensuring stability in several high-profile investigations affecting the European Union’s financial interests.

The 24-member College confirmed that Popi Papandreou, Chariklia Thanou, and Dionyssis Mouzakis will continue their work at the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Greece. The trio has been leading inquiries into cases with significant budgetary implications for the EU, including the ongoing probe into illegal farm subsidies administered by OPEKEPE, Greece’s agricultural payments agency.

EPPO officials say the prosecutors have developed extensive knowledge of the case files, having gathered and analyzed large volumes of documentation. Their office is currently handling additional investigations with a financial link to the EU budget, as required under EPPO’s mandate.

According to EPPO’s 2024 annual report, 10 European Delegated Prosecutors and nine national assistants are based in Athens, supported by specialized investigators. Their work focuses on crimes that harm the EU’s financial interests, otheriwse known as PIF offenses, including large-scale cross-border VAT fraud, corruption involving EU funds, embezzlement of EU assets by public officials, fraud in customs and EU spending, and money laundering tied to EU finances.