site.btaActing Prosecutor General Sarafov Discusses Cooperation with Europol, Eurojust Heads

Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov discussed the cooperation between the Bulgarian prosecutor's office, Eurojust and Europol with the heads of the two European institutions, Ladislav Hamran and Catherine De Bolle, the prosecuting magistracy said here on Friday.

The talks took place within the framework of the 17th meeting of the Consultative Forum of Prosecutors General and Directors of Public Prosecutions of the EU Member States in The Hague, the Netherlands. Among the highlights of the forum was a discussion of the latest information on the progress of investigations into war crimes committed since the start of the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine. The forum adopted a decision whereby Europol joins the international team investigating war crimes in Ukraine. 

Borislav Sarafov also met with Lars Otte, Deputy Chief Federal Prosecutor of Germany, with whom he discussed best practices in training magistrates on counter-terrorism issues, as well as cooperation between the Bulgarian and German prosecution offices. During the forum, Bulgaria's acting Prosecutor General also held talks with Lithuanian Prosecutor General Nida Grunskiene.

The Prosecutor's Office also announced that Bulgaria is to host a meeting on EMPACT - the European Multidisciplinary Platform against Criminal Threats. The Netherlands is the lead country in the initiative and representatives of EU member states, Ukraine and Moldova, as well as Eurojust, have been invited to participate in the event.

The Consultative Forum of EU Prosecutors General has been operating since 2010 within the framework of Eurojust, the judicial cooperation unit of the EU, whose aim is to coordinate investigations and prosecutions and secure cooperation between the competent authorities of the Member States in relation to serious cross-border and/or organized crime.