On 10 March 2026, the European Parliament approved the appointment of Andrés Ritter as the next European Chief Prosecutor, following the agreement of the Council of the EU. His mandate will commence on 1 November 2026. He will succeed Laura Codruța Kövesi, the European Public Prosecutor's Office's first Chief Prosecutor, whose non-renewable seven-year term expires on 31 October 2026.

The selection of the European Chief Prosecutor (ECP) is quite transparent, starting with the publication of an open call for applications in the Official Journal of the EU. Then, the appointment requires the agreement of both the European Parliament and the Council. As a third step, the European Parliament conducts public hearings of candidates shortlisted by a 12-member selection panel composed of former members of supranational judicial bodies, including the Court of Justice of the EU, the Court of Auditors of the EU, and Eurojust, as well as national supreme court judges, senior prosecutors, and lawyers of recognised competence. Information on candidates, including their responses to a parliamentary questionnaire, is made publicly available. In contrast, proceedings within the Council are not public; no hearings or detailed statements are disclosed, and the Council determines its preferred candidate prior to entering into negotiations with the Parliament.

Pursuant to Art. 14(2) of the EPPO Regulation, candidates for the position of ECP must be active members of a national prosecution service or judiciary or serving European Prosecutors. They must demonstrate unquestionable independence, qualifications equivalent to those required for the highest prosecutorial or judicial offices in participating Member States, and they must have experience in financial crime and international judicial cooperation in criminal matters. In addition, candidates must possess adequate managerial experience.

In April 2025, a call for candidates for the position of European Chief Prosecutor was published in the Official Journal (➝eucrim 1/2025, 20-21). Seventeen applications were received. The selection panel shortlisted four candidates: Andrés Ritter (Germany), Ingrid Maschl-Clausen (Austria), Emilio Jesús Sánchez Ulled (Spain), and Stefano Castellani (Italy).

On 3 December 2025, the four shortlisted candidates presented their candidacies in a Q&A session with MEPs. In the session, Andreas Ritter emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation with national authorities as well as Europol, OLAF, Eurojust, and AMLA in order to achieve shared objectives while avoiding duplication and competition. He referred to the ongoing revision of the relevant regulations in this context. He also stressed the need to contribute to asset confiscation and highlighted new opportunities for cooperation with AMLA. Mr Ritter emphasized the importance of tackling corruption without fear or hesitation. When asked about potential new competences, he underlined that it is ultimately up to the legislator to decide whether the EPPO model should be extended to cover additional crimes. Following the hearing, MEPs voted on their preferences, with Mr Ritter emerging as the preferred candidate. On 23 February 2026, the EP's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) voted to support his appointment as head of the EPPO, with 52 votes in favour, 10 against, and 6 abstentions.

Andrés Ritter joined the prosecution service of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1995 and was appointed Deputy Prosecutor General in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in 2008. He subsequently led several public prosecution offices, including serving as Chief Prosecutor of the specialised Public Prosecution Office for Economic Crime and Cybercrime in Rostock, Germany, from 2013 to 2020. Prior to his appointment as Germany’s first European Prosecutor, he has served for five years as one of the two Deputy European Chief Prosecutors - a role he continues to hold until 31 October 2026.