The Role of the EPPO in Combating Crime in the Cultural Sector: The Case of the Regional Museum in Olomouc

Abstract

This article addresses the role of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in investigating, prosecuting, and bringing to judgment the perpetrators of, and accomplices to, criminal offences affecting the financial interests of the European Union (EU) in the cultural sector. While focusing on the case of the subsidy and procurement fraud, passive corruption, and money laundering in the case of the Regional Museum in Olomouc (Czech Republic), the article aims to elucidate the current mandate and expectations with respect to the EPPO in relation to the prosecution of cultural heritage crimes. Accordingly, it recalls the key objectives of the EU Action Plan against Trafficking in Cultural Goods, and considers the potential contribution of the EPPO to the safeguarding of cultural heritage from the threats connected with organized, transnational criminal activities.