Its background

The Consultative Council of European Prosecutors (CCPE), a consultative body to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, was created by decision of the Ministers’ Deputies on 13 July 2005, with the intention of institutionalising the yearly Conference of Prosecutors General of Europe (CPGE).

The CPGE was launched in Strasbourg in order to ensure the follow-up of the Recommendation Rec(2000)19 on the role of public prosecution in the criminal justice system and met every year until 2006. By institutionalising this forum, the Committee of Ministers as well as its European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC), recognises the importance of closely involving Public Prosecution services of its member States in its work aimed at developing common policies and legal instruments related to their functioning and professional activities.

The first meeting of the CCPE took place on 6 July 2006 in Moscow.

Its composition

All member states may be represented on the CCPE. Members should be chosen in conjunction with, where such authorities exist, the national authorities responsible for prosecutors and with the national administration responsible for managing the prosecution service, among serving prosecutors with an in-depth knowledge of questions relating to the functioning of the prosecution system combined with great personal integrity. The European Union is also invited to participate in the activities of the CCJE.

The following States, holding observer status with the Council of Europe, may participate in activities of the CCPE: Holy See, USA, Canada, Japan and Mexico.

The following observers to the CCPE may send a representative to attend the CCPE meetings:

Its mission

The work of the CCPE is in keeping with the implementation of Recommendation Rec(2000)19 on the Role of Public Prosecution in the Criminal Justice System with the aim of developing common political and judicial instruments relating to the functioning and professional activities of prosecutors.

The CCPE has an advisory function on general questions. This function leads to elaboration of opinions to the Committee of Ministers. The CCPE can also sometimes be asked by other Council of Europe bodies to give an opinion.

The CCPE is also called to promote the implementation of Recommendation Rec(2000)19  and to collect information on the functioning of the Prosecutor General's Office in Europe.