Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As Senator Bacik said, there was a very strong and robust debate about this with the vast majority of member states adopting quite a different position from that of the Commission and a feeling that they were moving ahead with a model that really did not suit many member states. The collegiate model was the one that should be applied. We could not opt in until after the decision anyway. We have not opted in so they will now have to wait until a much later stage and there will be an opportunity to discuss it again. The dossier on this is very far from being agreed. Quite a lot of discussion is needed before it gets anywhere near the point of completion. Even the most enthusiastic supporters of it recognise that in the absence of a common EU legal framework on criminal procedure, it is very difficult to move ahead on the EPPO proposal. It was very clear that there was a lot of work to be done before agreement on a satisfactory model for the development of a European prosecutor could be reached.