COREPER, the executive body of the Council of the European Union, voted on September 19 in favor of Romanian Laura Codruta Kovesi’s candidacy for the position of chief prosecutor of EU’s newly created Public Prosecutor’s Office, G4media.ro reported. This opens the way for her formal endorsement for the job.

Kovesi, the former head of Romania’s Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), received 17 out of the 22 votes in COREPER, which is made up of each country's permanent representatives.

The newly elected European Parliament (EP) announced this July that it would support Laura Codruta Kovesi’s candidacy for the position.

The European Council previously supported French candidate Jean Francois Bohnert. The negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council did not reach a result before the EU Parliament elections this May.

Romania’s government did not support Kovesi’s bid at the previous COREPER vote and announced on September 18 that it would ask the Romanian ambassador to the EU to vote against her.

Today’s vote will be followed by a formal one after negotiations with the European Parliament end, Euobserver.com reported.

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editor@romania-insider.com