Luxembourg - European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi has addressed a letter to the Slovenian justice minister expressing concern that Slovenia has not yet proposed its two candidates to join the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), which is being launched on 1 June.

In a letter addressed to Justice Minister Lilijana Kozlovič, she urged the government to carry on with the procedure, the EPPO said in a statement on Monday.

"The procedure to select the two European delegated prosecutors from Slovenia ended at the start of December 2020, but almost five months later, the EPPO has not yet received the nominations," the letter reads.

Kövesi said the EPPO will be launched on 1 June, before which time the candidates also have to be appointed and fully trained.

Before addressing the letter to Kozlovič, the chief prosecutor met Slovenia's State Prosecution Council chair Tamara Gregorčič and State Prosecutor General Drago Šketa.

In mid-February, Kozlovič received a letter from Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders, who urged the government to swiftly appoint its two prosecutors so that the EPPO could start operating in Slovenia on 1 March as planned.

Kozlovič had put forward Matej Oštir and Tanja Frank Eler after they were proposed by the State Prosecution Council, but the government has not yet formally got acquainted with the proposal.

This earned it criticism from the opposition. Last month Prime Minister Janez Janša said the government would first check the selection procedure, arguing it was odd that the government had no right to decide on the candidates. He also said changing legislation was an option.