In an era in which the EU's influence in criminal law matters has expanded rapidly, attention has recently turned to the possible creation of a European Public Prosecutor's Office. This first volume (of a two volume work) presents the results of a study carried out by a group of European criminal law experts in 2010/2011 - with the financial support of the EU Commission - whose aims were to examine current public prosecution systems in the EU Member States and to scrutinize proposals for a new European office. Toward a Prosecutor for the European Union: Volume 1 begins with thorough descriptions of 24 different national legal systems of investigation and prosecution, addressing a range of evidential and procedural safeguards. These will serve as a point of reference for all future research on public prosecutors. The book also contains a series of cross-cutting studies of the key issues which will inform debates about the creation of a European Public Prosecutor's Office, including studies of vertical cooperation in administrative investigations in subsidy and competition cases, the accession of the EU to the European Convention on Human Rights, judicial control in cooperation in criminal matters, mutual recognition, and decentralized enforcement of European competition law. This work will be a comprehensive reference point for comparative criminal law scholars. (Series: Modern Studies in European Law - Vol. 34)