Hearing: Case C-407/25 Tersten

On Tuesday 19 May 2026, the Court of Justice will hear Case C-407/25 Tersten.

This case concerns suspected customs fraud linked to the import of Chinese goods into the EU. Under EU law, national authorities must inform the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) of investigations into crimes against the EU budget. This enables the EPPO to exercise its “right of evocation”, meaning it may take over investigations from national authorities.

In the present case, a Belgian court found that the national authorities failed to report the investigation to the EPPO, contrary to the applicable rules. It has asked the Court of Justice whether the criminal court must refer the case back to the national authorities so that they can inform the EPPO of the investigation, enabling it to exercise its right of evocation, if appropriate.

The hearing will be available in the Curia Web TV section of our website after it has been completed.

In the video below, our press officer Stefaan Van der Jeught gives an overview of the facts of the case and the legal issues involved.