Eurojust

Overview

• Role: helps national authorities cooperate to combat terrorism and serious organised crimes involving more than one EU country
• Administrative Director: Nick Panagiotopoulos
• Members: College of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust), 1 member from each country
• Established in: 2002
• Number of staff: 240
• Location: The Hague (the Netherlands)
• Website: Eurojust

The European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) supports judicial coordination and cooperation between national authorities in combatting terrorism and serious organised crime affecting more than one EU country.

What it does

It helps EU countries combat terrorism and serious organised crime involving more than one EU country by:

• coordinating investigations & prosecutions involving at least 2 countries
• helping to resolve conflicts of jurisdiction
• facilitating the drafting and implementation of EU legal instruments, such as European Arrest Warrants and confiscation and freezing orders.

To do this, Eurojust:

• holds coordination meetings
• funds & provides expert input into joint investigation teams (JITs)
• organises coordination centres.

It also hosts the Secretariats of the European Judicial Network, the Joint Investigation Teams Network and the Network for investigation and prosecution of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes (Genocide Network).

Who benefits

The national authorities are Eurojust’s main partners. Eurojust links law enforcement authorities and prosecutors, enabling them to fight cases of serious organised crime involving 2 EU countries or more.