Eurojust participates in the ongoing European debate about future developments under the Lisbon Treaty. Eurojust’s contribution is solely informed by the operational experience acquired by the National Members and the College since the setting up of Eurojust in 2002.
In December 2009, Eurojust approved the setting up of a Task Force on the Future of Eurojust with the aim to reflect, promote discussion and make contributions about the strengthening of Eurojust and the setting up of a European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) from Eurojust, as referred to in the Lisbon Treaty (Articles 85 and 86 TFEU) and the Stockholm Programme.
Continuous discussions took place internally at Eurojust and several activities with the participation of external experts were organised to this end. In particular, two strategic seminars were held in 2010 and 2011 gathering, respectively, more than 120 experts from EU Institutions and bodies, Member States and academia:
Eurojust and the Lisbon Treaty: towards more effective action, Bruges, 20-22 September 2010 (co-organised by Eurojust and the Belgian Presidency of the EU)
The goal of the strategic seminar was to reflect on the future development of Eurojust in light of the new provisions introduced by the Lisbon Treaty, i.e. the regulations for Eurojust according to Article 85 TFEU and the possible establishment of a European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) from Eurojust under Article 86 TFEU.
Discussions focused on the institutional development of Eurojust; its increasing operational powers provided by the new legal basis; the operational cooperation with relevant partners (Europol, OLAF, EJN); the establishment of an EPPO according to Article 86 and, in particular, the possible scenarios for the setting up of the EPPO from Eurojust; the timing of the new regulations to be adopted; the competence, status and guarantees of the EPPO.
Eurojust: new perspectives in judicial cooperation, Budapest, 15-17 May 2011 (co-organised by Eurojust and the Hungarian Presidency of the EU)
The strategic seminar built on the previous one held in Bruges but focused on Article 85 TFEU and chose a critical approach to the tasks currently performed by Eurojust as a basis for exploring prospective changes. Emphasis was on an evidence-based approach to Eurojust’s development, inspired by a European vision.
The following issues were thoroughly discussed: the opportunity to grant binding powers to Eurojust under Article 85 TFEU to initiate criminal investigations and to propose the initiation of prosecutions as well as to prevent and solve conflicts of jurisdiction; the difficulties encountered in exercising the task of coordination of investigations and prosecutions and the way to improve it; the strengthening of future operational cooperation with Europol and with OLAF; the possible ways to make the different mechanisms of evaluation of Eurojust operate in practice.