Operational cooperation with the main actors in the security chain is vital to ensuring justice gets done. Throughout 2024, Eurojust continued to cooperate closely with the European Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) agencies, contributing judicial expertise in the joint fight against cross-border crime. In 2024, in addition to ongoing cases, the Agency handled a significant number of new cross-border cases with Europol, and a smaller number with EPPO and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

Europol

In 2024, Eurojust continued its close operational collaboration with Europol, working on 36 new cases together. Europol participated in 121 coordination meetings, 51 JITs and 7 coordination centres, providing valuable support and expertise to joint investigations.

An informal Eurojust-Europol working group was set up in 2024 to explore the business needs and opportunities for cooperation between the two agencies. The group met regularly throughout the year, and agreed on how to share information on upcoming operational meetings, identified a way forward for a Eurojust single point of contact for Europol, and discussed opportunities for future cooperation, including on securing digital evidence.

The first Eurojust College-Europol Management Board meeting in five years took place in October 2024. The agencies reflected on their joint operational achievements, exchanged views on the first year of implementation of the hit/no hit data exchange system, and discussed ways to enhance information sharing and flexible support to assist investigations into core international crimes committed in Ukraine.

EPPO

Eurojust worked together with EPPO on 31 cases, 24 of which were ongoing from previous years, and 7 of which were newly opened in 2024. During the year, EPPO participated in two JITs and two coordination meetings. In February 2024, the first joint EPPO-Eurojust coordination centre was established concerning carousel VAT fraud, showcasing effective collaboration and operational support. 

In May 2024, Eurojust and EPPO launched a pilot phase for the hit/no hit data exchange system between the two agencies. The agencies also worked on the development of a model JIT agreement for EPPO and non-participating Member States/third countries, which is expected to be ready in 2025. Moreover, the agencies also cooperated on the European Commission’s ‘EU anti-fraud in Ukraine’ project, which is linked to the Ukraine Facility (2024–2027).

OLAF

The number of new cases in which OLAF cooperated with Eurojust in 2024 doubled compared to the previous year. Moreover, OLAF participated in five coordination meetings in 2024, compared to only one in 2023, showing an increase in the agencies’ operational cooperation.

In January 2024, Eurojust and OLAF organised a workshop aimed at raising awareness about their respective mandates, as well as the agencies’ cooperation in JITs and fighting environmental crime. The agencies’ liaison teams met regularly to discuss the implementation of the Eurojust-EPPO Working Arrangement, identifying cooperation priorities at the operational and institutional levels. Moreover, a pilot exchange programme between the two agencies took place in May 2024.

Cooperation with EU Agencies on new cases in 2024

Justice and Home Affairs Agencies Network

Throughout 2024, Eurojust continued to be an active member of the JHA Agencies Network (JHAAN). Eurojust contributed to the implementation of the network’s 2024 work programme, which focused on digitalisation, artificial intelligence and security, as well as inter-institutional cooperation, data protection and social responsibility.

The network also worked on documenting the JHA agencies’ actions, as part of the EU’s coordinated response to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The nine EU agencies play a vital role in this response by contributing to the implementation of political decisions made at the European level, assisting Member States and other countries, and providing support to people affected by the war, in particular those displaced from Ukraine. The latest overview of the JHA agencies’ response covers the period from February 2024 to February 2025.