Agreements on cooperation enable Eurojust to consolidate its partnerships with third countries and international organisations, bringing them and Member States closer together in the fight against serious cross-border crime. Stronger ties between judicial actors inside and outside the EU make life more difficult for organised crime groups (OCGs), terrorists and other criminals operating across borders, by aligning working practices and strategies and strengthening judicial cooperation and mutual trust.

Agreements on cooperation provide the possibility of exchanging operational information, including evidence and personal data, between Eurojust and the national authorities of the countries involved, as well as international organisations, in a systematic way.

The Eurojust Regulation, which became applicable in December 2019, transformed Eurojust’s external relations policy. The Agency now works closely with the European Commission to develop four-year strategies to enhance its international reach at operational level. These strategies specify the third countries and international organisations with which there is an operational need for cooperation. At the Commission’s recommendation, international agreements for cooperation with Eurojust will be concluded by the Council of the EU pursuant to Article 218 TFEU. Under the previous legal framework, Eurojust concluded cooperation agreements with third countries directly.