On 5 July, the President of Eurojust, Mr Ladislav Hamran, met with the Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), Mr Michael O'Flaherty.

Eurojust and FRA, both agencies in the remit of DG Justice, have a shared responsibility to ensure that individuals within the EU are protected in full compliance with fundamental rights. The high-level meeting was convened to discuss the agencies' existing partnership and explore possibilities for future cooperation.

Migrant smuggling will require the continued attention of both FRA and Eurojust. President Hamran shared insights gained from recent Eurojust activities in the field of migrant smuggling, including the Casework Report on Migrant Smuggling (April 2018) and the Meeting on Migrant Smuggling (May 2018). Director O'Flaherty explained that one of FRA's main concerns is the punishment of humanitarian acts of assistance.

Both agencies are also members of the European Commission working group on trafficking in human beings (THB) and signatories to the Joint Statement of commitment to working together against trafficking in human beings, renewed by the ten EU agencies involved on 13 June 2018. FRA is developing a practical guidance to prevent the trafficking of EU children and Director O'Flaherty indicated that Eurojust's input would be much appreciated.

In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the agencies in 2014, Eurojust will be appointing a new FRA contact point in the next weeks to further enhance the existing cooperation.

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