Tackling migrant smuggling is at the heart of the EuroMed Justice (EMJ) multiannual 2022-25 strategy. With the active support of the Cypriot Ministry of Justice, several key actors had the opportunity to continue the exchanges started in Athens in 2022. Eurojust, the Secretariat of the European Judicial Network (EJN), judges, prosecutors, representatives of Member States’ ministries and law enforcement presented their work on the topic, and the challenges they face regarding international cooperation on this matter.
The Conference was opened by the Minister of Justice of Cyprus and a representative of the Attorney General. A member of Eurojust’s Anti-Trafficking Team presented the tools and mechanisms offered by the European Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation to support national judicial authorities on this topic.
The Larnaca Conference was followed by the 18th CrimEx and the 2nd EMJNet meeting. The CrimEx session assessed the implementation of the EMJ V Programme (2020-23) and its impact in South Partner Countries (SPCs). It also debated the strategic documents and priorities of the incoming 6th EMJ phase, which will be presented at the 5th EuroMed Forum of Prosecutors General in November in Madrid. The 2nd EMJNet meeting allowed members to explore the possibility of closer coordination with Eurojust, the EJN Secretariat and other networks, and to consolidate its operational aspects.