This Annual Report is a vivid testimony to what the countries of Europe can achieve when they work together. Over the course of 2018, prosecutors from all over the continent have made a real, tangible contribution to creating a safer Europe by joining forces across borders. On the following pages, we take you on a journey to demonstrate the practical way in which they were supported by Eurojust while dealing with cases of serious organised crime and terrorism.

Throughout this Annual Report, you will find many examples of the more than 6 500 cases that we dealt with last year and the concrete results to which they led. We are particularly proud to have witnessed a 19% growth in casework compared to the year before – the steepest increase in the history of Eurojust. 235 of our cases involved a joint investigation team, including in the landmark Operation Pollino. This was the largest European investigation to date in the fight against the mafia and started in 2014. Following a joint Action Day on 5 December 2018, organised in real time from our premises, 84 suspects were arrested and EUR 2 million in assets were seized.

While some cases take years to develop, others require prosecutors to act very quickly. On these occasions, they can equally rely on Eurojust’s unique on-call services, for example to facilitate a swift execution of a European Arrest Warrant, freezing of a bank account or the collection of evidence. Last year alone, we helped facilitate over 700 European Arrest Warrants and more than 1 000 European Investigation Orders.