Visit to Eurojust by the European Commission’s Vice-President for Values and Transparency

In April 2023, the Vice-President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, visited Eurojust to discuss the Agency’s work on accountability for crimes committed in Ukraine. Since the onset of the Russian invasion, Eurojust has been actively supporting international efforts to bring to justice those responsible for the alleged core international crimes committed in Ukraine. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss Eurojust’s and the European Commission’s collaboration in the EU Freeze and Seize Task Force and the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA).

  The Commission fully supports Eurojust in its pivotal role to help ensure accountability in the Russian war against Ukraine. Eurojust was key in setting up a joint investigation team to support the gathering, exchange and transmission of evidence of war crimes. Eurojust is on the right track to become a real hub for judicial cooperation and the investigation of war crimes.  

Fourth Inter-parliamentary Committee Meeting on the Evaluation of Eurojust's activities

The Fourth Inter-parliamentary Committee Meeting on the Evaluation of Eurojust’s activities took place in November 2023 at the European Parliament. The aim of this annual meeting is for the European Parliament and National Parliaments to evaluate the Agency’s work, based on Eurojust’s Annual Report.

The topics addressed included a discussion of Eurojust's work in 2023 as well as an outlook on its activities and challenges for future cross-border judicial cooperation in criminal matters. In addition, Eurojust's activities with regard to Ukraine, including the assessment of its extended mandate, were also discussed.

Justice and Home Affairs meeting of the Council of the European Union

During the EU’s Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in December 2023, Eurojust’s President was invited to provide an update on the Agency’s work on accountability for Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Ministers were updated on the state of play of the Joint Investigation Team’s work, the ICPA and the Core International Crimes Evidence Database (CICED).

European Criminal Records Information System – Third Country Nationals (ECRIS-TCN)

The ECRIS-TCN Regulation establishes a centralised EU hit/no hit central system to identify the Member State(s) holding information on previous convictions of third-country nationals. As set out in the ECRIS-TCN Regulation, Eurojust will be the contact point for third countries and international organisations regarding ECRIS-TCN requests they wish to make in the context of criminal proceedings.

The new ECRIS-TCN information system will supplement the existing EU Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS) with the data on non-EU nationals convicted in the European Union. Once operational, it will allow Member States, and also Eurojust, to see whether other Member State(s) have information on previous convictions of a non-EU national, thus contributing to the implementation of the principle of mutual recognition of sentences and judicial decisions. Third countries and international organisations will not have direct access to the ECRIS-TCN database, but may, with the consent of Member States ask Eurojust to process their ECRIS-TCN queries.

During 2023, Eurojust worked closely with eu-LISA and the European Commission on planning the implementation of the Agency’s unique role towards third countries and international organisations in relation to ECRIS-TCN. The ECRIS-TCN database, to be hosted by eu-LISA, is expected to be operational in 2024.

17th Consultative Forum of Prosecutors General and Directors of Public Prosecutions of EU Member States

In October 2023, during the 17th Consultative Forum, the Prosecutors General and Directors of Public Prosecutions of EU Member States discussed how to enhance the role of judicial authorities in joint operations against major organised crime through EMPACT, as well as the judicial response to the war in Ukraine and the protection of the environment through criminal law.

The 17th Consultative Forum, organised by Eurojust with the Swedish and Spanish authorities whose countries held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2023, highlighted the necessity to improve awareness of EMPACT among judicial authorities.

  EMPACT has been operational for more than a decade and has proven to be a highly effective collaborative platform for law enforcement agencies. It is now time for the prosecution authorities in the Member States to also step forward and further explore the possibilities for joint action against serious and organised crime through the platform.  

EMPACT is a security initiative driven by EU Member States. Operational Action Plans (OAPs) are developed to combat major crime in specific areas. Greater and earlier involvement of the judiciary in the entire process would enable a more effective and coordinated approach to tackling major organised crime. For the current EMPACT cycle running until 2025, ten priority areas for OAPs have been identified for major crime types, ranging from migrant smuggling and drug trafficking to environmental crime and cyberattacks. As the new OAPs are prepared for the next cycle, due to start in 2026, the Consultative Forum aims to further strengthen the role of judicial authorities.

Coordinating Committee in the area of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters (CATS)

In May 2023, for the first time, Eurojust hosted an informal meeting of the Coordinating Committee in the area of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters (CATS), composed of directors and directors general at the ministries of justice and home affairs of EU Member States. The meeting, which took place under the Swedish presidency, focused on the fight against impunity regarding crimes committed in connection with Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and cooperation with third countries in the fight against organised crime.