European Cooperation in Criminal Matters in an International Context

Abstract

Law enforcement is a key task for every state. Today, however, law enforcement is no longer a national issue, as the development of modern technology, the rise of organised forms of crime and the internationalisation of drug trafficking have led to a high level of cross-border crime. European cooperation in criminal matters aims not only to ensure judicial cooperation between Member States in criminal matters and to combat cross-border crime outside the Community’s borders, but also to cooperate
with States which, although not members of the European Union, are involved in one or more offences of which the Community is a victim. Eurojust therefore plays an important role in making the Community a safer place. In order to overcome the problems mentioned above, Eurojust has set up an international network of non-EU Member States which cooperate with the Community through their prosecutors seconded to the Agency. Of course, the Community also seeks to cooperate extensively
in criminal matters with other bodies, such as Europol, the police cooperation body, whose role focuses on gathering information and developing expertise to make the prosecution of crime even more effective. In addition, the EU is also seeking to ensure that cross-border crime is tackled through international agreements. In my study,
I want to highlight how the European Union cooperates with non-EU countries in the field of law enforcement. I will also look at the ways in which this cooperation helps to detect specific crimes.