Eurojust Signs Working Arrangements with Five Latin American Countries<\/p>\n
By Kaila Hall<\/p>\n
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On July 10, 2024, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) announced1 that it signed working arrangements with the Prosecution Services of Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Peru. These agreements aim to increase efficiency and reinforce judicial cooperation between states in an effort to crack down on rising crime rates.
\nBased in The Hague, Eurojust is composed2 of the College, an association of National Members, appointed by European Union Member States to lead Eurojust\u2019s operations. By virtue of over a dozen working agreements with non-EU states, Eurojust permits European prosecutors to operate in over 70 jurisdictions worldwide. Many of these prosecutors also serve as Liaison Prosecutors who may collaborate on various cases.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Europol released a report titled \u201cDecoding the EU\u2019s Most Threatening Criminal Networks,\u201d3 prompting national authorities to take action. According to the report, 68% of criminal networks are composed of members from multiple nationalities, while 32% have members from one country. Furthermore, 76% of the most threatening criminal networks extend into two to seven countries. Europol observed that these networks are primarily implicated in drug trafficking, fraud, property crime, migrant smuggling, and human trafficking. Nearly half of the world\u2019s most dangerous criminal networks are involved in drug trafficking. 36 % of them are solely focused on it.<\/p>\n
Due to the Europol report\u2019s findings, numerous national authorities have joined forces with the European Union using working arrangements. These agreements specifically target drug and arms trafficking, money laundering, and cybercrime. Eurojust has also announced plans to disrupt drug trafficking routes after over \u20ac25 billion worth of drugs were seized last year.<\/p>\n
In response to the agreements, Ladislav Hamran, President of Eurojust, lauded efforts to quash the \u20ac31 billion4 illicit drug trafficking market in Europe. President Hamran explained, \u201cTo mitigate and halt the enormous harm to societies and individuals in both the European Union and Latin America, our response needs to be effective and collaborative. It is essential for prosecutors from Europe and Latin America to unite and devise strategies for closer cooperation, enabling us to not only disrupt criminal networks but also hold them accountable in court.\u201d<\/p>\n
The European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, also affirmed that \u201cToday, we open a new chapter in the cooperation between the EU and six strategic partners in this field. By building on our shared values and common strategic interests, we can equip judicial authorities with the necessary instruments for safeguarding the rights of our citizens while enabling effective cooperation \u201con the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n
To date, Eurojust has signed5 working arrangements with the Ibero-American Association of Public Prosecutors Offices, Nigeria, Panama, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. According to Eurojust officials, Panama\u2019s January 2024 Working Agreement has already yielded results.<\/p>\n
Kaila Hall is an intern at IELR. She is a rising senior at Cornell University.<\/p>\n
[1] An Important Step against Organised Crime: Eurojust Signs Working Arrangements with Five Latin American Countries | Eurojust | European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation.\u201d 10 July 2024. Www.eurojust.europa.eu, www.eurojust.europa.eu\/news\/important-step-against-organised-crime-eurojust-signs-working-arrangements-five-latin-american.<\/p>\n
[2] \u201cWho We Are | Eurojust | European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation.\u201d Www.eurojust.europa.eu, www.eurojust.europa.eu\/about-us\/who-we-are.<\/p>\n
[3] CRIMINAL NETWORKS the EU\u2019S MOST THREATENING DECODING. May 2024, www.europol.europa.eu\/cms\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/Europol%20report%20on%20Decoding%20the%20EU-s%20most%20threatening%20criminal%20networks.pdf, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2813\/811566.<\/p>\n
[4] European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and Europol, 2024, \u201cEU Drug Markets Analysis: Key insights for policy and practice,\u201d Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, https:\/\/www.europol.europa.eu\/cms\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/EU%20Drug%20Markets%20Analysis%202024.pdf<\/p>\n
[5] \u201cWorking Arrangements | Eurojust | European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation.\u201d Www.eurojust.europa.eu, www.eurojust.europa.eu\/states-and-partners\/third-countries\/working-arrangements.<\/p>\n
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