Eurojust single programming document. Period 2020-2022

The political consensus for unity and for strengthening the EU instruments led by unprecedented security threats and evolving political and legislative landscapes confirms the key role that Eurojust is called upon to play in the fight against terrorism, violent extremism and connected criminal activities and emerging threats such as cybercrime, and migrant smuggling. In the fourth quarter of 2018, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU adopted Eurojust’ S new legal framework. The new Eurojust Regulation (EJR) completes the new EU criminal justice landscape by setting up Eurojust as the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation and improving its role in serving justice across borders for a safer Europe. The EJR will enhance the Agency’s operational capabilities and strengthen cooperation with prosecution authorities of the Member States and partners in the area of Justice and Home Affairs cooperation, such as FRONTEX and Europol, in the fight against serious organised crime and terrorism. EJR sets the objective to increase information exchange between Eurojust and Member States while ensuring an adequate level of data protection. It also brings governance reforms, including the creation of a new Executive Board, which will improve Eurojust’s efficiency and management structure. Democratic oversight will be guaranteed through regular reporting to the European Parliament and national parliaments. The Regulation will also establish institutional, operational and administrative relations with the new European Public Prosecutor’s Office to ensure complementarity and synergies. Member States expect a full range of operational services from Eurojust to ensure a robust judicial cooperation response at European level. The steady increase in the number of cases referred by the Member States to Eurojust, which relate to more complex cross-border crimes and that require an increasing number of CMs and CCs, highlights Eurojust’s crucial role in serving justice across borders for a safer Europe. To respond to these challenges, in May 2017, Eurojust adopted its new Multi-Annual Strategy for the period 2019 to 2021. The objective of the Work Programme 2020 aims at achieving the multi-annual strategic objectives for this strategic three-year cycle.