The European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) is a hub based in The Hague, the Netherlands, where national judicial authorities work closely together to fight serious organised cross-border crime. In January it published a report on transfer of proceedings in the EU which may well be useful to readers of this blog.

“Transfers of proceedings serve the interests of the effectiveness of justice, as they help resolve issues related to concurrent jurisdictions by several Member States in relation to the same offences, while also respecting fundamental rights of the accused.

Despite its crucial function, there is currently no specific EU instrument regulating the transfer of proceedings. Multiple legal bases apply across the Member States involving different procedures and conditions, which leads to various challenges. Continue reading →