The College of Eurojust has proposed amendments to its Rules of Procedure to allow the agency to take decisions by videoconference in exceptional circumstances such as the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a document published on Wednesday 15 July.
The containment measures taken by Member States to contain the spread of Covid-19 have made it very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve the quorum of members physically present required by the Rules of Procedure to hold formal meetings and thus ensure decision-making, the text explains.
The purpose of these amendments is therefore to allow Eurojust, by decision of the College and for a limited period of time, to organise formal meetings by technological means, such as videoconferencing, in exceptional circumstances which do not allow the requirements of the Rules of Procedure to be met.
The technological means available must make it possible to identify the members of the college and to participate in the discussions by ensuring the collegiality of the deliberations, the text specifies.
Furthermore, this possibility should be extended to the election of the President of Eurojust and the Vice-Presidents, provided that technological means are available to allow the anonymous electronic voting of the members of the College and the verification of their participation in the vote.
The amendments still need to be approved by the EU Council by means of an implementing act. See proposed amendments: https://bit.ly/3h9vsHV (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)