Eurojust, the agency responsible for strengthening judicial cooperation between the Member States of the European Union, published its annual report on Thursday 30 May. In 2023, Eurojust focused its efforts on the EU’s judicial response to the war in Ukraine and on the digitalisation of criminal justice, priorities that will continue to guide its work in 2024, according to the agency’s annual report.
The main types of crime dealt with in 2023 were fraud, drug trafficking and money laundering. A notable increase in new cases was observed in the areas of environmental crime (64%) and cybercrime (43%). In contrast, the number of new cases linked to human trafficking fell by 8%.
Results. In 2023, Eurojust dealt with more than 13,000 cases, an increase of 14% compared with 2022. The agency contributed to the arrest of more than 4,200 suspects and the seizure and freezing of criminal assets worth more than €1 billion.
Drug seizures represent nearly €26 billion, more than double the amount seized in 2022.
The number of victims affected by cases handled by the agency in 2023 increased by 12%, as did the number of cases involving organised crime groups. Eurojust supported 9% more joint investigation teams than in 2022, which the agency says illustrates the trust and dependence of national authorities on its services to facilitate judicial cooperation.
According to the President of Eurojust, Ladislav Hamran, speaking in a press release, this report demonstrates the growth of international organised crime, while at the same time testifying to the importance of Eurojust’s role and its work for justice professionals, both in Europe and in the partner countries.
Judicial response to the war in Ukraine. Last year, Eurojust also launched the Core International Crimes Evidence Database (CICED) and the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA) (see EUROPE 13214/10). These mechanisms support the work of the joint investigation team (JIT) regarding alleged international crimes committed in Ukraine.
They play an important role in ensuring accountability for acts committed during Russia’s war of aggression.
Digitalisation of criminal justice. Eurojust’s digital criminal justice programme, also initiated in 2023, has enabled faster and closer collaboration between the agency, Member States, partners and third countries, facilitating cross-border justice. This programme aims to modernise Eurojust’s case management system, thereby improving data quality and the detection of links between cases.
International cooperation. In 2023, Eurojust recorded more than 700 cases involving third countries, with the most cases in the United Kingdom (275 cases), followed by Switzerland, Albania, Serbia and Ukraine. The agency also extended its network of international contact points, welcoming countries such as Chad, Ghana, Togo, Gambia, Tajikistan, the Philippines, Mozambique, Kyrgyzstan and Kuwait.
The report: https://aeur.eu/f/chb (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)