In its fifth evaluation report, published on Wednesday 16 July, the European Union Agency for Judicial Cooperation, Eurojust, takes stock of the work carried out by 67 Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) evaluated between December 2022 and December 2024. And in recent years, adapting to digital crime has been one of the issues gaining in importance.
According to the report, JITs have proved effective in cybercrime investigations, thanks to their ability to adapt to changing environments.
Eurojust attributes this “added value” to strong cooperation - particularly in avoiding competing prosecutions - the real-time sharing of electronic data, the resolution of jurisdictional conflicts, and its technical and cryptocurrency experts.
However, the report also sets out the current limitations in terms of digital infrastructure. The secure collaborative platform, expected to be in place by the end of 2025, will provide a solution for the transfer of large volumes of data, which many practitioners have identified as an obstacle.
The aim will be to offer greater traceability, transparency and security in exchanges between JIT members.
However, the complexity of funding procedures, differences between national laws and limited cooperation with third countries on sharing evidence or executing mutual assistance requests remain obstacles.
According to the report, JITs will be even more competent in cybercrime investigations thanks to a judicial system that is more responsive, interconnected and better equipped from a technological point of view.
To read the report, go to https://aeur.eu/f/hy3 (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)