The European Commission has unveiled a comprehensive package of new measures designed to strengthen the EU’s response to crime and to give Europol and Eurojust new tools.
These new proposals aim to enhance cooperation across the full chain of EU support, from prevention and detection to judicial cooperation and effective prosecution, with stronger mandates for Europol and Eurojust, a revision of the European Investigation Order, and amendments to the Data Protection Regulation for EU institutions.
The idea is to improve coordination between EU agencies and national authorities, support more joint investigations, and facilitate information exchange through a clearer legal framework with reduced administrative burden. “With today’s proposals, we are strengthening both Europol and Eurojust so that Europe can respond faster, including in the fight against online criminal activities, share information more effectively, and bring criminals to justice more efficiently,” said Henna Virkkunen, Vice-President of the Commission for Tech Security.
Europol’s enhanced role includes more efficient information exchange through automated systems and a secure cloud infrastructure, the establishment of Europol Support Offices in Member States, and a new technology and innovation hub to address law enforcement’s capability needs. The agency will also strengthen cooperation with other EU bodies and international partners.
Eurojust will gain stronger operational capabilities, including the ability to act on its own initiative to identify case links and resolve jurisdiction issues. Its mandate will expand to cover emerging crime areas, such as cybercrime and violations of EU restrictive measures. The agency will also streamline decision-making processes and enhance cooperation with Europol and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Commenting on the new proposals for Eurojust, Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Justice, said that “this reform strengthens the Agency’s capacity to support national judicial authorities, coordinate complex cross-border investigations and enhance cooperation with partners across Europe and beyond,” adding also that the new mandate of Eurojust reinforces “the rule of law” and help justice to respond “with the same speed and agility as the criminal networks it seeks to disrupt.”
Additionally, the Commission proposes updating the European Investigation Order to simplify cross-border evidence gathering and introducing a new European Remote Participation Order to allow remote participation in criminal proceedings. These reforms represent a significant step in delivering on President Ursula von der Leyen‘s political guidelines and the EU’s internal security strategy, ProtectEU.
