Judicial experts from Euro-Mediterranean countries (CrimEx) and Eurojust have started the design of new tools for the protection of personal data and cross-border electronic evidence gathering. Furthermore, the development of new mechanisms on joint and parallel investigations and procedural rights of both suspects and victims has commenced. CrimEx will also update pioneering analytical tools and practical manuals, such as the EuroMed Fiches and the Digital Evidence Manual. These are the main outcomes of the 10th Regular CrimEx meeting under the EuroMed Justice (EMJ) Programme, hosted last week by Eurojust.

CrimEx is the high-level Experts Group in Criminal Matters of the Southern Partner Countries (SPCs) – Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia – that cooperate with the European Union and its Justice and Home Affairs Agencies in EMJ. The CrimEx meeting follows the launching conference in February of the most recent phase of EMJ since being hosted by Eurojust as of 2020. CrimEx was established in 2017 and is composed of representatives of key judicial authorities such as prosecutor’s offices, ministries of Justice, High Courts and Judicial Councils.

During this meeting, CrimEx also explored the creation of a network of national contact points, called EMJNet. In the long term, this network aims to become the CrimEx national facilitator of all SPCs for cross-border cooperation, to connect judicial contact points and networks and assist in solving concrete cases.

The EuroMed Justice programme further develops the concept of a sustainable cooperation mechanism for cross-border judicial cooperation in criminal matters between EU Member States (EU MSs) and the South Partner Countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia).

The €5 million-EMJ programme is funded by the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) and implemented by Eurojust throughout a dedicated programme management team in close cooperation with the Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST).

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Eurojust