MEETING OF THE CIVIL LIBERTIES, JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

On 30 September, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs held a meeting under the chairmanship of Javier Zarzalejos. During the meeting, important appearances were made by prominent representatives of different European organisations or agencies.

First, Laura Kövesi, Chief Prosecutor of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), presented the achievements and challenges faced by her office, as well as its effectiveness in protecting the financial interests of the European Union. Kövesi highlighted the relevance of the body in the fight against fraud and corruption.

Alexis Goosdel, Executive Director of the European Drugs Agency (EUDA), then presented a report on the current drug situation in Europe. Goosdel warned about the growing consumption of certain substances and detailed the awareness campaigns implemented by the Agency to improve preparedness at both European and national level in the fight against this phenomenon.

Finally, Ladislav Hamran, President of the European Union Agency for Criminal Judicial Cooperation (Eurojust), discussed the Agency’s mission, which is to support coordination and cooperation between national authorities in the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes affecting two or more Member States. Hamran underlined the importance of the evaluation to be carried out by the European Commission on the implementation of the Eurojust Regulation (EU) 2018/1727 before the end of the year. This regulation has introduced three significant amendments that strengthen Eurojust’s role in the fight against war crimes and serious crimes, as well as in the establishment of a platform to support the functioning of the Joint Investigation Teams.

The meeting underlined the relevance of European cooperation in dealing with these crucial issues for security and justice in the EU.