Quiet expansion of Eurojust planned

25 March 2008

The European Commission is quietly preparing proposals on strengthening the powers of Eurojust, writes Stephen Gardner. This little-known agency was intended as a talking shop for member state prosecutors, enabling note swapping on cross-border criminal cases. But no EU body avoids for long efforts to “improve its functioning”. The plans will make Eurojust more “autonomous”. Prosecutors will get access to crime-related databases in all member states (including the UK's vast DNA catalogue). Eurojust will also be able to compel member states to start investigations or prosecutions – something the UK does not presently allow. Word is the Commission is playing a long game: the real objective is to establish a single European public prosecutor. Furthermore, plans are afoot to build on a 2006 agreement made with the US. As previously reported, this gave a US liaison officer access to information on EU investigations, and a right to transfer EU data back home, where there is no legal protection for data relating to non-US citizens. Now Eurojust is pondering similar deals with well-known international paragons of justice, Russia and Ukraine. But it's not all bad news. Buried in the proposal is a “longer term” plan to allow Eurojust to conduct investigations where “the financial interests of the Union” are at stake. This is currently done by EU investigations unit OLAF. Are the days of the useless EU fraudbusters numbered?

 

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