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ENSURING SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTIONS (THE EU-PERSPECTIVE/ ADDED VALUE OF EUROJUST)

ENSURING SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTIONS (THE EU-PERSPECTIVE/ ADDED VALUE OF EUROJUST). Mich è le Coninsx Vice-President Eurojust National Member for BE, Deputy Prosecutor General Liverpool, March 4 th 2008. EUROJUST ? 27 EU PROSECUTORS / JUDGES. More Effective Co-ordination & Co-operation. AIMS.

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ENSURING SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTIONS (THE EU-PERSPECTIVE/ ADDED VALUE OF EUROJUST)

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  1. ENSURING SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTIONS(THE EU-PERSPECTIVE/ADDED VALUE OF EUROJUST) Michèle Coninsx Vice-President Eurojust National Member for BE, Deputy Prosecutor General Liverpool, March 4th 2008

  2. EUROJUST ?27 EU PROSECUTORS / JUDGES More Effective Co-ordination & Co-operation

  3. AIMS • Improve co-operation between Competent Authorities in Member States • Bring better co-ordination of cross-border investigations and prosecutions • Exchange of information • To make recommendations to change laws to improve MLA & Extradition arrangements

  4. JUDICIAL CO ORDINATION OFFERS FORUM FOR: • Discussion about admissibility of evidence • Verification of opportunity to launch simultaneous evidence gathering • Discussion about appropriate or best jurisdiction • Verification of opportunity to establish a JIT • Information of practitioners about best channels / instruments of the obtainment of evidence

  5. 2 CASE ILLUSTRATIONS - OPERATION KOALA- OPERATION SKANDERBEG

  6. OPERATION KOALA • AIM to present Eurojust’s involvement and added value in a case concerning child abuse on the internet • STRUCTURE - Background - Coordination meetings at Eurojust - Obstacles encountered - Joint press release and Results - Future of the case

  7. BACKGROUND • Video tape containing child pornographic material linked to Belgium • Persons involved: - Belgian father abused his 2 daughters - Italian national was photographer & video producer (had a studio in Ukraine and owned a website for child pornographic purposes) - US citizens were customers/clients - Many customers through internet Investigations started in Belgium and Italy

  8. COORDINATION MEETINGS AT EUROJUST IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH EUROPOL • 25 October 2006 • 25 April 2007 • 29 May 2007 • 5 November 2007: coordination meeting & joint press release Coordination of investigations Simultaneous, coordinated actions in all countries involved Exchange of information: gathering of sufficient information for prosecution

  9. COORDINATION MEETINGS AT EUROJUST • MAIN DECISIONS: - Time frame for investigations/actions May ’07 – Sept. ’07- Identification of targets - Arrests - Interrogations of suspects - Seizures - Common media strategy

  10. OBSTACLES ENCOUNTERED • Deadline for finalising the common actions had to be postponed • Some countries did not finish their investigations and therefore could not be in the joint press release • Some countries did not want to be in the joint press release • Leakages to the media before joint press conference • Information received by EJ & EP was not always coinciding

  11. JOINT PRESS RELEASE AND RESULTS • Newspapers, radio, TV from at least 15 different countries + press agencies following 3 days worldwide coverage of the case • 16 countries provided results to the press: - 2500 targets identified - 93 arrests until November 5th - Thousands of videos and photos found - Hundreds of computers seized

  12. OPERATION SKANDERBEG • FACTS - Transnational Albanian criminal network - Operating in BE, DE, FR, IT, LU, AT, NL, UK - Involved in drug trafficking, trafficking in human beings, prostitution, money laundering, trafficking in illegal arms and stolen vehicles, organised burglaries

  13. ACTIONS - Facilitation of execution of letters of request (LOR) - 2 coordination meetings: - exchange of information discovering of central role of certain persons in drug traffic - close involvement of Europol coordinated approach police investigations & prosecutions - simultaneous actions in 6 countries - Joint EJ – EP press release • OUTCOME - Destabilisation of the group in BE - Decrease of organised thefts & cocaine seizures at border - Arrests - Seizures of drugs, weapons, money, stolen objects

  14. ADDED VALUE OF EUROJUST • Exchange of information/LOR’s: quick, time saving • Coordinating actions in several countries • International cooperation (multilateral): forum bringing together all involved parties (prosecutors, police authorities, investigators, Europol,…) • Better overview/more information for prosecution • Common media strategy: avoid jeopardising ongoing investigations

  15. Michèle Coninsx Vice-President Belgian National Member EUROJUST Tel 00 31 70 412 51 20 Fax 00 31 70 412 51 21 mconinsx@eurojust.europa.eu Maanweg 174 NL - 2516 AB The Hague The Netherlands www.eurojust.europa.eu

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