Police and Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters in the European Union

Abstract

Cooperation in criminal matters in the EU is probably one of the most delicate issues in the area of harmonisation as it deals with two very sensitive matters, namely, the sovereignty of Member States and the protection of human rights. Despite such delicacy, the police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters has been one of the fastest-growing areas of the EU law especially after the Treaty of Lisbon where certain competences in criminal matters were conferred to the EU. This paper concentrates on the main areas for police and judicial cooperation and the types of available legal instruments. This paper suggests that increasing the cooperation in an effective and sustainable manner would require a balanced approach between the security and the protection of fundamental rights.