Criminal Justice

Period: 2007-2013

Budget: EUR 199 million

The Criminal Justice program aims to promote judicial cooperation and the adjustment of existing judicial systems, in order to improve the daily life and general well-being of EU citizens and businesses, providing easy access to the judicial system.

The Criminal Justice programme is one of four subprogramme under the framework programme Fundamental Rights and Justice

The program also aims to enhance contact and the exchange of information and good practice between legal, judicial and administrative authorities.

As already mentioned, the program aims to improve the lives of legal practitioners, the national authorities and EU citizens. However, the program can also effect institutions and organisations, which may be tasked with evaluating the present judicial situation and coming up with ways to achieve the objectives.

While the general idea is to improve judicial cooperation, the specific goals to achieve cooperation include:

• Promote cooperation through proper administration, mutual recognition of judicial decisions and the rights of defendants and victims

• Improve the authorities legal and judicial knowledge of other Member States and encourage sharing of information and best practices among authorities

• Ensure implementation and evaluation of any work done in this area

• Increase access to justice

• Providing training for Member State authorities regarding EU law

• Design and implement a European computerised system for quick and efficient exchange of information regarding criminal matters.

The path to judicial cooperation can be achieved in several ways, such as:

• Undertaking studies, research or surveys

• Designing public events, campaigns, websites, and materials to inform and educate the public

• Transnational projects by least three Member States

• Projects done by non-governmental organisations that fulfill the objectives

• Awarding of grants for projects associated with the Association of the Council of States and Supreme Administrative Jurisdictions of the EU

More information