Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission – European Commissioner for Values and Transparency

As the saying goes, justice must be seen to be done, and ever since its inception in 2002, Eurojust has been instrumental in helping to uphold in a visible way the rule of law across the European continent. As the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, Eurojust sits at the heart of international judicial cooperation. It serves as a hub where prosecutors and investigative judges from EU Member States and beyond ensure that criminals can and will be held accountable across international jurisdictions. As such, I am deeply grateful to Eurojust for its unrelenting dedication in promoting and safeguarding some of the values we hold most dear in the European Union.

From that perspective, 2023 was a crucial year at Eurojust. It saw record numbers in terms of its overall caseload, coordination meetings and newly established joint investigation teams. In supporting ongoing investigations in Member States, Eurojust’s role is central in weaving a tight fabric among judicial authorities in our Union, and this part of its work will only gain in importance as the international dimension of organised crime continues to grow. Swindling and fraud, drug trafficking and money laundering – all transnational in nature – were among the main crime types for which Eurojust’s support and assistance were required.

Yet the call on Eurojust has far exceeded the fight against serious and organised crime, as it has continued to take on an important role in the European Union’s judicial response to the war of aggression against Ukraine. The fight for human values and against lawlessness is one in which we all have a role to play, and I welcome Eurojust’s many efforts in 2023 to put legislation and policies into practice. In light of the atrocities committed against Ukraine, 2023 was the year in which Eurojust launched its Core International Crimes Evidence Database (CICED) to which – in addition to Ukraine itself, the United States and Norway – 11 EU Member States currently contribute. I am hopeful that the number of contributing countries will continue to grow, and that together we will build an even stronger case against Russia’s illegal and unjustified aggression in Ukraine. In addition, and with the help of the European Commission, 2023 was also the year in which the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA) saw the light of day and started its operations from Eurojust’s premises in The Hague.

With all this in mind, I would like to warmly thank Eurojust and its entire staff for the excellent work we have seen in 2023 under the leadership of President Ladislav Hamran, which the Commission fully supports. I look forward to much more to come in the years ahead.