The President of Eurojust met with high-ranking representatives of Argentina, Brazil and Chile in the context of EL PAcCTO (Europa-Latinoamérica Programa de asistencia contra el crimen transnacional organizado). This 5-year programme is aimed at reinforcing the fight against cross border organised crime between 18 Latin American countries and the EU, and covers the entire criminal justice system: law enforcement, judiciary and the penitentiary. Eurojust may serve as a model for the creation of a similar body for Latin America by promoting mutual recognition and trust among the judicial authorities of those countries.

The programme was initiated by the European Commission in April 2018 and has a total budget of EUR 19 million. It is implemented by a consortium led by France and Spain with the contribution of Italy and Portugal. The countries involved will receive technical assistance to better utilise, strengthen and improve the existing international and regional legal framework. The project will also serve to enhance judicial cooperation among the participating countries as well as between them and EU institutions and Member States.

Ladislav Hamran, President of Eurojust, said: Eurojust's achievements are firmly based on the notions of trust, cooperation and partnership, including with third countries. Eurojust has been actively building a network of judicial contact points in 42 third States, including Argentina, Brazil and Chile. We can offer study visits at Eurojust to explain our way of working and allow the participating countries to draw on our technical expertise, such as on how to set up a joint investigation team (JIT). El PAcCTO can act as a catalyst towards enhancing our operational and strategic cooperation in the future to defeat transnational organised crime and better protect our citizens.

In April 2018, Eurojust participated in the public presentation of EL PAcCTO in Buenos Aires, as a qualified judicial cooperation body. Currently, judicial cooperation tools such as coordination meetings, in some of which Brazil took part, are highly appreciated among the countries concerned. Moreover, Eurojust's network of contact points could be further extended through its contribution to the project, with the participation of additional Latin American countries.

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