Encoding cross-border judicial cooperation in criminal matters: current practices and the rise of the EU e-Justice infrastructure

This chapter explores the development of the EU policy in the field of evidence-gathering and sharing, giving an account of the models of operational cooperation currently in place to support the better application of the judicial procedures aimed at detecting and countering transnational criminal phenomena. As part of this exploration, attention is paid to the actions carried out by the EU and the Member States to design IT solutions to further smooth judicial procedures, and in particular to the e-CODEX experience and its ongoing developments in the criminal matters area. The objective is shedding some light on the evolution of this multi- faceted (organizational, legal and technological) toolbox supporting cross border judicial cooperation in criminal matters. It is also to help assessing the extent to which this evolving system can address the current security EU top priorities and meet the needs of practitioners operating in a multicultural judicial and legal landscape