In 2020, the EJN performed an EJN Peer Evaluation exercise with the active participation of the EJN Contact Points. The objective of the assessment was to evaluate the functioning of the Network with a special focus on its operational functions and support to judicial cooperation. It serves as an assessment of the working methods within the Network and a basis for proposal for recommendations for further improving the functioning of the EJN and the cooperation within the Network and with other partner networks and EU bodies.
The EJN Peer Evaluation was conducted by the EJN Working Group on Peer Evaluation, composed of 11 EJN Contact Points from different EU Member States and the EJN Secretariat. The evaluation was based on contributions and input from the EJN Contact Points in the EU Member States, EU candidate countries and EJN associated countries. The evaluation resulted in a Final Report that was adopted by the EJN at the 42nd EJN Regular meeting in March 2021. The Report also integrates an action plan with follow-up actions to be taken by the EJN on the basis of the findings of the Peer evaluations.
The evaluation has demonstrated that the EJN continues to be a reliable channel for facilitating the execution of judicial cooperation requests and support the exchange of case-related information. The EJN Contact Points reported more than 90 000 cases in recent years and, with this experience in mind, they indicated that the assistance of their EJN colleagues has provided a success rate of 84.2% for their cases. They also acknowledged the extensive resources and practical tools on the EJN website that further support them in their cooperation on cases.
Additionally, the EJN Contact Points highly value the EJN meetings as a forum to discuss relevant topics of judicial cooperation but also as opportunity to establish personal contacts that has proven to give even better results when cooperating on cases.
The evaluation highlighted some areas where EJN could improve further in order to develop the functioning of the network and to facilitate the work of the Contact Points, such as: additional training opportunities for the EJN Contact Points and closer cooperation with partners in the field of judicial training, closer cooperation with other regional judicial networks and partners, improved awareness strategy and possibilities for organizing more regional and national meetings. The concrete steps to be taken by the EJN are incorporated in the Action Plan attached to the Final Report.
You may read the Final Report on the EJN Peer Evaluations here.