The 59th Plenary Meeting of the European Judicial Network (EJN), under the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU, took place on 9-11 November 2022 in Prague with the participation of approximately 120 EJN Contact Points. The meeting was dedicated mainly to cross border surveillance and special investigative measures.
The participants were welcomed by Mr Igor Stříž, Prosecutor General of the Czech Republic and Ms Zuzana Fišerová, representing the Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic. After the opening remarks, Mr Peter Csonka, the Deputy Director for Criminal Justice Directorate General for Justice and Consumers, European Commission made an intervention on the actions of the Commission.
The practical aspects of the meeting were devoted to the current issues of EIO concerning certain investigative measures and whether they fall within the scope of the EIO Directive. The participants discussed current issues of interception of telecommunications and some investigative measures associated with the gathering of evidence in real time (cross-border surveillance, controlled delivery). The participants came to conclusion that there is no uniform legal regulation of cross-border surveillance at the EU level if the surveillance records are to be used as evidence in criminal proceedings, and that it is desirable to have special provisions for cross-border surveillance in the EIO Directive or a separate legal instrument to harmonize the procedures.
Furthermore, the EJN Contact Point in the European Commission informed about the legislative developments and proposals in the field of judicial cooperation as well as the efforts with regards to the digitalization of justice. The EJN Contact Points used the occasion of the meeting to say goodbye to Ola Löfgren, the outgoing Secretary to the EJN. The participants expressed their gratitude for his hard work towards further development and recognition of the EJN.