Annual meeting of the EJN Contact Points in the Western Balkans and the EU, 9 June 2026, Tirana (Albania)

On 9 June 2026, the EJN Contact Points in the Western Balkans and the EU gathered in Tirana (Albania) for their annual meeting, which focused on strengthening cross-border judicial cooperation, with particular emphasis on cross-border surveillance measures, digital evidence, and emerging challenges in international criminal investigations.

The event opened with remarks from Prosecutor General of Albania, Mr. Olsian Çela, Minister of Justice Toni Gogu, and Mr. Hugh Dockry, Secretary to the EJN. The speakers highlighted the importance of enhanced cooperation among judicial authorities in addressing increasingly complex cross-border crime and the central role of the EJN in facilitating the direct contacts between national authorities and facilitating the execution of requests for judicial cooperation.

A central feature of the programme was a panel discussion on cross-border surveillance: legal framework, challenges encountered by practitioners and best practices, after which EJN Contact Points engaged in exchanging experiences and perspectives on improving operational coordination and information-sharing across jurisdictions.

Ms. Lisette Vos, Senior Prosecutor at the Dutch Prosecutor’s Office and Eurojust Deputy National Member, delivered a presentation on the European Union’s e-Evidence legislative package. Her presentation outlined the new legal framework designed to facilitate access to electronic evidence in criminal investigations while safeguarding fundamental rights and data protection standards.

The programme also featured updates from key international partners such as the Southeast European Law Enforcement Centre (SELEC) and SEEPAG, EU4FAST, and the EPPO.

The meeting concluded with an update from the EJN Secretariat on ongoing projects and developments related to the EJN website, reinforcing the Network’s commitment to supporting judicial practitioners through modern tools and enhanced cooperation mechanisms.

The event underscored the shared commitment of European and regional partners to strengthening judicial collaboration, improving access to electronic evidence, and addressing the evolving challenges of cross-border criminal investigations in an increasingly digital environment.

Ahead of this meeting, the Head of the EJN Secretariat met bilaterally with the Prosecutor General of Albania to discuss the involvement of Albania in the EJN and cooperation with the Albanian EJN Contact Points. They also discussed digitalisation of justice and the added value of the EJN website.