Looking back at over fifteen years of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) cooperation
in the European Union (EU), the number of initiatives on police and judicial
cooperation in criminal matters is impressive. This contribution is devoted to two
particular forms of cooperation: the activities of joint investigation teams (JITs)
and the participation of the European Police Office (Europol) in these activities.
Judging from the relevant legal and policy instruments on the level of the EU, it
was envisaged from the outset that Europol would play a role in JITs. What this
entails exactly is explored in this contribution. The focus on JITs is instrumental,
as it allows us to elaborate on the past, present and future development of
Europol. In two parts and a conclusion, this contribution covers the role of
Europol in JITs and addresses the question as to whether the role of Europol in
JITs is a foretaste of an executive European Police Office. The first part properly
defines the JIT-concept (both in form and in content), which is then used as a
steppingstone to elaborate on the development of Europol in the second part.
Europol’s role in JITs is examined under the Europol Convention, the JIT Protocol
and the (Proposal for a) Europol Council Decision, respectively.
Key words: European Union, Third Pillar, Police and judicial cooperation in criminal
matters, Joint Investigation Teams, Europol