Source: Eurojust
Under the framework of the 6th phase of the EuroMed Justice (EMJ) Project, the 21st CrimEx was held on 21 and 22 May in Lisbon, Portugal. Criminal justice representatives from 6 South Partner Countries (SPCs) and 9 European Union Member States gathered to discuss technical and strategic aspects of international judicial cooperation in criminal matters, focusing on exchanges on challenges and best practices on cases of trafficking in human beings and migrant smuggling.
Representatives from the South Partner Countries and EU Member States also prepared for the 6th EuroMed Prosecutors General Forum, which will be held at Eurojust in The Hague in July 2025. CrimEx members gave their recommendations and discussed the 2025-2027 multi-annual strategy, together with the action plans in relation to judicial cooperation on asset recovery (A) and trafficking in human beings and migrant smuggling (B).
Additionally, the EuroMed Justice Project team reported on recent activities. This included a presentation from the Egyptian representative on the Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) activity on combating illicit cultural heritage trafficking, which took place in Cairo, Egypt in March.
After the conclusion of the meeting, the SPC representatives beneficiated from a study visit at the Portuguese Judiciary Police, where they continued the exchanges with practitioners from the Portuguese National Authorities on trafficking in human beings and migrant smuggling investigations.
In the margins of the main discussions, several bilateral meetings took place between the delegations.