On 6 and 7 June 2024, the Republic of Croatia organised a Regional EJN Meeting for EJN Contact Points from neighbouring Member States and third States in Vukovar with the aim to exchange best practices and solve current problems in international cooperation in cases of transnational organised. The countries participating were: Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, the Republic of Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo¹.
The main topic of the meeting was finding the best legal instruments and channels of cross-border communication in order to obtain necessary evidence, testimonies of witnesses and coordinate investigations in migrant smuggling cases. One of the challenges in prosecuting these type of offences is identifying the organiser of the criminal association, as well as ensuring the court interpreters.
Another topic of this meeting was the prosecution of money laundering offences with foreign predicate offences.
The meeting was also an excellent occasion to promote the EJN website and its e-tools and presented possibilities facilitating daily work on cases with an international element. The participants have been informed about all the novelties and the role of EJN on the EU level.
¹ This designation is without prejudice to the positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.