Press Release: A new era for EU Justice and Home Affairs policies

The European Commission announced on the 1 December 2014 that this day marked a milestone for police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters in the European Union. As of 1st of December 2014, 5 years after the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the normal powers of the Commission and of the European Court of Justice would apply to the acts in this field, in the same way as in other areas of EU law.

This was the beginning of a new era for the whole field of Justice and Home Affairs, as current limitations to the judicial control by the European Court of Justice and to the Commission's role as Guardian of the Treaty over the area of judicial cooperation in criminal matters would be lifted, meaning the European Commission would have the power to launch infringement proceedings if EU law – previously agreed by Member States unanimously – had not been correctly implemented.

ESO: Background information: A New Chapter for Cross-border Criminal Justice by First Vice-President http://www.europeansources.info/record/speech-a-new-chapter-for-cross-border-criminal-justice-by-first-vice-president/

European Commission: DG Justice http://ec.europa.eu/justice/index_en.htm#newsroom-tab

European Commission: Communication: An open and secure Europe: making it happen http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/e-library/documents/basic-documents/docs/an_open_and_secure_europe_-_making_it_happen_en.pdf

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