Eurojust and Ukraine Cooperation in International Crime Investigation: Mechanisms and Prospects

Abstract

The article provides a detailed analysis of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation’s activities in documenting and investigating international crimes committed in Ukraine. The author examines the legal foundations of Ukraine’s cooperation with Eurojust and identifies the main areas of their interaction.
The article highlights Eurojust’s key role as a coordinating body that provides legal, analytical, organizational, and financial support for the investigation and prosecution of international crimes. The agency helps overcome jurisdictional barriers in the process of collecting, exchanging, and directly accessing evidence, which is crucial for Ukraine in the context of uncovering and investigating war crimes.
The author notes that Russia’s military aggression has become a driving force for improving Eurojust’s operational mechanisms, expanding its competencies, and creating new institutions with special jurisdiction. The implemented changes have allowed the agency to adapt its activities to new international security challenges. The introduction of innovative cooperation tools in the fight against international crime, on the one hand, creates a strong potential for rapid investigation and prosecution and, on the other, requires harmonization of national and European legislation with modern realities. At this stage, it is crucial to comprehensively regulate the process of collecting and exchanging evidence, ensuring its effectiveness and compliance with legal standards.
The establishment of the Core International Crimes Evidence Database (CICED), the creation of the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA), and the activities of the Joint Investigation Team under Eurojust’s aegis have become revolutionary steps toward holding the Russian Federation accountable for international crimes.
The article emphasizes that Russia’s military actions have forced the EU to reconsider its priorities and policies in the fight against crime. The focus has shifted to countering war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression, which pose a serious global threat as they endanger the very existence of the Ukrainian nation.
The author points out that despite all the challenges of war, Ukraine is confidently moving toward its strategic goal of achieving full EU membership. Acquiring new status will significantly expand cooperation opportunities with Eurojust, ensuring direct access to databases, analytical tools, financial resources, and mechanisms for operational collaboration.