Working together for more effective legal cooperation

Malta hosted a meeting on training trainers in legal cooperation on criminal matters, organised by EuroMed Justice IV. The project, funded by the European Union and managed by FIIAPP, aims to improve the justice systems of the Mediterranean basin countries through regional cooperation with several EU countries.

Starting from the need for specialised training in this area, which was accepted by the participants, the debate centred around the scope and content of the training materials and activities and the profile of the trainers. On this last topic, the conclusion was reached that they must be professionals involved in legal cooperation in their routine work and not academics.

Representatives of the judicial academies from Algeria, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia and several European countries also attended the event. In addition, the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN), UNODC, the European Programme for Human Rights Education (CoE-HELP Programme), the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) and the Siracusa International Institute also took part.

The Maltese Minister of Justice, Owen Bonnici, said at the closing ceremony for the meeting: “Europe and the Mediterranean are facing great challenges from the judicial point of view”. Among them, he mentioned immigration, people trafficking, organised crime and cybercrime. “These challenges require trust, understanding and cooperation between all the countries across the European-Mediterranean region,” he explained.

The Minister then emphasised the role of EuroMed and mentioned the first prosecutors-general forum that took place in Madrid. According to Bonnici, the project is a “platform that not only promotes mutual understanding but also establishes compatible ways of working that permit effective cooperation”.