On 30 June 2026, Eurojust and Iraq signed a Working Arrangement to strengthen and develop their strategic efforts in the fight against serious and organised crime and terrorism. It establishes a framework for cooperation between Eurojust and the competent Iraqi authorities, in particular the National Centre for International Judicial Cooperation (NCIJC).

The Working Arrangement is particularly significant in the context of ongoing efforts to ensure accountability for international crimes and to address evolving terrorist threats. With the closure of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD) in September 2024, the Iraqi NCIJC has become the main repository of evidence relating to crimes committed by ISIL/Da’esh, including material relevant to investigations involving foreign terrorist fighters. At the same time, former ISIL members have become increasingly involved in organised criminal activities, exploiting transnational criminal networks to generate revenue and potentially facilitate future terrorist activities.

Against this background, ensuring continued access to battlefield evidence collected by UNITAD has become a priority for the EU. This is underlined, for instance, by the EU's Internal Security Strategy, the ProtectEU Agenda to Prevent and Counter Terrorism, and the European Commission’s support in enhancing cooperation between Eurojust and the NCIJC.

The signing of the Working Arrangement therefore marks an important step in strengthening judicial cooperation between the EU and Iraq. The arrangement facilitates the exchange of legal, strategic, and technical information, encourages the sharing of best practices, and enables participation in awareness-raising and knowledge-building activities related to the respective mandates and competences of the parties. It also facilitates communication and consultation between Eurojust and the NCIJC through contact points, even prior to requests for mutual legal assistance or requests for information. It does not permit the exchange of personal operational data. All cooperation under the arrangement is to be carried out in full respect of fundamental rights and the principles enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and other applicable international human rights instruments.