New Working Arrangement Fosters Cooperation between Eurojust and OLAF
On 29 March 2023, Eurojust and OLAF signed a new Working Arrangement to enhance their cooperation in the fight against fraud, corruption, environmental crime, intellectual property crime, and other crimes affecting the EU's financial interests. The Working Arrangement replaces the 15-year old Practical Agreement on arrangements of cooperation between Eurojust and OLAF signed in 2008.
The new Working Arrangement outlines practical details of the institutional, strategic, and operational cooperation between Eurojust and OLAF. Both parties will establish liaison teams to serve as contact points and coordinate cooperation between the two agencies and to prepare the annual high-level meetings between OLAF's Director-General and Eurojust's President. OLAF and Eurojust agree to exchange information of a strategic nature and collaborate with regard to training, workshops, seminars, and conferences. The secondment of a representative to the other party is also possible.
In the area of operational cooperation, the bodies may, for instance, provide each other with mutual assistance and advice, seek judicial recommendations, and participate in coordination meetings, coordination centres, and other operational meetings. Furthermore, they may cooperate in Joint Investigations Teams (JITs) by informing the other party of a relevant JIT and asking the relevant Member State to invite the other party to take part in it. In addition, OLAF may request Eurojust to ask the competent authority of the Member States concerned to set up a JIT in cases dealing with an illegal activity within OLAF’s mandate. Lastly, the Arrangement sets out detailed rules for the exchange of operational information, respective communication channels, data protection rules, access to documents, communication with the media, and expenses.