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This article examines the ongoing reform of the European Union’s anti-corruption mechanism against the backdrop of a large and vulnerable EU budget and persistent shortcomings in protecting the Union’s financial interests. It identifies two core weaknesses of the current framework centred on OLAF: the lack …

This article analyses the evolution and functioning of international monitoring mechanisms established to evaluate states’ implementation of anti-corruption instruments. After outlining the main global and regional conventions adopted since the mid-1990s, including those of the OAS, EU, OECD, Council of Europe, and the United Nations, …

At the core of every successful cross-border operation are robust legal foundations that facilitate cooperation between the parties. Along with multilateral, bilateral, and national instruments, the EU's major Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) agencies – Europol, Frontex, Eurojust, and, more recently, the European Public Prosecutor’s …

On 15 October 2025, the Italian Supreme Court (Corte Suprema di Cassazione) halted the surrender of a former Ukrainian military officer from Italy to Germany. The requested person was sought by the German authorities for “sabotage” in connection with the attacks on the Nord Stream …

Dear Readers, While internal and external security remain key priorities for the European Union, they require constant adaptation to the evolving crime situation and geopolitical context. As the April 2025 EU Security Strategy (ProtectEU) puts it, the current threat landscape is stark: the line between hybrid threats and open warfare is becoming increasingly blurred, and hostile states are waging hybrid campaigns against the EU across online and offline domains to disrupt our societal cohesion and democratic processes. As Europol outlines, powerful organised crime networks are proliferating in Europe, most with extra-EU connections, penetrating our economy and affecting our society. Cryptocurrencies…

The proposed European Union’s budget for external action is €200 billion for the 2028–2034 period , supporting development, humanitarian aid, and foreign policy worldwide. The EU is facing mounting budgetary challenges, including greater complexity, the emergence of new international actors with approaches differing significantly from …

The Treaty between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Swiss Confederation on cross-border police and judicial cooperation (German-Swiss Police Treaty), concluded on 5 April 2022, puts the cross-border cooperation between the two neighbouring States on new footing. This article deals with Arts. 45 - …

The 2023 e-evidence Regulation – the new mutual recognition instrument introducing Preservation and Production Orders to obtain e-evidence from service providers – includes a provision allowing issuing authorities to decide freely whether to use this new instrument or to resort to alternative ones, even if …

The relationship between the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in the context of anti-corruption efforts represents a multi-dimensional and strategic partnership that responds to the complexity of global corruption challenges. This article explores the collaboration between the …

Mutual recognition of judicial decisions and mutual trust are considered one of the cornerstones of the EU’s Area of Freedom, Security and Justice. In recent years, the ECJ has rendered numerous decisions dealing with the scope of these principles and further elaborating the idea that …