EU to Establish Digital Platform to Boost Cross-Border Judicial Cooperation

The European Council adopted a new law setting up a digital platform that it said allows for an easier exchange of information between prosecutors and judges working in joint investigation teams. The voluntary platform will "enable the exchange and temporary storage of operational information and evidence, ensure secure communication and facilitate the traceability of evidence," the council said in an April 24 news release. Eu-LISA, the EU agency for the management of large-scale IT systems in the area of justice, will be charged with designing the platform. The council said the platform's operation start date will be "no later than two and half years after the entry into force of the regulation."