Willkommen bei ERA – Europäische Rechtsakademie

Objective

This three-hour e-learning course is a guide through the fundamental characteristics of EU criminal law.

What will become clear is that EU criminal law does not mirror national criminal law systems. There is no such thing as an EU criminal code or an EU criminal procedural code to turn to in cross-border cases. Instead, “EU criminal law” is a body of legal instruments and supporting EU-level actors influencing and facilitating the work of national criminal justice actors.

The course is divided into an introductory video, five modules and a quiz for self-evaluation. The modules delve into both the mechanism of approximation (of procedural and substantive criminal law) and the principles of mutual recognition (from the investigative stage to sentence execution to taking account of prior convictions during new criminal proceedings). The role and functioning of Europol, Eurojust and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office are clarified.

Key topics

• Procedural criminal law, especially looking at the presumption of innocence and right to a lawyer
• Substantive criminal law, especially looking at offences relating to trafficking in human beings  
• Mutual recognition of sentences, especially looking at cross-border execution and criminal records
• Police and judicial cooperation, including an introduction to the European Arrest Warrant and European Investigation Order
• Vertical cooperation, especially looking at the roles of Europol, Eurojust and the EPPO.

Who should attend?

Everyone seeking an introduction to EU criminal law.

• Procedural and substantive criminal law
• Mutual recognition of sentences
• Police and judicial cooperation
• Vertical cooperation: Europol, Eurojust & EPPO