Fundamentals of Integration and Cooperation Policy in the Field of Justice and Home Affairs in the European Union: The Legal and Institutional Framework of the “Area of Freedom, Security and Justice”

This monograph examines the policies of integration and cooperation in the fields of justice and home affairs within the European Union, their origins and evolution, the modalities of their formulation, and the instruments employed for their implementation, particularly in the context of the European Union’s and its Member States’ efforts to address contemporary security threats, including various manifestations of crime.

In this regard, the monograph first analyzes policies related to the free movement of persons, with particular emphasis on the common policies on visas, asylum, migration, and the fight against illegal migration. It then examines policies in the field of police cooperation, as well as the key institutional capacities responsible for their implementation, ranging from Europol and Frontex to other specialized agencies operating at the Union level.

Subsequently, the monograph explores the policies and mechanisms of integration and cooperation in the area of judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters. In addition to identifying the principal instruments of civil judicial cooperation, this section pays special attention to the so-called criminal justice instruments of the European Union, such as the European Arrest Warrant, the European Evidence Warrant, the European Investigation Order, and the European Protection Order for victims and witnesses, as well as the relevant institutional capacities in this field, including Eurojust, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, and others.

Finally, the monograph addresses some of the key systemic challenges that prevent the European Union from achieving a significantly higher level of effectiveness in the fields of justice and home affairs.