Judicial cooperation on criminal matters: good practice in mutual legal assistance

In adopting the report by Mr Stéphane BUFFETAUT (I-EDN, F) on the joint action on good practice in mutual legal assistance in criminal matters Parliament approved the draft joint action which it noted was non-binding. For this reason it proposed various amendments seeking to improve judicial assistance on the practical level. It therefore called for: - speeding up of the deposit with the Council Secretariat of the statements of good practice in executing requests for legal assistance (six months and not one year); - compliance by the Member States with the minimum requirements of these declarations and the following of the minimum procedures laid down; - the drawing up by each Member States of an annual report on compliance with its undertakings, containing summaries and statistics on the execution of requests for assistance received and indicating any anticipated improvements. This report would be made available to the European Judicial Network; - the drawing up of an annual report by the European Judicial Network. This report would deal with the situation and functioning of mutual judicial assistance in criminal matters at European level and would make recommendations based on evaluations of the national reports drawn up by the Member States. This annual report would be forwarded to the Council before 1 July each year and made available to the Member States (who could make comments on it) and to the Commission and the European Parliament for information. �