Judicial cooperation: creation of a provisional Unit. Initiative Portugal, France, Sweden and Belgium

PURPOSE : to set up a Provisional Judicial Cooperation Unit. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Council Decision 2000/799/JHA setting up a Provisional Cooperation Unit. CONTENT : the objectives of the Provisional Unit are as follows: - to improve cooperation between the competent national authorities with regard to investigations and prosecutions in relation to serious crime, particularly when it is organised, involving two or more Member States; - in the same framework, to stimulate and improve the coordination of investigations and prosecutions in the Member States, taking into account any request emanating from a competent national authority and any information provided by any body competent by virtue of provisions adopted withn the framework of the Treaties. The Provisional Unit shall provide its expertise to the Member States and to the Council, where necessary, with a view to the negotiation and adoption by the Council of the instrument establishing Eurojust. Each Member State shall assign to the formation a prosecutor, judge or police officer of equivalent competence, to perform the liaison duties. Furthermore, the Commission shall be fully associated with the work of the Provisional Unit. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 14/12/2000. This Decision shall cease to apply on the date on which the instrument establishing Eurojust takes effect. That instrument is to be adopted before the end of 2001.�