First Meeting of Working Group 3: Working Group on Criminal Law in order to prepare a tool equivalent to the so-called "fiches belges", Rome, 5-7 June 2012

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

This meeting takes place under the third main component of the project: Criminal and Penitentiary Law. The objective of this activity is two-fold, namely to promote a debate on the reform of criminal systems in the beneficiary countries, with special reference to the Procedural Criminal Law, and to improve judicial cooperation in criminal matters. This working group on criminal law also aims to provide a forum within which the above-mentioned debate can take place on ways of improving judicial cooperation. The work of this WG will focus on the preparation of a tool equivalent to the so-called “fiches belges” for the ENPI South partner countries.

This meeting is the first of a series of 3 meetings devoted to this issue and will focus on the tracing and interception of (tele) communications and agents and informers –infiltration. More particularly: Interception, recording and transcription of telecommunications; tracing of telecommunications; interception and recording of other forms of communication; interception of mail; observation; infiltration by undercover agents of the requested State; infiltration by agents of the requesting State in the territory of the requested State; Infiltration by an informer of the requested State; and handling of informers.

 Methodology for the preparation and delivery of the handbook

The work to be developed shall take into account the content and structure of the European Judicial Network’s “fiches belges” and the experience of this institution in this field. The Working Group will function as real think-tank in the field covered and will be an opportunity to exchange information and debate on various topics. The results of the work of the WG will be of paramount importance to obtain a real knowledge of the legal systems and have in-depth discussions on the topics concerned. In addition, the tool equivalent to the so-called “fiches belges” will also be able to be used as a practical guide. The tool will be prepared in time to be presented during the Intermediate Regional Conference in the course of the second year of the project.

During this first meeting, we are going to explain the general and specific content, as well as the timing and methodology of the activity; we will also have the opportunity to discuss the expected results related to this topic as well as the planning of the work that needs to be developed to achieve this goal.