While a more borderless and digital European Union can lead to greater overall stability and prosperity, these same factors result in criminal activity that increasingly has a transnational nature. This reality challenges the largely territorial practices and procedures to investigate and prosecute criminal activity within individual Member States.  The mutual legal assistance systems to share evidence in criminal cases established more than a century ago remain important, but new EU investigative tools must be updated to face today’s reality in a manner consistent with rule of law.

The CEELI Institute is therefore delighted to partner with the University of Silesia, the Association of Croatian Judges, and the Polish Judicial Association Iustitia, with support from the European Commission, to produce this practical handbook addressing European Search Warrants, Investigative Orders, Arrest Warrants, and Freeze and Seizure Orders. The handbook provides practical guidance to navigate the relevant European Directives that seek to promote the timely and efficient tools to combat transnational crime within the EU consistent with the privacy and other rights guaranteed under EU law. We hope that this guide will become a valuable reference to assist in the successful implementation of these important EU initiatives.

This handbook has been prepared as a part of the project “International Judicial Training: Boosting Judicial Competencies in a Post-pandemic Reality” (EC International Judicial Training JUST-2022-JTRA101089959) organized in cooperation between the CEELI Institute, the Interdisciplinary Center for Judicature of the University of Silesia, the Association of Croatian Judges, and the Polish Judges’ Association Iustitia. This handbook is designed for active civil judges from EU member countries, focusing on applying EU instruments in civil justice and providing access to the full extent of rights guaranteed by EU law.