Ensuring effective procedural rights guarantees for suspects and accused persons is an essential element of cross-border judicial and police cooperation. Balancing fundamental rights and security considerations in criminal justice is a complex process involving multiple actors with different roles and priorities. Developing harmonized approaches for facilitating cross-border judicial and police cooperation can contribute to the identification and exchange of good practices regarding the application of relevant fundamental rights standards.

On 7 July 2022, the Center for the Study of Democracy held an international conference that focused on fundamental rights issues in the implementation of EU instruments concerning the principle of mutual recognition in criminal justice matters. The conference brought together law enforcement and criminal justice professionals, and academic scholars. The conference programme featured contributions from leading researchers and experts from Bulgaria, Italy, and the Netherlands.