ABSTRACT
EU police cooperation, which initially only operated within the borders of EU countries, now has a growing ‘external’ dimension too. In the past, EU member states tended to engage with non-EU countries on an individual basis. However, when EU internal law enforcement cooperation became more formalised around the year 2000, opportunities were simultaneously created for more harmonised external cooperation. New possibilities include cooperation with third countries through EU institutions or through EU legal instruments, which were primarily created to foster police cooperation within the EU but which have also facilitated external engagement. Furthermore, the EU has concluded treaties directly with non-EU member states that have promoted criminal justice cooperation. This article explores the EU’s external police cooperation through Europol and Eurojust, and the possibilities for external engagement through Liaison Officers and Joint Investigation Teams. It analyses, in particular, their legal set-up. Finally, external cooperation is put into context by exploring the EU–Japan relationship, focusing on the working arrangement between Europol and Japan’s National Police Agency.
