European Union (Amendment) Bill

My Lords, I find myself very much in agreement with the noble Baroness, Lady Ludford. Eurojust’s mission is to support and strengthen co-ordination and co-operation between national investigating and prosecuting authorities in relation to serious crime affecting two or more member states, or requiring prosecution on common bases—on the basis of operations conducted and information supplied by the member states’ authorities and Europol. Of course, the European Parliament and the Council are empowered to adopt regulations to determine Eurojust’s structure, operation, field of action and tasks. Those tasks include the co-ordination of such investigations and prosecutions and—the noble Baroness is absolutely right—strengthening judicial co-operation. There are still moves to establish this office of European public prosecutor, of which we are all aware. The Minister may be right in saying that they will never come to fruition with regard to the United Kingdom and that there are double locks. However, I go back to our earlier debates and say that there is nothing quite as good as requiring parliamentary approval. That is why I seek to test the opinion of the House. On Question, Whether the said amendment (No. 28C) shall be agreed to? Their Lordships divided: Contents, 63; Not-Contents, 132.