Some of the policy areas previously covered by Title VI of the Treaty on European Union (Justice and Home Affairs or the "third pillar") were transferred to the first pillar by the Treaty of Amsterdam. For those remaining in the third pillar, especially police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, the Treaty of Amsterdam establishes one of the Union's most important objectives: the creation of an area of freedom, security and justice.

The aim is to provide the public with a high level of protection by preventing and combating the phenomena of racism and xenophobia and other cross-border crime, including:

•terrorism;
•trafficking in human beings and crimes against children;
•drug trafficking;
•arms trafficking;
•corruption and fraud.

This is to be achieved by:

•closer cooperation between police forces and customs authorities through the European Police Office (Europol);
•closer cooperation between the judicial authorities, including cooperation through the European Judicial Cooperation Unit (Eurojust), established by the Treaty of Nice;
•approximation, where necessary, of rules on criminal matters in the Member States.

Although the Treaties of Amsterdam and Nice extended the use of qualified majority voting, however, decisions on matters covered by the third pillar still have to be adopted unanimously. On the area of freedom, security and justice on the other hand, a number of legal instruments used in the field of police and judicial cooperation since the Maastricht Treaty have changed. The common position and the convention remain, but joint actions have been replaced by two new instruments: decisions and framework decisions.

The Schengen acquis developed by some of the Member States in an intergovernmental framework, which also covers police and judicial cooperation, was also incorporated into the European Union and Community framework with the entry into force of the Amsterdam Treaty.

See:

•Area of freedom, security and justice
•Convention (Title VI of the EU Treaty)
•Decision and framework decision (Title VI of the EU Treaty)
•European arrest warrant
•European Judicial Network in criminal matters (EJN)
•Europol (European Police Office)
•Fight against drugs
•Fight against fraud
•Fight against international organised crime
•Fight against racism and xenophobia
•Fight against terrorism
•Joint action (Justice and home affairs)
•Joint position (Title VI of the EU Treaty)
•Justice and home affairs (JHA)
•Measures to combat money laundering
•Pillars of the European Union
•Schengen (Agreement and Convention)
•Title VI of the EU Treaty

The following video provides you with the correct English pronunciation of the word "Police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters", to help you become a better English speaker.