European criminal justice in the European and global context

European criminal justice is not only about harmonization and Europeanization of the domestic criminal justice systems but also about common criminal policies and shared values, including key values related to the rule of law. What has been achieved in the European integration process and what are the challenges ahead of us? The author assesses this in the area of harmonization of substantive criminal law and criminal procedure; mutual recognition; European judicial agencies and the external dimension of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice