The Institutionalization of an Uncertain European Judiciary in Quest of Legitimacy: Eurojust

Since 2002, Eurojust has become the primary European judicial body in charge of promoting cooperation between the national jurisdictions of EU Member States. Created in a unique institutional and political context, the principal objective of this body is to institutionalize itself as an indispensable actor in European cooperation, particularly as regards national and supranational bodies. This paper sets out to analyze the logics of actions that have structured the daily work of Eurojust during its quest for legitimacy. By studying the resources mobilized by the members of this judicial body as well as the constraints on their action, it becomes possible to grasp why and how these actors have tended to retranslate their official mission and thereby redefine the role of Eurojust within Europe’s security space.