Behind the Scenes in the Negotiation of EU Criminal Justice Legislation

Abstract

This paper addresses the ways in which the Lisbon Treaty changed the nature of EU criminal law and how those changes affected the negotiation and drafting of EU criminal law. Comparing two proposals by the Commission (on child sexual exploitation and rights of victims of crime) with the versions agreed by the Member States in the Council and with the final directives reveals the priorities of the institutions and how the Member States expect EU criminal law to work within their domestic regimes.