The main responsibilities and work of the Legal Affairs Unit, within the framework of the participation in the Working Groups in the EU concerns:

(a) Issues of Cooperation in the Sectors of Justice and Home Affairs (Chapter 24, Justice & Home Affairs) and in particular, issues of substantive criminal law and international legal and judicial cooperation in criminal and civil matters, including human rights issues, and

(b) Issues of Chapter 2 (Free Movement of Persons) and specific issues of cross-border practice of the legal profession.


Directives incorporated into Cypriot law concerning Criminal and European Arrest Warrant Proceedings

Other Directives recently incorporated into Cypriot law:

· Directive 2012/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA·
· Directive (EU) 2017/1371 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2017 on the fight against fraud to the Union's financial interests by means of criminal law.In the context of the policy for the protection of the financial interests of the European Union and with the aim of ensuring the uniform protection of the financial interests of the European Union in line with the acquis of the Union in this field, a Law was enacted entitled as" the Law on the fight against fraud to the Union's financial interests by means of criminal law” incorporating into domestic law Directive 2017/1371/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of July 5, 2017 on the fight against fraud to the Union's financial interests by means of criminal law.

• With the aim of harmonizing the Cyprιοt law with the provisions of Directive 2019/713/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on combating fraud and counterfeiting of means of payment other than cash and replacing the 2011 Framework Decision /413/DEY, the Law on combating fraud and counterfeiting of non-cash means of payment of 2021, was enacted. Specifically, the Law establishes rules regarding the definition of criminal offenses and penalties, with regard to combat fraud and counterfeit of means of payment other than cash, and facilitates the prevention of these offenses and the provisions of assistance and support to victims.


Framework Decisions

Also, in recent years the following Framework Decisions (Community tool which, which has been abolished, after the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty) have been incorporated into the internal legal order, relating to judicial cooperation in the criminal field:

· Council Framework Decision 2008/909/JHA of 27 November 2008 on the application of the principle of mutual recognition to judgments in criminal matters imposing custodial sentences or measures involving deprivation of liberty for the purpose of their enforcement in the European Union·
· Council Framework Decision 2008/947/JHA of 27 November 2008 on the application of the principle of mutual recognition to judgments and probation decisions with a view to the supervision of probation measures and alternative sanctions·

· Council Framework Decision 2009/829/JHA of 23 October 2009 on the application, between Member States of the European Union, of the principle of mutual recognition to decisions on supervision measures as an alternative to provisional detention.

Directive on the European Protection Order