What is e-EDES?
Based on Council Conclusions from 9 June 2016 the European Commission has built a secure online solution for electronic requests and responses concerning MLA and EIOs: the e-Evidence Digital Exchange System and its front-end Reference Implementation Portal (e-EDES-RI). The system setup reflects the principle, followed by e-CODEX, that interoperability is achieved through common requirements, leaving to the participants the maximum level of autonomy in supporting those requirements.
Relying on the e-Evidence Digital Exchange System, it is possible for the users: to prepare the EIO/MLA forms in a digital way and send them as a message; and to attach a document to each message. Main e-EDES features include starting a new request (digital or paper), searching for and selecting the executing authority, filling in the request and attaching files to it, sending (and receiving) requests, printing the data entered in the request in a PDF version, and sending back confirmation of receipt of the request and other type of messages. Optional use of automated translation as well as for requests’ tracking and tracing is also envisaged.
The way e-EDES operates allows for its potential expansion to other judicial cooperation instruments.
The e-EDES advantages may be summarized as following:
Enabling direct cross-border exchanges between competent authorities electronically
Speeding up the process
Guaranteeing security of the exchanges
Allowing for the establishment of authenticity and integrity of documents transmitted
Offering a multilingual environment
Reducing costs of paper-based communication
Reducing burden on authorities by facilitating the procedures
Increasing transparency of the process by generating statistics of exchanges
Overall, increasing efficiency of judicial cooperation
With respect to the above, it is crucial for TREIO to align the project timeline to the System's development stages and the respective integration plans of all national projects currently taking place. Thus, to properly advance on its project activities, TREIO regularly takes part in e-EDES and related projects’ coordination meetings to discuss how to best work together will all key stakeholders in the e-EDES EU-wide deployment.
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