Recital 1

The Union has set itself the objective of maintaining and developing an area of freedom, security and justice. For the gradual establishment of such an area, the Union is to adopt measures relating to judicial cooperation in criminal matters based on the principle of mutual recognition of judgments and judicial decisions, which is commonly referred to as a cornerstone of judicial cooperation in criminal matters within the Union since the Tampere European Council of 15 and 16 October 1999.