Conditionality in defining the future cooperation in criminal matters between the United Kingdom and the European Union

The United Kingdom ceased to be a Member State of the European Union on February 1st, 2020, and while the Withdrawal Agreement still applies and prolongs the possibility to rely on key EU instruments, the European Union and the United Kingdom are defining the modalities of their future cooperation in various areas, including in criminal matters. This article, written as the negotiations are progressing, aims to stress the strong conditionality that underpins the possible modalities of their future cooperation. It focusses particularly on the condition of an adequate level of data protection as an essential prerequisite for police cooperation, and the protection of procedural safeguards through a continuous adherence to the European Convention on Human Rights for judicial cooperation. It concludes in stressing the importance of trust in shaping future cooperation, in criminal matters and beyond.