It is only in the Seventies that activities related to judicial

cooperation in criminal matters were launched among the

Member States of the European Communities. During the first

period, the realizations in the field were extremely limited but

they progressively developed during the nineties in the frame-work

of the Third Pillar of the Treaty on the European Union.

After the coming into force of the Amsterdam Treaty, which

sets the new objective for the Union of establishing an area of

freedom, security and justice, the number of initiatives and of

the adopted instruments in the criminal sector have increased.

The rhythm has even been accelerated after the European

Summit hold in October 1999 in Tampere under the Finnish

Presidency and in reaction to the terrorist attacks of

11 September 2001. Consequently the European criminal

domain has become one of the main building areas of the

European Union. Its importance as well as the number and the

implications of the adopted texts within the field justify the

making of the present Code of criminal law of the European

Union. Its volume is the best proof of the reached development

of the European criminal area.