Criminal law be

The contribution offered by criminal law to the construction of the new legal and social order and a stable and lasting peace is no more than an indirect effect of the functions of stigmatisation, communication and reaffirmation of the violated values normally fulfilled by criminal prosecution

This makes cooperation and mutual recognition of decisions easier across the EU EU criminal law helps to prevent and punish serious offences, for example environmental crime In accordance with the Treaties the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice is an area of shared competence between the EU and the Member States