Michael Schmid Elected as New President of Eurojust, Set to Lead Agency into Digital Age

Michael Schmid Elected as New President of Eurojust, Set to Lead Agency into Digital Age

(IN BRIEF) Michael Schmid has been elected as the new President of Eurojust, taking office on 15 November 2024 for a four-year term. Schmid, Austria’s National Member at Eurojust since 2022, will succeed Ladislav Hamran. Schmid aims to strengthen Eurojust’s support for European judicial authorities in tackling the growing complexities of criminal proceedings. His career at Eurojust spans various roles, including Deputy National Member and Justice Counsellor at Austria’s EU representation in Brussels. Schmid is also an experienced legal educator and speaks several languages.

(PRESS RELEASE) THE HAGUE, 13-Nov-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Michael Schmid, Austria’s National Member at Eurojust, has been elected as the new President of the Agency. Schmid, 40, will officially begin his four-year term on 15 November, succeeding Ladislav Hamran, who is completing his second and final term as President. Schmid has been representing Austria’s judicial authorities at Eurojust since 2022, and previously served as Deputy National Member and Justice Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Austria to the European Union in Brussels.

Expressing his gratitude after being elected, Schmid said, “I am truly honored by the trust my colleagues have placed in me. As we move forward, my aim is to further enhance Eurojust’s support for judicial authorities across Europe. With the growing complexity of criminal proceedings, driven by digitalization, non-European links, and increasingly interconnected criminal networks, it is only through collaboration that we can effectively address these challenges and ensure a safer Europe.”

As President, Schmid will oversee the Agency’s activities, represent Eurojust, and lead the regular meetings of the National Members in the College. He will also collaborate closely with the two Vice-Presidents of Eurojust, Boštjan Škrlec and Margarita Šniutytė-Daugėlienė, and the Administrative Director, Vincent Jamin, to direct and monitor the Agency’s management.

Eurojust has played a central role throughout Schmid’s career. He first joined the Agency in 2014 as a trainee through the European Judicial Trainee Network (EJTN). He then worked as a Seconded National Expert and later as an assistant to the National Member. In 2017, Schmid became Deputy National Member, where he also served as Vice-Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Team. Schmid’s role as Justice Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Austria to the European Union in Brussels included participation in numerous Council negotiations on criminal law, including the Digital Services Act. He returned to Eurojust in 2022 as Austria’s National Member and has recently chaired the Advisory Group on Organisational Development.

A graduate in law from the University of Vienna, Schmid began his career in the Austrian judiciary in 2007 and became a prosecutor in Vienna, handling both general criminal cases and economic crimes. He later pursued a Master’s in criminal justice at Leiden University in the Netherlands, graduating cum laude in 2021. Schmid has also served as a guest lecturer at universities in Austria and internationally, and as a teacher for practitioners at institutions such as the Austrian Ministry of Justice, EJTN, the European Legal Academy in Trier, and CEPOL in Budapest. He is fluent in German, English, Dutch, and French.

Media Contact:

Eurojust Press Team
Phone: + 31 70 412 55 00
media@eurojust.europa.eu

Source: Eurojust