Judicial practical guide on country of origin information published by EASO

The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) published a practical guide on COI to assist judges and decision-makers in their use of COI. Additionally, EASO published an extensive judicial analysis produced by IARLJ-Europe on evidence and credibility assessment in the context of the Common European Asylum System. 

The publications are part of the EASO Professional Development Series for members of courts and tribunals.

From the practical guide's preface:

"The purpose of the Judicial practical guide on country of origin information is to provide courts and tribunals in Member States with a helpful aid for dealing with country of origin information (COI) in international protection cases. The judicial practical guide seeks to assist judges and decision-makers in ensuring that their use of COI in decision-making complies with the common criteria for qualification for international protection in the recast qualification directive (QD (recast)) and the requirements for fairness and effectiveness in the recast asylum procedures directive (APD (recast)). In times of ‘fake news’ and ‘posttruth facts’ it is all the more important to have a sound methodology for assessing COI." (EASO, 2018a, p. 6)

Read the 54 page guide here:

The guide is accompanied by a compilation of relevant jurisprudence from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on the country of origin information:

EASO also published a judicial analysis on evidence & credibility assessment, produced by IARLJ-Europe. The document also covers the topic COI, and the practical guide mentioned above refers to it several times.

From the preface:

"The analysis is primarily intended for use by members of courts and tribunals of EU Member States concerned with hearing appeals or conducting reviews of decisions on applications for international protection. The objective is to scrutinise how, in the context of the CEAS, members of courts and tribunals should either review the evidence and credibility assessment undertaken by the determining authority (or court or tribunal of lower instance) or carry out evidence and credibility assessment themselves. It aims to provide a judicial analysis which is of use both to those without (or with limited) prior experience of adjudication in the field of the CEAS as well as to those who are experienced or specialist judges in the field. As such, it aims to be a useful point of reference for all members of courts and tribunals concerned in the hearing of cases or actions to which the CEAS applies." (EASO, 2018c, p. 13)

Read the 224 page document here:

It is also accompanied by a compilation of relevant jurisprudence from the Court of Justice of the Euopean Union (CJEU), the European Court of Human Rights and national law:

Update: The guide and the judicial analysis are now available in more languages (the compilations of jurisprudence are only available in English). You can find the translations at: https://easo.europa.eu/courts-and-tribunals

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