A European Investigation Order is a judicial decision issued by a Member State, called the issuing State, requesting another Member State, called the executing State, using forms common to all States, to carry out within a certain period of time on its territory investigations aimed at obtaining evidence relating to a criminal offence or the communication of evidence already in its possession.
The purpose of the investigation order may also be to provisionally prevent on the territory of the executing State any destruction, transformation, movement, transfer or disposal of items that may be used as evidence.
It may also have as its purpose the temporary transfer to the issuing State of a person held in custody in the executing State, in order to enable procedural acts requiring that person’s presence to be carried out in the issuing State, or the temporary transfer to the executing State of a person held in custody in the issuing State for the purpose of participating in the requested investigations on that territory.
The evidence referred to in the first two subparagraphs may also relate to the violation by a person of obligations resulting from a criminal conviction, even if such violation does not constitute an offence.