The Council of Europe today opened for signature a new protocol to its Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters at the Ministers of Justice conference, organised under the Malta Presidency and focused on enhancing cross-border cooperation and mutual assistance.
This new protocol ("the Valletta Protocol") modernises mutual assistance procedures, introduces new types of requests and embraces digital tools to make cooperation faster, more efficient, and better suited to today's challenges - all while safeguarding human rights.
Reinforcing trust in our judicial and democratic processes
At the signing ceremony of the Valletta Protocol, Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge thanked the signatories for their vital support in strengthening the cooperation in countering transnational crimes. "Criminal networks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and inventive in the ways that they can use distance, technology and artificial intelligence to their advantage. Together we can work to fight crime and reinforce trust in our judicial and democratic processes."
The text was signed by Belgium, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
Improving judicial cooperation across borders
While the 1959 convention, together with its protocols, remains a cornerstone of international cooperation in combating crime, this new protocol strengthens states' ability to respond effectively amid rapid political, social and technological changes, including increasing use of digital tools in judicial cooperation.
Key improvements include:
- Simplified and accelerated mutual assistance procedures;
- Expanded scope for mutual assistance requests;
- Greater use of electronic communications and video conferencing, use of technical surveillance tools such as GPS trackers and telecommunications interception, as well as clear time limits for responses.
This update marks a significant step forward in modernising judicial cooperation across borders.
Read the Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters in full
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