The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted a Third Additional Protocol to the 1959 European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, marking a major step in modernising judicial cooperation.
The Protocol enhances the ability of member and partner states to tackle crime more effectively in a rapidly evolving political, social, and technological landscape. It supplements the original Convention and its first two Protocols, adapting them to today’s challenges.
Key improvements include:
- simplification and acceleration of mutual assistance procedures;
- broader scope for requesting assistance;
- expanded use of electronic communication and video conferencing;
- authorisation of technical surveillance tools (e.g. GPS tracking, telecommunications interception);
- and the introduction of time limits.
The Protocol was drafted by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on the Operation of European Conventions in the Penal Field (PC-OC), under the CDPC, drawing on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing reliance on digital tools in judicial cooperation.
It will be opened for signature during the informal Conference of Ministers of Justice in Valletta (Malta) on 18–19 September 2025.
Access to the text of the Protocol and its Explanatory Report is provided through the Judicial Library on the EJN website, which links to the Council of Europe’s official repository.