iPROCEEDS-2: Participation of cybercrime experts from South-East Europe and Türkiye in EUROPOL events

iPROCEEDS – 2: Cooperation on Cybercrime under the Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) – is a Joint project of the European Union and the Council of Europe.

Participating countries/areas: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye and Kosovo*

Objective: To further strengthen the capacity of authorities in project countries and areas to search, seize and confiscate cybercrime proceeds and prevent money laundering on the Internet and to secure electronic evidence.

^{*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.}

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Project Summary

ACTIVITIES

Back iPROCEEDS-2: Participation of cybercrime experts from South-East Europe and Türkiye in EUROPOL events

In April and June 2023, the joint project of the European Union and the Council of Europe iPROCEEDS-2 facilitate the participation of cybercrime investigators from South-East Europe in two specialised events hosted by EUROPOL in The Hague.

Between 24-26 April, the 9^th Virtual Currencies Conference focused on cryptocurrencies and provided participants with valuable insights into the current developments in the crypto space, from a law enforcement perspective. The conference showcased high-end crypto tracing tools, presented case studies from global cybercrime departments and featured demonstrations of tracing tools by leading companies in the industry. Law enforcement delegates and representatives of centralised crypto exchanges attended bilateral meetings and shared their knowledge on emerging forms of crime that may impact the region in the future.

The Europol Experts' Annual Meeting on Child Sexual Exploitation took place from 30 May to 1 June, aiming to enhance the capacity of criminal justice authorities across the globe to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) through effective cross-border co-operation. The event brought together over 150 dedicated experts from various disciplines and countries, including criminal justice practitioners, private industries, academics, healthcare sectors, NGOs and representatives from Europol, EC DG NEAR and the Council of Europe.

The meeting served as a platform to share best practices, present new technologies and discuss solutions to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation, online and offline. Participants explored topics which included offender hacking, victim identification, deepfake technology and global standards in sensitive child exploitation investigations. The event highlighted the importance of experts' well-being due to the challenging nature of their work and emphasised the need for effective strategies to address mental health impact.

Follow-up actions with Europol will include CSE training, victim identification programs and the Annual Darkweb Conference. The collaboration between the Council of Europe, Europol and participating countries underscores the commitment to combatting cybercrime and protecting vulnerable groups, particularly children, from online exploitation.

iPROCEEDS-2 Project