Eurojust and the Cybercrime Programme Office of the Council of Europe (C-PROC) brought together more than 70 participants from some 40 countries to discuss key aspects related to the spontaneous sharing of information obtained in criminal investigations.
The relevance of spontaneous information sharing has been increasing over time, taking into consideration that criminal justice authorities often obtain valuable information that may assist another country in its criminal proceedings. Parties to the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention) may spontaneously share information on the basis of Article 26. There is a variety of practices as to the procedures for sharing or receiving such information, its admissibility as electronic evidence and the competent authorities involved in the process.
This year’s edition of the annual Eurojust – Council of Europe workshop sparked lively debates on the practical use of Article 26 in various jurisdictions around the world. Moreover, countries have shared their interpretations and ways of applying this article, in accordance with their national legal context.
Given the transnational nature of cybercrime, countries underscored the need for enhanced cooperation by using the existing legal framework and channels to the maximum extent.
The workshop also served as an opportunity to gather further relevant information that will be considered in the process of the development of a Guidance Note on “spontaneous information” by the Cybercrime Convention Committee (T-CY).
Participation in the event was supported by the capacity building projects implemented by C-PROC, including GLACY-e, CyberSEE, CyberEast+, CyberSouth+ and Octopus Project.
Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention)
Workshop on Spontaneous information sharing (Octopus Conference 2023)