The investigation concerns the European Union Diplomatic Academy, a nine-month training programme for junior diplomats from the Member States. It was awarded to the College of Europe in Belgium for the period 2021–2022 by the European External Action Service (EEAS) following a tender procedure. The investigation's focus is on whether the College of Europe and/or their representatives were informed in advance about the selection criteria for the tender procedure and had sufficient reason to believe that they would be awarded the implementation of the project prior to official publication of the tender notice by the EEAS.

Before the searches took place, the EPPO requested that the immunity of several suspects be lifted, which was granted. The rector and a senior staff member of the College of Europe as well as a senior official of the European Commission were detained. The accusations concerned procurement fraud and corruption, conflict of interest, and breach of professional secrecy.

Following an analysis of the draft legislation, the European Chief Prosecutor concluded that it contains several elements that cannot be reconciled with the principles of the rule of law as set out in Regulation (EU) 2020/2092 of 16 December 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the budget of the European Union.

In particular, the proposed amendments would restrict whistle-blower protection for certain categories of persons, notably those who are not directly employed by the entity whose alleged misconduct is reported. The letter states that a failure to ensure adequate protection for all whistle-blowers, including members of police forces, would significantly limit the detection, reporting, and investigation of corruption. The proposal would also introduce the retroactive application of the amendments, which, if adopted, would directly affect ongoing cases handled by EPPO. Therefore, the European Chief Prosecutor informed the European Commission in accordance with Recital 16 of Regulation (EU) 2020/2092 that, should the amendments be adopted, they would have a negative impact on the efficiency of criminal investigations into breaches of the law in general and on the overall level of protection of the financial interests of the EU.

The initiative is co-financed by the European Commission under EU justice funding programmes, supporting a two-year training effort that includes seminars, webinars, e-learning modules, and publicly available materials. The materials are designed to address the growing number of cross-border criminal proceedings, where knowledge of national law alone may be insufficient. The training package includes:

• Background documentation on EU criminal law topics;
• Self-paced e-learning modules;
• Recorded webinars and video lectures.

Subjects covered range from mutual recognition instruments and legal privilege to digitalisation in criminal justice, including e-evidence and video-conferencing. The modules also explain the roles of EU agencies involved in criminal cooperation, including Europol, Eurojust, and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The project reflects broader EU efforts to enhance mutual trust and consistent application of European criminal law through practitioner training and cooperation.

The operation targeted and dismantled three critical pillars of the fraud infrastructure:

• Authorities shut down fraudulent cryptocurrency investment platforms and associated call-centre operations that used social engineering to extract funds from victims;
• The network’s financial laundering infrastructure was disrupted through coordinated seizures of bank accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, cash, and digital devices used to obscure illicit flows across blockchains and exchanges;
• Investigators neutralised the affiliate marketing and online advertising infrastructure that generated victims at scale, including companies behind deceptive social media campaigns using impersonation and deepfake content.

The operation resulted in multiple arrests and seizures, including bank accounts worth €800,000 and €415,000 in cryptocurrencies. Law enforcement authorities will continue to track the criminal organisation’s assets in the countries where it has operated.

The coordinated action resulted in the detection of 64 cases of irregular border crossings and the seizure of 261 falsified or fraudulent travel and identity documents, including passports, ID cards, residence permits, and driving licences. Authorities also intercepted more than 420,000 counterfeit items spanning textiles, footwear, cosmetics, electronics, toys, and automotive parts.

The numbers underscore the continued scale of cross-border IP infringement: Significant excise and financial crime outcomes were recorded, with over 17.5 million cigarettes and 6500 e-cigarettes seized, alongside €1.156 million in undeclared cash. Enforcement activity was further extended to narcotics and weapons trafficking, resulting in the seizure of 1,698 kg of marijuana, 1.2 kg of methamphetamine, 148 pistols, 179 magazines, and 122 cartridges. Additional undeclared goods included pharmaceutical products, luxury watches, and foodstuffs.

The Joint Action Days “Pirates 3” took place within the framework of EMPACT — the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats. It prioritises the fight against the most important threats posed by serious and organised international crime affecting the EU (→eucrim 2/2025, 142).

At the beginning of November 2025, the EDPS announced that the EFRGB had issued a new guidance note on how to ensure an applicant's right to an effective judicial remedy in the context of ETIAS. The guidance note clarifies the procedural obligations that apply when negative ETIAS decisions are taken – in line with Art. 47 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and relevant CJEU case law. It also addresses key requirements, e.g., providing clear reasons for decisions, granting access to files, and ensuring transparency when decisions rely on sensitive data or algorithmic profiling. This guidance is now being examined by national authorities and EU agencies as they prepare ETIAS for entry into operation.

• Conducting a comprehensive review of the rules governing the use of the fast-track legislative procedure and considering revision of this procedure in order to restrict its application to strictly exceptional cases, which are clearly defined and duly justified;
• Enabling public consultation to draft legislation and ensuring a meaningful opportunity for stakeholder participation to provide input prior to the adoption of legislation;
• Revising legislation to provide for a sufficiently long limitation period and sentencing framework for all corruption offences;
• Conducting a comprehensive review of the current framework for prosecutorial specialisation in corruption cases;
• Developing a formal plan for specialisation and continued professional development of prosecutors, in order to ensure compliance with anti-corruption standards;
• Developing, publishing and implementing a plan for the specialisation of investigating police officers, involving specific job descriptions and specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-specific targets;
• Repealing Article 326a of the Slovak Criminal Code which provides for the offence of "bending the law", as its vague wording impacts the judges' ability to take decisions freely and independently, based exclusively on the relevant laws; this provision ultimately leads to self-censorship and undermines judicial independence.

GRECO invites the Slovak authorities to report back on measures taken against the concerning issues by 31 December 2026.

During the 4th evaluation round, GRECO expressed serveral concerns over the 2017 judicial reform entailing increased influence of the legislative and executive branches over the judiciary (→eucrim 1/2013, 13). During the 5th evaluation round, GRECO found fault with the limited progress in strengthening the integrity framework for people in senior executive roles in government, as well as with anti-corruption efforts within law enforcement authorities (→eucrim 1/2019, 44). According to GRECO, more rapid action is needed to restore judicial independence and reinforce government integrity.

GRECO will further assess the measures taken by the Polish authorities under the 4th and 5th evaluation rounds in 2026 and 2027, respectively.

Russia joined the ECPT in 1998 but has frequently not cooperated with the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), which implements the countries' obligation under the ECPT.

The withdrawal from the ECPT means above all that Russia no longer accepts any independent external oversight of places of deprivation of liberty.

In preparation of the meeting, the Danish Council Presidency circulated a paper outlining the internal security implications of drones, following several recent incidents involving "Unmanned Aircraft Systems" (UAS) that threatened public spaces and critical infrastructure across Europe. The paper also provided an overview of the instruments in place at the EU level, such as the Counter-drone Expert Group (C-UASG), the establishment of a "Counter-Drone Centre of Excellence" within the Joint Research Centre, and the planned extension of the counter-drone training for law enforcement to other security authorities and private sector stakeholders. The Danish Council Presidency referred to plans for the new Multiannual Financial Framework to provide additional funding for "the development and deployment of European civilian, dual-use and defence drone and counter-drone solutions". It also highlighted projects led by Frontex and Europol, harnessing the potential of UAS technologies for law enforcement and border management, and to mitigate the security risks posed by their illicit use.

The platform is designed to be private, accessible, and easy to use. It helps young people understand their rights, access trusted information, and connect with appropriate support services. A key feature is its accessibility-driven design, which allows young users to choose how they engage with support – by reading, chatting, or locating nearby services – and using clear, age-appropriate language. The platform also provides for a prominent “quick exit” button allowing users to leave the platform instantly, ensuring their privacy and safety if they feel threatened or uncomfortable. Available in ten different languages, the platform also serves as a resource for parents, educators, and professionals.

Developed through collaboration across law enforcement, psychology, education, data protection, and academia, Help4U represents a coordinated European approach to strengthening protection against online sexual abuse.

As key domains were located in Germany and servers in Switzerland, authorities from both countries collaborated closely to conduct investigations and take action against the service. A joint investigation team was established at Eurojust to enable real-time exchange of information and evidence. Europol provided operational coordination, intelligence exchange through the Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce (J-CAT), and on-the-spot forensic support.

During the action days, law enforcement seized three servers, the cryptomixer.io domain, over 12 terabytes of data, and more than €25 million in cryptocurrencies. A seizure notice was placed on the website.

The Council finds that the introduction of the Directive has had and continues to have a significant impact on awareness, accountability and compliance, and has further increased the security of data processing among competent authorities. The Council sees, however, several issues that need to be further implemented in the future, including:

• Take proactive steps for more adequacy decisions (so far only one with the UK exists) in order to facilitate data transfers with non-EU countries;
• Clarify legal questions that have arisen and will arise with regard to the interplay between the AI Act and the LED;
• Obtain more clarity on specific issues that came to light as a result of national implementation.

The Council voices its general satisfaction with the application of the data subjects' rights enshrined in the LED, in particular with the most commonly exercised rights of access and erasure. However, difficulties emerge in practice if these data subjects' rights overlap or intersect with other rules and procedures regarding access to documents or confidentiality, or with general rules or principles of criminal procedure under national law. The Council encourages the EDPB to work on guidance in this respect taking into account the needs of competent authorities. In addition, further guidance is needed with regard to the alleviation of administrative burdens, e.g. burdens associated with access requests.

In 2026, the Commission will maintain its focus on reducing regulatory burdens for individuals, businesses, and public administrations. Furthermore, the Work Programme signals a continued commitment to streamlining EU legislation, with proposals targeting a broad range of sectors:

• Automotive;
• Environment;
• Taxation;
• Food and feed safety;
• Medical devices;
• Energy products.

Ongoing implementation dialogues and “reality checks” are intended to identify additional opportunities to reduce administrative burdens for citizens.

In the field of Justice and Home Affairs, the 2026 Work Programme prioritizes the operationalization of the Pact on Migration and Asylum. Recognizing migrant smuggling as a criminal enterprise, the Commission plans to propose targeted sanctions against smugglers and traffickers, including asset freezes, restrictions on freedom of movement, and measures to deprive them of illicit profits. Special attention will be given to child protection measures – addressing criminal threats both online and offline – alongside new strategies to combat trafficking in human beings.

Frontex is expected to expand its operational support to Member States, including enhanced roles in facilitating returns, with the digitalisation of return procedures advancing the modernization of the Common European Return System.

Future initiatives will also seek to strengthen Europol and reinforce the EU legal framework for combating organised crime.

The pilot assessed the operational use of the Screening Toolbox, a standardized set of tools and procedures designed to support the application of the Screening Regulation. The exercise simulated realistic conditions with 240 irregular arrivals, focusing on optimizing workflows, enhancing inter-agency coordination, and ensuring compliance with legal safeguards. Joint Screening Teams, composed of personnel from Frontex, the EUAA, Europol, and Italian authorities, carried out comprehensive assessments of each individual:

• Health and vulnerability checks;
• Identification;
• Biometric registration;
• Security screening.

All individuals received accessible information on procedural safeguards, the right to asylum, and the specialized support available. Results were recorded individually using dedicated screening forms to guarantee legal accountability and procedural transparency.

Insights from this pilot phase will contribute to the final version of the Screening Toolbox, which is scheduled for distribution to all EU Member States and Schengen-Associated countries in 2026. Under the Screening Regulation 2024/1356, Member States are required to apply uniform rules ensuring monitoring and proper registration of all irregular migrants and asylum seekers entering the EU. It will apply from 12 June 2026.