This news item continues the reporting of key decisions taken and main issues discussed by the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC). The CDPC oversees and coordinates the Council of Europe’s activities in the field of crime prevention and crime control. The CDPC meets twice a year in plenary at the headquarters of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg (France). The 89th plenary meeting was held from 9 to 11 June 2026 under the Chairmanship of Lorenzo Salazar (Italy).

The CDPC welcomed the forthcoming opening for signature of the Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe's Anti-Money Laundering / Countering of Financing of Terrorism Convention - the Warsaw Convention (CETS No. 198). The opening for signature of the Additional Protocol is scheduled for 14 October 2026 in Strasbourg, after approval by the CDPC at its November 2025 plenary meeting (→eucrim 3/2025, 212) and subsequent adoption by the Committee of Ministers in Chișinău on 15 May 2026. The Additional Protocol will supplement and update the Convention in light of international regulatory developments. It extends the scope of asset recovery tools and mechanisms provided for in the Convention, aligning them with standards developed in other fora, such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the EU, and strengthening the powers of competent authorities in the field of asset recovery and international co-operation.

The CDPC also celebrated the launch of the Recommendation on accountability for technology-facilitated violence against women and girls, which was jointly prepared by the CDPC and the Gender Equality Commission (GEC) and adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 4 March 2026 (CM/Rec(2026)2). The Recommendation provides guidance to CoE member states by proposing a comprehensive approach to foster an environment of accountability in which technology facilitated violence against women and girls is neither facilitated, condoned, accepted nor ignored. The Recommendation expands beyond criminal law and also includes measures of civil and administrative law.

The Dutch delegation initiated discussions on the possible way forward with regard to the misuse of fireworks and pyrotechnics. Several delegations reported that fireworks and pyrotechnics are increasingly used by criminal organisations to create public disorder and intimidate others, including law enforcement.

Delegations also held an exchange of views on the nature of the future Council of Europe instrument on foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). The views expressed ranged from a framework convention, a recommendation, to a binding instrument.

The CDPC also took note of the progress in the following areas:

• Practical tools and guidance regarding the operation of European Conventions in criminal matters and accession of non-CoE member states to these conventions;
• With regard to penological issues, the draft recommendation on foreign nationals in prison, and the SPACE I statistics report of May 2026;
• The preparations of a Recommendation on deterring and fighting the smuggling of migrants (SoM) that will address the criminalisation of SoM, the protection and assistance for smuggled migrants, prevention, and international cooperation; it will also include sections on the financial dimension (a “follow-the-money” approach) and the digital dimension of SoM;
• The draft Recommendation on deepfakes within the Working Group of Experts on Artificial Intelligence and Criminal Law (CDPC-AICL);
• National practices on crypto assets with a focus on decentralised finance for financial crime investigations and asset recovery.

The agenda also included an exchange of views on child-friendly justice. Delegations discussed issues raised in the gap analysis, including the growing trend in some member States towards lowering the age of criminal responsibility, the need to address situations where children are exploited by adults to commit crimes, and the importance of reintegration measures.