At a meeting held in Valletta, Malta, on 19 September 2025, the justice ministers from the Council of Europe member states adopted a declaration designed to foster cooperation in the fight against transnational crime. The declaration acknowledges the importance of the third additional protocol to the 1959 CoE Convention on mutual assistance in criminal matters, which was opened for signature at the same event (→separate news item). In addition, the ministers committed themselves to the following:

• Continuously modernise mutual legal assistance frameworks by integrating the use of digital tools;
• Make efforts to continued judicial dialogue to promote mutual trust and the exchange of best practices across borders;
• Enhance cooperation between national central authorities, prosecutors, and courts to ensure the full and effective implementation of mutual legal assistance instruments;
• Recognise the importance of training, institutional exchanges and the promotion of shared legal values;
• Promote strengthened cooperation among States and with other international and regional organisations to advance global efforts to counter transnational and organised crime.

The declaration also underlines the supportive role of the Council of Europe in setting standards and implementing cooperation frameworks. The respective Council of Europe bodies, particularly the European Committee on Crime Problems and the Committee of Experts on the Operation of European Conventions on Cooperation in Criminal Matters, are invited to continue providing guidance on best practices, legal interpretations, and emerging issues related to international cooperation in criminal matters.