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On 29 March, the European Commission proposed a negotiating mandate enabling the EU to take part in negotiations for a new international convention on countering the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes.

Cybercrime continues to be a growing threat to the security of those living and doing business in the EU. Europol's Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment shows that accelerated digitalisation related to the coronavirus pandemic has significantly shaped the development of a number of cyber threats. The new convention should help strengthen international cooperation for criminal law enforcement in the global fight against cybercrime. The EU will pay particular attention to ensuring a high level of protection of international human right standards. The EU will also take into account the 2001 Budapest Convention on Cybercrime that defines cybercrime-related offences and lays out powers and procedures to investigate cybercrime, and is the foundation for anti-cybercrime legislation in 80% of countries worldwide.

The proposal aims to authorise the EU's participation in the negotiations. It will serve as a mandate for the Commission to represent the Union in the negotiations. The work on a new convention follows from the December 2019 United Nations Resolution on ‘Countering the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes'. Negotiations on the convention began in early 2022 and are expected to be finalised in 2024. It is now for the Council to adopt the decision to authorise the EU's participation in the negotiations. The fight against cybercrime is a priority for the Commission, as outlined in the Security Union Strategy for 2020-2025 and the EU Strategy to tackle Organised Crime.

Source: European Commission