After four and a half years of implementation, marked by more than 250 successful capacity-building and supporting activities ensuring cyber resilience through action on cybercrime and electronic evidence in the Eastern Partnership Region, CyberEast, the joint project of the European Union and of the Council of Europe, held its Closing Event during the Octopus Conference 2023.
The Closing Conference brought together key stakeholders from the five project countries, along with Alexander Seger, Head of the Cybercrime Programme Office of the Council of Europe (C-PROC) and Martin Muehleck, Representative of the European Commission.
Project beneficiaries from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine provided extensive feedback on the legislative and policy reforms compliant to the Convention of Cybercrime (Budapest Convention) and related instruments, adopted or in preparation in their countries. On this occasion, Armenia, who has recently signed the Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime, has requested further support to amend their domestic legislation.
Some of the highlights of capacity building action under the CyberEast project included:
- Series of Cybercrime Co-operation Regional exercises as flagship activities of the project;
- Support to Master’s Programme on Forensic Computing & Cybercrime Investigation for 11 project counterparts;
- Cyber Barometer Reports/public opinion studies;
- Standard Operating Procedures for Law Enforcement/CSIRT Co-operation, completed in all countries;
- Series of support activities for elections security in Georgia in Autumn 2020; and
- Customised support to Ukraine since the start of the military invasion.
These and other project activities, including research and studies, have been extensively reported and can be consulted on the project website and C-PROC LinkedIn page.
During the discussions, participants agreed that, in light of the current global context, there is a need for a set of revised and updated Strategic Priorities for co-operation against cybercrime in the Eastern Partnership region, in line with European Union policies. A new set of Strategic Priorities, replacing the document from 2013, have been discussed and adopted by the Conference delegates.
A general conclusion of the event was that the initiatives led by the CyberEast Project have helped improve the countries’ overall cybersecurity/cybercrime policies and legislation. Moreover, there was a reported increase in the capacities of criminal justice authorities to handle cybercrime and electronic evidence, including through international co-operation and partnerships with the private sector.
A potential follow-up project to CyberEast, based on the outcomes and lessons learned from the current project, was also discussed with the Eastern Partnership representatives in attendance.
Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention)
Declaration on Strategic Priorities for Co-operation on Cybercrime in the Eastern Partnership Region, 14 December 2023