On 23 and 24 April 2025, judges, prosecutors and lawyers from EU members states and from the Southern Mediterranean region attended the launch of the HELP course on International Cooperation in Criminal Matters (ICCM). The event took place at the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon, Portugal; it was organised in the framework of the EU-CoE HELP in the EU Project IV (financed by the EU’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers) and the EU-CoE South Programme V. For the first time, legal professionals from Europe and the Southern Mediterranean took part in the course together, fostering dialogue and exchange of perspectives on cross-Mediterranean cooperation.
During the seminar, Tania Schröter, Deputy Head of Unit with the European Commission, briefed the participants on development at the EU in the field of international cooperation in criminal matters.Mahmut Can Senyurt, from the European Court of Human Rights and Hasan Bermek from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on the Operation of European Conventions on Co-operation in Criminal Matters (PC-OC) presented relevant jurisprudence and the work of the Council of Europe related to topic of the course. The participants were also introducred to the EuroMed Just Network (EMJNET) and their work aimed at fostering cross-Mediterranean cooperation.
Sofia Rocha, from the International Cooperation in Criminal Matters of the Office of the Attorney General of Portugal, showcased the Portuguese perspective on international judicial cooperation in the investigation of trafficking of human beings. Vania Costa Ramos, lawyer and Chair of the European Criminal Bar Association, discussed, in a thematic session, extradition in the context of international cooperation in criminal matters.
The participants also got acquainted with the HELP course on International Cooperation in Criminal Matters and the HELP Platform. They also met their HELP tutors, Eva Massa (lawyer qualified in Ireland and Spain and international human rights consultant), Caitilin McGivern (prosecutor specialized in ICCM, National Judicial Aid in Criminal Matters of the Netherlands) and Abdelmonem Khalifa (Chief Prosecutor at the Legal Technical Office and the International Cooperation Department of the Public Prosecution of Egypt).The HELP tutors introduced the participants to the course content, page, different modules and assignments. They also lead workshops on using digital tools in ICCM and main challenges in the North-South cooperation in criminal matters. Following the launch event, the participants will go through the HELP course online, with the guidance of their HELP tutors.
The HELP course on International Cooperation in Criminal Matters is designed to facilitate international judicial cooperation in transnational and national crimes for legal professionals working in the criminal law field. It aims to enhance their knowledge and skills in priority areas, promoting the digitalisation of national justice system and contributing to an effective and coherent application of international and European standards. It covers extensively both the Council of Europe (CoE) and the European Union (EU) frameworks, along with case-law from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU).
The course is primarily addressed at legal professionals working in the criminal law field (judges, prosecutors, lawyers, court staff). It can also be useful for law enforcement authorities and others (specialists in international cooperation in criminal matters etc.).
This HELP course was initially developed in 2017, and updated in 2021 in the framework of the EU-CoE HELP in the EU II Project. The topics are explored in a practical way by using presentations, interactive screens, knowledge tests and reflective exercises, enabling the users to apply the gained knowledge and skills.
The course is available in self-learning format, having a duration of 11 hours. It can be followed in English, as well as in many other languages, including Portuguese, French and Arabic. Upon completion, users can generate their electronic Statements of Accomplishment, in proof of their acquired knowledge and skills.
HELP courses are intended, in the long term, to become an integral part of the overall learning curricula of the national training institutions and/or other competent authorities of the CoE member states and beyond.
