Newsroom
Serious overcrowding and increasing proportions of older and women detainees in European prisons
The Council of Europe’s newly released 2025 annual penal statistics on prison populations (SPACE I), show that many European countries are failing to address the serious prison overcrowding they face. In many others prisons are close to full capacity following an increase in their prison...
89th Plenary meeting of the PC-OC, Council of Europe’s Committee on international cooperation in criminal matters
The Committee of Experts on the Operation of the European Conventions on Cooperation in Criminal Matters (PC-OC) held its 89th meeting from the 19th to the 21st of May 2026 in Strasbourg. The PC-OC discussed a range of issues based on concrete experiences relating to judicial co-operation raised...
From standards to action: Council of Europe launches new Recommendation on accountability for technology-facilitated violence against women and girls
On 10 June 2026, from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm CET, the Council of Europe will launch Recommendation CM/Rec(2026)2 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on accountability for technology-facilitated violence against women and girls at a hybrid event in Strasbourg and online.
1st meeting of the Council of Europe Committee of Experts on combatting the smuggling of migrants (PC-TM)
The Committee of Experts on combatting the smuggling of migrants (PC-TM) held its first meeting on 28-29 April 2026 in hybrid form, marked the start of work on drafting of a Recommendation on deterring and fighting the smuggling of migrants (SoM), through legal means and other actions, and on...
Council of Europe’s Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) Bureau and ad hoc Plenary meeting on FIMI
The Bureau of the Council of Europe’s Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) met on 26–27 March 2026, followed by an ad hoc Plenary meeting of the CDPC on the morning of 27 March, opened by Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Gianluca Esposito. A central focus was the feasibility study...
Council of Europe Committee of Experts on Combatting the Smuggling of Migrants (PC-TM) to hold 1st Plenary Meeting
The Council of Europe Committee of Experts on Combatting the Smuggling of Migrants (PC-TM), a subordinate body of the Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC), will hold its first plenary meeting on 28–29 April 2026 in Strasbourg, France, bringing together delegates from Council of Europe member...
Accountability for Technology-facilitated Violence against Women and Girls: New Council of Europe Recommendation
The Council of Europe has issued recommendations to its 46 member States aimed at ensuring accountability for technology-facilitated violence against women and girls. The Recommendation is the first international legal standard focused on this topic. The stress on accountability emphasises the...
New Council of Europe convention marks milestone in the fight against environmental crime
In a landmark move for global environmental protection, the Convention on the protection of the environment through criminal law was today opened for signature. It provides the foundation for a coherent criminal-justice response by states to environmental crime, including across borders. This...
The Council of Europe’s Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) holds its 88th plenary meeting in Strasbourg
The Council of Europe’s Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) held its 88th plenary meeting from 25 to 27 November 2025 in Strasbourg under the presidency of Mr Fritz Zeder (Austria). The meeting opened with remarks by Gianluca Esposito, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law. Two new CDPC...
3rd International Conference on Migrant Smuggling, Strasbourg, 21-22 October 2025
The third International Conference on migrant smuggling highlighted the importance of international cooperation and coordination between law enforcement, judicial authorities, and international partners, as well as the need to uphold human-rights standards in all actions to counter migrant...
30th Council of Europe Conference of Directors of Prison and Probation Services (CDPPS) and 39th meeting of the Working Group of the Council for Penological Cooperation (PC-CP)
Directors of European prison and probation services from the 46 Council of Europe’s member states met in Kraków (Poland) on 24 and 25 September 2025 for the 30th edition of the annual Conference to discuss the challenges faced by prison and probation administrations, focusing on the overuse of...
Council of Europe Committee of Experts finalises draft Recommendation on accountability for technology-facilitated violence against women and girls
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on combating technology-facilitated violence against women and girls (GEC/PC-eVIO) held its fourth and final meeting from 30 September to 2 October 2025 in Strasbourg. The Committee concluded its work on the draft Recommendation on accountability for...
Council of Europe justice ministers strengthen cross-border cooperation and mutual assistance.
European countries come together to fight organised crime
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on judicial co-operation in criminal matters (PC-OC), under the authority of the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC), prepared the new Protocol, having identified the need to revise certain provisions of the 1959 Convention, particularly in the...
The 87th plenary meeting of the Council of Europe's Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) takes place in Strasbourg
The CDPC held its 87th plenary meeting from the 17 to 19 June 2025 in Strasbourg under the Chairmanship of Mr Fritz Zeder (Austria). The meeting was opened by Gianluca Esposito, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, who addressed opening remarks. The CDPC welcomed the adoption of the...
Council of Europe modernises provisions for mutual assistance in criminal matters
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted a third Additional Protocol to the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, marking an important step in the modernisation of judicial co-operation. The new Protocol aims to strengthen the capacity of member and...
Council of Europe advances penological policies: PC-CP 38th Working Group meeting in Madrid
The Council for Penological Co-operation (PC‑CP) Working Group held its 38th meeting in Madrid from 20 to 22 May 2025, hosted by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior. On 20 May 2025, the participants were greeted by Mr Fernando GRANDE‑MARLASKA, Minister of the Interior of Spain, who highly...
Discussions advance on draft Recommendation on accountability for technology-facilitated violence against women and girls
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on combating technology-facilitated violence against women and girls (GEC/PC-eVIO) held its third meeting on 3 to 4 April 2025 in Strasbourg where discussions moved forward on the draft Recommendation on accountability for technology-facilitated...
Experts discuss Council of Europe draft Recommendation on combating technology-facilitated violence against women and girls
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on combating technology-facilitated violence against women and girls (GEC/PC-eVIO) held its second meeting on 22 and 23 January 2025 in Strasbourg. The GEC/PC-eVIO has been tasked by the Committee of Ministers with preparing a Recommendation on...
Council of Europe CDPC’s work on migrant smuggling presented at Eurojust
The European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) of the Council of Europe participated in Eurojust’s eighth annual meeting on migrant smuggling, held in The Hague from 20 to 21 November 2024. Migrant smuggling is a highly profitable global crime that takes advantage of people’s desperation and...
The 86th Plenary Meeting of the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) takes place in Strasbourg
From 20 to 22 November 2024, the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) convened its 86th Plenary meeting in Strasbourg, under the Chairmanship of Mr Fritz Zeder (Austria). The meeting was opened by Gianluca Esposito, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, who addressed opening...
The Committee of experts on the protection of the environment through Criminal Law holds its 5th and final meeting
The Council of Europe Committee of experts on the protection of the environment through Criminal Law (PC-ENV), composed of representatives of states, civil society and international organisations, held its 5th and final meeting on 7-9 October 2024 in Strasbourg. The PC-ENV was tasked by the...
First meeting of Committee of Experts on tech-facilitated violence against women and girls
The Committee of Experts on combating technology-facilitated violence against women and girls (GEC/PC-eVIO) held its first meeting on 1-2 October 2024 in Strasbourg. The GEC/PC-eVIO has been tasked by the Committee of Ministers to prepare a Recommendation on combating technology-facilitated...
Council of Europe calls for strengthening international cooperation against migrant smuggling
The 2nd International Conference on Migrant Smuggling, organised by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, has called on its 46 member states to explore all pathways to strengthen international cooperation. In her opening speech, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić...
The Committee of Experts on Criminal Asset Recovery (PC-RAC) holds its 2nd meeting in Strasbourg
The Committee of Experts on Criminal Asset Recovery (PC-RAC) held its second meeting from 9 to 11 September 2024 in Strasbourg, under the chairmanship of Mr Cornel-Virgiliu Calinescu (Romania). The meeting was opened by Mr Gianluca Esposito, Director General of the Directorate General Human...
2nd International Conference on Migrant Smuggling, Strasbourg, 10-11 September 2024
The 2nd International Conference on Migrant Smuggling: Enhancing international cooperation in tackling migrant smuggling, is being held in Strasbourg on 10 and 11 September 2024. The Conference is being organised under the auspices of the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC), in...
85th Plenary of the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC)
From 17 to 19 June 2024, the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) convened its 85th Plenary meeting in Strasbourg, under the Chairmanship of Mr Fritz Zeder (Austria). During the meeting the CDPC welcomed the significant advancements made by the Council for Penological Co-operation (PC-CP)...
Publication of the country-profiles on migrant smuggling
In June 2023, the CDPC decided to launch Action n°5 of the Action Plan on Fostering International Co-operation and Investigative Strategies in Fighting the Smuggling of Migrants, entitled "Ensuring information knowledge in the field of migrant smuggling". This Action consists of the production by...
CDPC and CDADI jointly approved a new comprehensive draft Recommendation on preventing and combating hate crime
On 21 November, the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) and the Steering Committee on Anti-Discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion (CDADI) approved in a joint session a new comprehensive draft Recommendation on preventing and combating hate crime, together with its explanatory memorandum....
A new brochure presents 10 key issues of the Nicosia Convention
A new brochure has just been published presenting 10 key issues of the Council of Europe Convention on Offences Relating to Cultural Property, known as the Nicosia Convention, in an easy-to-understand format for all. It puts forth arguments in favour of signing, ratifying and implementing the...
New Convention: The Committee of Experts on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law (PC-ENV) to hold its first meeting on 3-4 April 2023
The Committee of Experts on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law (PC-ENV) will begin its work on the new Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law in its first meeting on 3 and 4 April 2023, at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. The meeting will be...
Key information and documentation
The Nicosia Convention in 10 questions and answers
Studies in criminological research
