In October and November 2025, the CyberSPEX joint project of the European Union and the Council of Europe held three in-country workshops in Slovenia, Slovakia and Poland to support national preparations for the implementation of the Second Additional Protocol (2AP) to the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention).
The meetings brought together legislative drafters, practitioners, and - where relevant - service providers to examine the Protocol’s co-operation tools, including direct co-operation with service providers for the production of subscriber information, co-operation with registrars, emergency assistance and safeguards. Participants also discussed the interaction between the 2AP and the EU e-Evidence Regulation and Directive (which will apply from August 2026).
The workshop in Ljubljana (7 October), focused on domestic legislative changes in implementing Articles 6–10 of the Protocol, highlighted accompanying safeguards and the needs of both authorities and private-sector entities. The meeting in Bratislava (20 October) enabled members of the national drafting working group and service providers to explore legislative reforms required to implement the Protocol and align it with the EU e-Evidence Package. The meeting in Warsaw (4 November) was organized in co-operation with the National Prosecutor’s Office. Representatives from the relevant ministries and criminal justice practitioners assessed similarities and differences between the 2AP and EU legislation and considered steps toward harmonisation in view of upcoming reforms.
These activities form part of the wider work of the CyberSPEX project to support EU member states in preparing for the implementation of the Second Additional Protocol. This initiative will continue, and the next meeting will be held with Western European countries in Brussels in November 2025.
Cybercrime Convention (Budapest Convention)
Explanatory Report to the Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime