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On 10 November 2025, the OSCE Presence in Albania brought together 30 prosecutors and judicial police officers from Durrës and Elbasan for a training course on “Cybercrime, electronic evidence, human rights and data protection.”

The workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to investigate and prosecute cybercrime while ensuring that human rights and data protection principles are respected in every stage of the process. It specifically focused on developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to guide prosecutors and judicial police officers in handling digital evidence.

“These SOPs are not abstract technical papers. They are practical tools to ensure the integrity of investigations, the reliability of evidence and the protection of individual rights,” said Mauro Puzzo, Head of the Presence’s Rule of Law and Human Rights Department.

The course was delivered by French expert Franck Cormary, who guided participants through theoretical and practical sessions focused on the legal framework for handling electronic evidence and the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for computers, servers, mobile devices, Internet of Things (IoT), cloud environments and cryptocurrencies. Participants also engaged in hands-on exercises on forensic examination and a simulation on accessing cold crypto-wallets.

This training builds on the Presence’s 2024 initiative, which offered a series of foundational courses on the Budapest Convention and practical aspects of handling electronic evidence to approximately 100 prosecutors and judicial police officers in Shkodra, Lezha, Korça, Saranda and Gjirokastra. Insights and experiences from that earlier series have shaped the development of this advanced workshop, designed to provide justice professionals with standardized, practical tools they can apply in their daily work.

The event is part of the OSCE Presence’s continued support for Albania’s justice reform and its efforts to promote the rule of law, human rights and institutional integrity in addressing cybercrime and digital challenges.

Rapporteur Jörgen Warborn will brief journalists on 13 November at 13.30 on Parliament’s position on the simplification package for sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements.
Committee on Legal Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Rapporteur Jörgen Warborn will brief journalists on 13 November at 13.30 on Parliament’s position on the simplification package for sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements.
Committee on Legal Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Rapporteur Jörgen Warborn will brief journalists on 13 November at 13.30 on Parliament’s position on the simplification package for sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements.
Committee on Legal Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Rapporteur Jörgen Warborn will brief journalists on 13 November at 13.30 on Parliament’s position on the simplification package for sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements.
Committee on Legal Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Rapporteur Jörgen Warborn will brief journalists on 13 November at 13.30 on Parliament’s position on the simplification package for sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements.
Committee on Legal Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

European Parliament’s spokespersons will hold a last-minute briefing on the 12 - 13 November plenary session tomorrow at 14.30.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

European Parliament’s spokespersons will hold a last-minute briefing on the 12 - 13 November plenary session tomorrow at 14.30.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

European Parliament’s spokespersons will hold a last-minute briefing on the 12 - 13 November plenary session tomorrow at 14.30.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

European Parliament’s spokespersons will hold a last-minute briefing on the 12 - 13 November plenary session tomorrow at 14.30.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

European Parliament’s spokespersons will hold a last-minute briefing on the 12 - 13 November plenary session tomorrow at 14.30.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Draft compromise says WHO decisions should not pre-empt future EU tobacco legislation

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On 12 and 13 November, representatives of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan came together in Tashkent, Uzbekistan for the Central Asian Regional Workshop on Requesting Electronic Evidence Across Borders, organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department in co-operation with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan.

The two-day workshop focused on improving cross-border access to electronic evidence for investigating online crimes, including terrorism, while ensuring full respect for human rights. Experts from the UNODC, European Union, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute and several online service providers joined the representatives of national judicial, prosecutorial and law enforcement authorities for the discussions.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Central Asia, Nico Schermers, noted the value of regional dialogue and collaboration between governments, practitioners, and the private sector. “Through close cooperation, concrete progress has been made across the region in both legislative development and institutional strengthening. Central Asia has demonstrated impressive commitment to addressing the complex issue of cross-border access to electronic evidence, moving from analysis to action,” he said.

Participants reviewed national progress since the 2024-2025 needs assessment missions conducted by the OSCE and discussed developing standard operating procedures for cross-border requests, aligning national laws with international conventions and strengthening interagency and international co-operation.

Opening the event, Clemens Schwanhold, Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy in Uzbekistan, emphasized that “Germany firmly believes that effective investigative powers must go hand in hand with strong safeguards for privacy, data protection, and fair-trial guarantees. We commend the region’s commitment to aligning national legislation with international standards, particularly those reflected in the Budapest and UN Conventions on Cybercrime.”

The discussion also focused on the new UN Convention on Cybercrime signed by Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan at the end of October and Uzbekistan's plans for the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. “We are proud to announce that Uzbekistan will initiate the process of joining the Budapest Convention. We would like to express our appreciation to the OSCE for its continued support and facilitation throughout this process,” said Gayrat Musaev, Associate Professor of Law and an official from the Administration of the President of Uzbekistan.

International experts, including representatives of the Dutch National Police and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, shared practical examples of cross-border collaboration. Service providers outlined good practices for working transparently with law enforcement while respecting human rights.

Fejzo Numanaj,  Officer-in-Charge of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department’s Action against Terrorism Unit pointed to the central role of human rights in the digital sphere: “Every law and procedure on cross-border access to electronic evidence must ensure due process, judicial oversight and privacy safeguards. Without these fundamental principles”, he said, “initiatives to improve access to electronic evidence risk undermining justice, eroding public trust and obstructing international co-operation”.

The workshop marked another step toward a shared regional approach to handling electronic evidence. It was organized under OSCE Project E-VIDENCE, helping participating States strengthen legal frameworks, operational capacity and co-operation with service providers to investigate online crimes while upholding human rights standards, which is supported by Germany and the Netherlands.

Von der Leyen hails ruling as a milestone for Europeans

The industry has long been complaining of problems ranging from high energy costs to onerous European regulations

Written by Clare Ferguson with Sara Raja.

Members gather in Brussels this week for the first plenary session of November, with an agenda featuring plans for the new 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework, among other issues. Members are also set to hear Council and Commission statements on the conclusions of the European Council meeting held on 23 October 2025.

On Wednesday, Members will hear Council and Commission statements on the first European Annual Asylum and Migration report and the setting up of the Annual Solidarity Pool. This regular report, still to be published by the Commission at the time of writing, aims to describe the migration and asylum situation in the Member States and is accompanied by a decision determining which Member States are under migratory pressure, at risk of migratory pressure or facing a significant migratory situation. The Annual Solidarity Pool is aimed at allocating solidarity contributions, like relocations and financial support, to Member States facing migratory pressure. While Parliament does not have a formal role in its implementation, it supported the establishment of the solidarity mechanism under the migration pact.

The EU plans to adopt a new gender equality strategy in early 2026. Based on feedback on the current strategy gathered in 2025, citizens, civil society and public institutions want a binding and inclusive EU framework that prioritises protection from gender-based violence, ensures equal pay and economic participation and improves access to quality healthcare. On Wednesday, Parliament is scheduled to debate a report from its Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) outlining priorities for the 2026 strategy. The report calls for a comprehensive and ambitious approach to tackling violence against women, including its possible definition as a ‘euro-crime’, and to close gaps in political representation, pay and the sharing of care responsibilities. On Thursday, Members are set to address an amendment to the European Electoral Act which would allow Members to benefit from proxy voting in plenary during pregnancy and after giving birth.

Businesses that operate across EU borders face different corporate tax systems in every Member State, with varying rules on depreciation, tax deductibility of losses, treatment of interests and more. As a result, EU businesses have to spend time and resources on complying with complex distinct local corporate tax rules, which is a significant administrative burden. To tackle the issue at EU level, the Business in Europe: Framework for Income Taxation (BEFIT) aims to create a common corporate tax framework for large EU multinational businesses. On Wednesday, Parliament is due to vote on a (non-binding) report on BEFIT from the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON). The report strongly supports the proposal’s overall objectives but calls for improvements to address the challenges of taxing the digital economy. It recommends that a business be treated as tax resident in any Member State in which it generates a substantial level of sales, ensuring it pays fair taxes to the community that supports its operations. Once Parliament has been consulted, the file requires a unanimous vote in the Council.

On Thursday, Members are set to consider a digital trade agreement (DTA) between the EU and Singapore. Digital trade agreements can contribute to securing access to new markets, simplifying electronic transactions, protecting consumers, removing administrative obstacles to trade and increasing legal certainty. Under the EU-Singapore DTA, citizens will benefit from privacy and data protection rules, safeguards against online fraud, and limits on spam. The agreement ensures electronic contracts and signatures are legally valid, duty-free online transmissions and promotes open access to government data. It also supports secure, affordable cross-border digital payments and cooperation to combat cyber threats. Any disputes will be settled under the same rules that already apply under the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement.

In a debate on Wednesday afternoon, Members are set to consider a report on the proposal to set a 2040 EU emissions reduction target as a step towards ensuring a cost-efficient and realistic pathway to climate neutrality by 2050. Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI) would like to see higher ambition on environmental and human rights and to safeguard against funding for projects that contradict EU strategic interests, in relation to international credits which can be used for 2040 but not for the other targets of the climate law. The committee also proposes to delay the new ETS2 emissions trading system for one year (currently set to start in 2027). The vote on amending the European Climate Law will set Parliament’s position for negotiations with the co-legislators.

Almost two thirds of the world’s oceans are outside any national jurisdiction. These marine areas play a vital role in supporting ecosystems, regulating the climate and sustaining economic activities such as fisheries and tourism, but they face threats from overfishing, pollution and climate change. The landmark 2023 United Nations High Seas Treaty, or Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, aims to address the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national borders. Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI) has adopted a report on a proposal to establish rules on international management of the high seas, which introduces clarifications for closer alignment with the BBNJ text. The proposed changes aim to improve transparency by requiring that Member States publish the measures they take regarding biodiversity in the high seas and improve flexibility in the process of submitting measures taken related to area-based management tools to the BBNJ secretariat, especially in emergencies. Parliament is set to consider the report on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Members are set to vote on a provisional agreement on a proposal to revise the founding regulation of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). The revision, supported by Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), would expand EMSA’s mandate, strengthening its contribution to the green and digital transitions and enhancing its ability to tackle emerging security risks, including cyber and hybrid threats. It also establishes a flexibility mechanism that allows EMSA to take on new tasks at the request of the Commission or Member States. In addition, it updates governance rules to ensure a better balance between oversight and efficiency in the EU’s efforts to improve maritime safety and prevent pollution from shipping.

• European Parliament Plenary Session, November I 2025, agenda
• Conclusions of the European Council meeting held on 23 October 2025
• The first European Annual Asylum and Migration report and the Annual Solidarity Pool
• Gender equality strategy post-2025
• Business in Europe: Framework for Income Taxation (BEFIT)
• The EU-Singapore Digital Trade Agreement
• Amending the European Climate Law
• Protecting marine biodiversity in the high seas
• Revision of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) founding regulation

La Commission européenne prépare un vaste plan de « simplification » des législations numériques de l’UE. Derrière la promesse de réduire la bureaucratie, les géants de la tech entrevoient une occasion en or : accéder plus librement aux données des citoyens pour entraîner leurs modèles d’intelligence artificielle.

The post L’UE veut simplifier ses règles numériques… quitte à sacrifier un peu la vie privée appeared first on Euractiv FR.

The U.S. military buildup around Venezuela has drawn comparisons to past regime change in Panama. But Washington cannot invade its way to democracy in Caracas.

Durée de la vidéo : 105'

Clause de non-responsabilité : L'interprétation des débats facilite la communication mais ne constitue en aucun cas un enregistrement authentifié des débats. Seuls le discours original ou la traduction écrite révisée du discours original peuvent être considérés authentiques.
Source : © Union européenne, 2025 - PE

Post-USAID assistance may depend on a country’s strategic value to Washington.