Sarajevo, 20–21 November 2025 – The Expert Working Group (EWG) of the Police Cooperation Convention for Southeast Europe (PCC SEE), one of the Convention’s key statutory decision-making bodies, convened for its thirty-fourth meeting under the auspices of the PCC SEE Chairmanship-in-Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

National delegations from the PCC SEE Contracting Parties met to discuss recent developments in the implementation and governance of both the PCC SEE Convention and the PCC Prüm frameworks. The meeting reviewed progress achieved in 2025 and outlooks for 2026, the ratification status of the PCC Prüm framework package, as well as developments in the non-EU Contracting Parties toward meeting the essential preconditions for the automated exchange of DNA, dactyloscopic, and vehicle registration data.

The delegations also made use of the PCC SEE platform to explore opportunities for strengthening cooperation in the field of witness protection, identified as a priority area. They expressed a shared view that enhanced cooperation in this area is both necessary and beneficial, and agreed to pursue a step-by-step approach in assessing operational needs and addressing potential gaps with the support of the PCC SEE mechanisms.

The meeting once again demonstrated the value of the PCC SEE platform as a forum for strengthening regional cooperation and deepening the understanding of shared challenges. Through open and constructive dialogue in which national positions on relevant issues were exchanged, the EWG continued to support the Contracting Parties in aligning procedures, identifying common priorities, and jointly advancing the effective implementation of both the PCC SEE and PCC Prüm frameworks.

A special welcome was extended to Slovakia, which has recently ratified the PCC SEE and is now awaiting its entry into force.