The 4th meeting of the Expert Working Group was held from 15-17 September 2010 in Skopje, Macedonia, and was chaired by Ms. Vesna Dorevska, Assistant Minister of Interior of the Republic of Macedonia, and co-chaired by Mr. Anton Travner, Head of PCC SEE Secretariat. In attendance were representatives from the Contracting Parties as well as from Austria, Slovenia, EUROPOL, CEPOL, FRONTEX, OSCE, RCC, SECI Center and UNODC.

The meeting served as an opportunity for the Macedonian Chairmanship-in-office to present their priorities and what has been implementation to date. They are dedicating special attention to rectifying the current situation in the area of data protection in order to be prepared for mutual evaluations in this area. Steps are being taken towards harmonising their national legislation with Convention Nr. 108 for the protection of Individuals with regards to Automatic Processing of Personal Data. The other Contracting Parties were advised to put data protection evaluations high on their priority list as well.

Among the other priorities of the Macedonian Chairmanship are:  fostering the project on Joint Investigation Teams, facilitating the negotiations and signing of bilateral and multilateral agreements envisaged in the Convention, facilitating the negotiations of the content of the Road Map for the implementation of the Convention for the period 2011 – 2015, fostering the cross-border and controlled delivery exercises, convening a training course for national central units which would harmonise the modus operandi of all CPs and organising the 4th meeting of the Committee of Ministers. 

The participants received information on the ongoing and foreseen activities performed by the Secretariat, namely being the project on Joint Investigation Teams and meetings of the Working Groups established to this end by the EWG. The Work Programme of the Secretariat for year 2011 was endorsed.

As done at every EWG meeting, the state of play in the area of bilateral and multilateral implementation agreements was reviewed.

Attention was dedicated to the Road Map for the implementation of the Convention for the period 2011 – 2015, a strategic document envisaging all necessary activities with deadlines and responsibilities for both CPs and the Secretariat. The CPs found this document as a useful, important and needed tool. 

The EWG adopted the decision on the establishment of a Thematic Working Group on Exchange of Information regarding Forged and Fake Documents within PCC SEE.