Malta on Friday hosted a landmark event in European justice collaboration: the Signing Ceremony for the Opening of the Third Additional Protocol to the 1959 European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters.
The event was opened by Malta’s Minister for Justice and Reform of the Construction Sector, Jonathan Attard who welcomed ministers, dignitaries and legal experts from across Europe.
The ceremony featured opening remarks by Bjorn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and Theodoros Rousopoulos, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Their interventions underscored the importance of strengthening judicial cooperation and reaffirmed the Council of Europe’s commitment to upholding justice, human rights, and the rule of law across the continent.
In his address, Minister Attard emphasised the enduring importance of the 1959 Convention, describing it as a cornerstone of judicial cooperation in Europe. He noted that the newly adopted Valletta Protocol represents a forward-looking response to the evolving nature of crime—particularly its transnational, digital, and complex dimensions.
The Protocol introduces a series of reforms aimed at modernizing judicial cooperation. It enables faster and more secure communication between authorities through direct exchanges, electronic requests, and urgent recourse to INTERPOL. The main advances include the simplification and acceleration of mutual assistance procedures, the extension of situations in which mutual assistance may be requested, the broadening of electronic communication channels, the enabling of technical surveillance tools such as GPS trackers and telecommunications interception, and the introduction of time limits to ensure timely execution of requests.
To ensure fairness and efficiency, the Protocol clarifies cost-sharing mechanisms and reinforces the protection of rights through robust data protection provisions, ensuring that personal data is used strictly for its intended purpose. It also facilitates dispute resolution through a mechanism for friendly settlement under the Council of Europe’s Committee on Crime Problems.
“These provisions are not only innovative and practical, but they also uphold the highest standards of rule of law, due process, and human dignity,” Minister Attard stated.
Malta takes pride in hosting this historic moment at the margins of the Ministerial Conference, under the Maltese Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. A significant number of Member States—sixteen in total—signed the Protocol during the ceremony, demonstrating strong collective commitment to enhanced cooperation and shared values.
Minister Attard signed the Protocol in the presence of Ambassador Francesca Camilleri Vettiger, Permanent Representative of Malta to the Council of Europe, marking Malta’s formal endorsement of this important legal instrument.
Minister Attard called on all remaining Member States to join in signing the Protocol, reinforcing a united front against organized crime and outdated procedures. “This is a clear message - Europe stands together to ensure justice knows no borders,” he concluded.