We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. Necessary cookies are required to support essential features of the Council's website. Optional cookies help us produce anonymous and aggregated statistical reports to better serve your needs.
With your permission, we will use cookies to produce aggregated, anonymous data about our visitors' browsing and behaviour on our website. We will use this data to improve your experience on our website.
General data protection regulation: the way forward for simplifying its application
As simplification and burden reduction are horizontal priorities of the Danish presidency, justice ministers held a state of play discussion on simplifying the application of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
In July at the informal ministerial meeting in Copenhagen, ministers for justice discussed how to balance competitiveness and the right to the protection of personal data. Subsequent discussions were held in Council expert meetings. The technical discussions addressed the question of how to ease administrative burden related to the GDPR while maintaining a high level of data protection. In this context experts looked at both legislative and non-legislative avenues.
This state of play discussion came on the back of the publication, on 19 November 2025, of a 'Digital Omnibus' – a package to simplify various laws in the area of data and tech, including the GDPR.
It has been an important priority for the Danish presidency across all areas to actively work towards stronger European competitiveness. That is why I am also pleased that we have facilitated a path toward a simpler and more streamlined application of the General Data Protection Regulation across Europe.
Peter Hummelgaard, Minister for Justice of Denmark
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine: fight against impunity
Ministers exchanged views on the fight against impunity regarding crimes committed in Ukraine. They discussed in particular the cooperation of EU member states with the planned Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
On June 25 this year, Ukraine and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg signed the agreement on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. One of the ongoing lines of work is to prepare cooperation agreements between participating member states and the Special Tribunal. Ministers shared their perspective on the cooperation of their national authorities and the Special Tribunal.
Support for the International Criminal Court (ICC), which also plays an important role in the fight against impunity, was also discussed.
Ministers approved conclusions on model provisions for EU criminal law. The model provisions constitute a toolbox for future negotiations on EU criminal law instruments.
With these model provisions, member states want to facilitate consistency, coherence and efficiency across criminal law legislative acts. National criminal law codes often contain horizontally applicable rules on issues such as jurisdiction, aggravating circumstances and levels of penalties and these rules usually apply to all types of crime (be it for example migrant smuggling or sanctions circumvention). For this reason, member states have an interest in EU laws in the criminal law area being consistent when it comes to these horizontally applicable rules.
The fight against drug trafficking and organised crime
The presidency informed about the actions undertaken as regards the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime since the EU roadmap on these matters was adopted in October 2023.
The Commission presented the new EU drugs strategy and EU action plan against drug trafficking – both having been published on 4 December 2025.
During an informal lunch, ministers discussed the judicial cooperation with third countries with a focus on extradition. At its meeting on 13 and 14 June 2024, following work under the Belgian presidency, the Council approved conclusions on strengthening judicial cooperation with third countries in the fight against organised crime. The conclusions contain a toolkit of measures aimed at strengthening judicial cooperation with third countries, to be used flexibly and depending on the specific circumstances. Securing extradition from third countries is essential to make progress in the fight against organised crime. Ministers shared best practices and experiences in this regard.
Other business
The presidency gave an update on its work on access to data for effective criminal investigations and informed ministers about the EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home Affairs that took place in Sarajevo in October 2025.
The Commission informed ministers about the Digital Justice Strategy and Judicial Training Strategy, published on 20 November 2025, and presented the annual report on the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Belgium informed ministers about (the lack of) investigative measures for tracing and recovering illegally obtained assets in a cross-border situation in the execution phase (i.e. the phase following the conviction) and the upcoming Cyprus presidency presented its work programme.
