Council of Europe

Council of Europe

The Council of Europe (CoE), founded on 5 May 1949 and based in Strasbourg, France, is composed of 46 Member States. The CoE seeks to develop common and democratic principles based on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and other reference texts on the protection of individuals across Europe.

The CoE has developed a number of conventions establishing common rules and mechanisms for international cooperation in criminal matters, including extradition, mutual legal assistance and the transfer of sentenced persons. These conventions provide a common legal basis for cooperation between States, including those beyond the European Union.

The Committee of Experts on the Operation of European Conventions on Co-operation in Criminal Matters (PC-OC)

The Committee of Experts on the Operation of European Conventions on Co-operation in Criminal Matters (PC-OC) is the CoE’s expert committee specifically responsible for the practical operation of the abovementioned conventions. It brings together national experts to examine their implementation and application, and address practical difficulties encountered in international cooperation. Moreover, the PC-OC proposes new instruments in this field.

Additionally, the PC-OC develops solutions to facilitate cooperation between States. For example, it produces helpful tools for practitioners dealing with these instruments, such as: country information, model forms, and practical guidelines. These tools can be found on the page below.

The PC-OC website is a useful source of information for practitioners involved in international cooperation in criminal matters.

The PC-OC website contains other useful information for practitioners from all States Parties to the Council of Europe conventions on international co-operation in criminal matters. The website contains:

  • Information on the activities of the PC-OC including its upcoming and past meetings and events.
  • Legal standards and useful background material for practitioners (country information, tools for implementation).
  • Relevant case law of the European Court of Human Rights (link, see below);
  • Archives of past activities, studies, papers and publications of interest.