The EU is supporting capacity building against cybercrime

The recent adoption of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime and its signature by 72 countries in October 2025, highlights the need to strengthen capacity building and technical assistance.

The Convention aims to prevent and combat cybercrime and strengthen international cooperation. It ensures that human rights and fundamental freedoms are effectively safeguarded in its application, including the rights to the protection of personal data and privacy. It includes explicit provisions for capacity building and technical assistance and sets common standards for domestic legal frameworks and international cooperation. Capacity building will be key to ensure correct implementation and application of the Convention, so that provisions can be used effectively and respecting safeguards.

The EU is funding 12 active projects focused on combatting cybercrime with a total budget of EUR 78 million.

The Global Action on Cybercrime Enhanced (GLACY-e) project strengthen the capacity of police authorities to investigate cybercrime and engage in police-to-police cooperation. The project has trained 1850 police officers on cybercrime and related topics.

Enhancing Security Cooperation In and With Asia and the Indo-Pacific (ESIWA+) project strengthens security and defence cooperation with Asia and the Indo-Pacific partner countries. For instance, in Malaysia, through targeted support and policy dialogue, ESIWA+ accompanied Malaysia’s National Cyber Security Agency in the legislative process leading to the adoption of the Cyber Security Act in 2024.

Other projects, such as CyberEAST in Eastern Partnership countries and CyberSEE in the Western Balkans, cover all dimension of cybercrime (cyberattacks, online fraud, online child sexual abuse) and provide assistance for legislative reforms and strategy, training of judiciary and law enforcement, public-private partnerships and international cooperation.

Several other projects do not focus solely on cybercrime, but include important components relevant for this crime area: the projects Counter-Terrorism Information Exchange and Criminal Justice Responses II (CT INFLOW II) and Criminal Justice Responses to Terrorism (CT JUST) aim at enhancing international cooperation and sharing of best practices on the exchange of information, criminal analysis, cross-border investigations and prosecutions against terrorism and it include significant efforts to build capacity for sharing of electronic evidence.

Another project, EL PAcCTO 2.0, focuses on combating organised crime in South America and the Caribbean, reinforcing justice and security institutions and fostering EU-LAC partnerships. In that context, EL PAcCTO 2.0 build capacity against online crimes and for improving exchange of digital evidence.

Find out more about all 12 projects: Booklet: EU-Funded Cyber Capacity Building Projects