News item | 09-01-2024 | 9:00 am
The ‘eEvidence’ regulation will come into effect in the European Union from March 2026. The regulation tightens existing agreements on sharing digital evidence between countries. This concerns evidence in existing criminal cases that are stored with internet service providers. For example, domain companies, mobile phone services or online gaming services.
In more than half of criminal cases, digital evidence is desperately needed to complete a case. Many criminal cases are cross-border, just as ‘the internet’ does not stop at our national border. The regulation is an important advance in the investigation and prosecution of criminals throughout the European Union. Important for Dutch citizens and all companies operating here that rely on a well-functioning rule of law.
The Ministry of Justice and Security will make good use of the next two years to implement the changes that the regulation entails. In addition to the development of new legislation regarding the sharing of digital evidence, important changes are afoot for our investigative apparatus and the Public Prosecution Service. In addition, a public-private partnership has been started with various representatives of the various internet services in the Netherlands to ensure the innovation runs smoothly.