European Union: European Commission issued roadmap for effective and lawful access to data for law enforcement

On 24 June 2025, the European Commission presented a roadmap for effective and lawful access to data for law enforcement. The Commission highlighted that 85% of criminal investigations rely on electronic evidence and that various offences leave digital traces, necessitating better tools and a modernised legal framework for accessing digital data lawfully while fully respecting fundamental rights. The roadmap focuses on six areas. Regarding data retention, an impact assessment will be carried out in 2025 to update the rules, and Europol and Eurojust will work on reinforcing cooperation between law enforcement and service providers. For lawful interception, measures to improve cross-border cooperation will be explored by 2027, including assessing the need to strengthen the European Investigation Order and supporting secured information sharing between Member States, Europol, and other agencies between 2026 and 2028. In digital forensics, the Commission and Europol will coordinate a gap and needs analysis for technical solutions and support tool development, with Europol developing into a centre of excellence from 2026. On decryption, a technology roadmap on encryption will be presented in 2026 to identify solutions for lawful access to encrypted data while safeguarding cybersecurity and fundamental rights, also supporting new decryption technologies for Europol from 2030. The Commission will work with stakeholders to develop an EU approach to standardisation for internal security, focusing on digital forensics, lawful disclosure, and lawful interception. Finally, by 2028, the Commission will promote the development and deployment of AI tools to enable authorities to process and analyse large volumes of seized data.