At the national conference “Days of Forensic Science 2025” Law Institute ZRS Koper prestented the INCEPT project

Researchers from the Law Institute of the Science and Research Centre Koper (ZRS Koper) presented the European project INCEPT (Supporting cross-border judicial cooperation in cases related to interception of telecommunications, JUST-2024-JCOO 101192923) at the national conference “Days of Forensic Science 2025,” held in the conference halls of the Zreče Thermal Spa between June 4 and 5, 2025.

The project, launched this year by an international consortium of research organizations from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovenia, is based on the finding that in the age of digital communications, telecommunications interception is a crucial tool for detecting and investigating serious crimes and organized crime. However, Member States of the European Union face numerous legal and technical challenges in this area.

Telecommunications interception raises important questions regarding the acceptability and legality of covert investigative measures, such as secret surveillance using technical devices (GPS trackers), IMSI catchers, and trojan horses – both under national laws of the Member States and in cross-border evidence gathering and transmission. In practice, the European Investigation Order (EIO) often encounters varying national approaches and insufficient harmonization of legislation, which, due to differences in implementation, technical standards, and security protocols, prolongs cross-border processes for collecting and exchanging evidence and hinders effective cooperation.

Challenges also arise in cooperation with third countries, as existing legal mechanisms do not provide clear procedures and standards for the exchange of telecommunications data. The main objective of the INCEPT project is to strengthen judicial cooperation in telecommunications interception and thereby contribute to improving the legality and effectiveness of cross-border criminal proceedings.