Online fraud and digital criminal investigations featured in the November 5 home-affairs talks between the EU and Western Balkan partners in Budva. The joint statement describes tasks for cross-border cooperation; for Hungary, law-enforcement ties with the neighbouring region give the story direct relevance.
The talks also addressed protecting children online, as well as cooperation on migration and border management. The statement names Europol and CEPOL in supporting digital investigative capabilities. This is a jointly issued account of talks, rather than the promulgation of new Hungarian legislation.
According to the Irish EU presidency’s programme, the November 5–6 forum dedicates separate days to home affairs and justice. Planned topics for Friday’s justice discussions include combating corruption and protecting children’s rights. At the time of this morning edition, we are not presenting those discussions as having produced final outcomes.
The forum’s specific policy work connects with the EU enlargement roadmaps, but constitutes a separate story. The consumer side of online abuse is covered in the Hungarian guidance on virtual bank cards.
The practical results of cooperation can later be assessed through joint measures actually implemented. Announcing an agenda does not yet provide measurable evidence that fraud has declined.
The next substantive development will be the official account of the November 6 justice meeting’s outcomes. The current statement was published on November 5 at 6.33 pm Central European Time.
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Budapest Global Review: EU and Western Balkans discuss online fraud in Budva. Budapest Global Review, 5 November 2026. https://globalreview.hu/en/cikk/budva-eu-nyugat-balkan-belugyi-forum-2026