Harmonisation of the EU’s laws on cyber crime and in comparison with ASEAN

Abstract

Managing high-tech crimes is getting more challenging, with their tactics being more intricate than other forms of transnational crime. Within the European Union (EU), high-tech crime poses a significant challenge to regional cybersecurity in the present digital era, especially as the EU priorities combating serious and organised crimes from 2022 to 2025. The harmonisation of EU laws on high-tech crime serves as a strategic approach and an implemented measure to address high-tech crime, with some initial successes. This article examines the current state of harmonszation of EU legislation regarding high-tech crimes, identifies both the opportunities that the EU might take advantage of and the problems it will face in achieving legal harmonisation of EU laws on high-tech crimes in the near future, and compare the EU’s situation with the harmonisation of ASEAN laws on high-tech crimes to highlight the results of the harmonisation of EU laws on high-tech crimes.