On 6 June, the Council of Europe's Pompidou Group launched a new online handbook on controlled deliveries. The handbook was developed in cooperation with Eurojust, Europol, INTERPOL, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Southeast European Law Enforcement Centre (SELEC), as well as the Council of Europe's Committee of Experts on the Operation of European Conventions on Co-operation in Criminal Matters (PC-OC). Eurojust contributed to the collection of data relating to European States. The Council of Europe has now begun granting access codes for judicial and law enforcement authorities.

The term 'controlled delivery' refers to allowing illicit or suspect consignments to exit, cross, or enter the territory of one or more States. These deliveries are made with the knowledge, and under the supervision of, the competent authorities of the States involved. The purpose is to investigate an offence and identify the persons involved in its commission.

The handbook is intended to assist judicial and law enforcement authorities in their efforts to respond efficiently to cross-border criminal offences. By providing information to the practitioners in an easily accessible and constantly updated online format, through a national contact point, the handbook helps to promote transnational judicial and law enforcement cooperation, thus enhancing the coordinated international response required to effectively tackle cross-border organised crime.

The handbook contains information on the national and international legal frameworks on controlled deliveries as well as the practicalities that need to be taken into consideration when planning and executing controlled deliveries. Contact details of single contact points for controlled deliveries in each State that is featured in the handbook are also provided. Further, the handbook specifies the documents required when requesting cooperation in the form of controlled deliveries from another State and the information that needs to be submitted in such a request.

The handbook currently covers mostly European States, but an expansion to global coverage is planned as more and more States join this initiative.