Vienna, Austria – On 29 November 2017, the PCC SEE Secretariat and the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior convened a kick-off meeting for the official negotiations of the EU Prüm-inspired framework for automated exchange of data within the PCC SEE region. In pursuit of this new framework, high-level representatives of all eleven Contracting Parties presented the state of play in obtaining the mandate for official negotiations, as well as reached a common agreement on the way forward in the on-going process, in particular with respect to the available options, timeline and other relevant details. It was agreed to pursue the signing of the legal documents on the occasion of a conference under the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union scheduled for 13-14 September 2018. As some of the Contracting Parties are still finalising their internal procedures for obtaining the official negotiation mandate, they unanimously agreed that all enter the negotiation process informally and conclude one official negotiation round among those which have obtained the mandate at the latest possible date before September 2018. Moreover, they agreed that all Contracting Parties additionally sign a joint Memorandum of Understanding, in order to outline the key elements and further consolidate their commitment to an effective and sustainable development towards an EU Prüm-inspired cooperation, and adjure the donor community and the European Commission for recognition and support.  The outcome of the kick-off meeting in Vienna shall be endorsed by the Committee of Ministers to be convened under Slovenian PCC SEE Chairmanship in Brdo pri Kranju on 15 March 2018.