The BSRBCC Document Experts Seminar took place in Riga on 9–10 September 2026. The seminar was organised by the State Border Guard of Latvia as the BSRBCC Presidency country in 2026.
The seminar brought together document examination experts from the Latvian State Border Guard, the Latvian State Forensic Science Bureau, and the Latvian Forensic Examination Bureau of the Criminalistics Department of the Main Criminal Police Board of the State Police, as well as experts from the BSRBCC Member States – Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Denmark and Norway. Representatives of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine also participated in the seminar.
The aim of the seminar was to strengthen international cooperation in the field of document examination, promote the exchange of professional experience and best practices, and discuss current trends in the use and detection of forged documents.
During the seminar, participants were introduced to the latest trends in document examination in Latvia in 2025–2026. Experts from the BSRBCC Member States, Ukraine and Frontex presented the current situation in their respective countries, shared their experience regarding detected document forgeries and the methods used to produce them, and discussed practical challenges in verifying the authenticity of documents. Current trends in the field of security documents at the State Police and developments in the examination of forged documents at the State Forensic Science Bureau were also presented.
Considerable attention was also paid to information exchange and technological developments in the field of document examination. Experts discussed the transition from the FADO system to EBCG FADO 1.0, as well as its role in improving the exchange of information and strengthening document examination capabilities.
The seminar participants emphasised that document forgery techniques are constantly evolving, while the challenges faced by law enforcement authorities in different countries are often similar. Therefore, international cooperation and the exchange of professional information are essential for effectively detecting and preventing the use of forged documents. Timely information exchange enables law enforcement authorities to better identify new forgery techniques and further develop their document examination skills.
The seminar demonstrated the shared commitment of the BSRBCC Member States, Ukraine and Frontex to strengthening cooperation in the field of document examination and enhancing capabilities to combat document fraud. Such cooperation makes an important contribution to preventing irregular migration and other illicit cross-border activities, as well as to strengthening security in the Baltic Sea region.