Projects
Implementation of the Police Cooperation Convention for Southeast Europe (PCC SEE) in EU Member States Signatories to the PCC SEE
Agreement number: HOME/2012/ISEC/AG/4000004371
Duration: 1.1.2014 - 31.12.2015
Project leader: DCAF Ljubljana
Co-beneficiaries:
(1) Ministry of the Interior or the Republic of Slovenia, Police – Established in Slovenia
(2) Ministry of Interior – Established in Hungary
(3) Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Austria – Established in Austria
(4) Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Bulgaria – Established in Bulgaria
(5) Ministry of Internal Affairs – General Directorate of EU Affairs and International Cooperation – Established in Romania
Project summary
The project contributed to the efficient fight against cross-border crime in Europe, based on the implementation of the Police Cooperation Convention for Southeast Europe (PCC SEE), initially signed on 6th May 2006 in Vienna, Austria, by ministers of the interior of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia.
The project aimed to strengthen the PCC SEE mechanisms and operational tools (cross-border police cooperation measures and other provisions, e.g. Hot Pursuit, Mixed Patrols, Joint Investigation Teams, Cross-Border Surveillance, Common Centres, etc.), thus increasing cross-border cooperation within the PCC SEE area as a whole, i.e. among EU Member States and Southeast European countries signatories to the PCC SEE. Based on the Schengen Convention, the PCC SEE aims at transferring EU practices and standards (incl. Data Protection), thus contributing to the progress of (aspiring) Candidate Countries on their path of EU/Schengen integration. By creation of thematic frameworks and an established decision-making system based on EU practices, where the project co-beneficiaries participated as full PCC SEE signatories together with the remaining signatories from the SEE region, the PCC SEE implementation furthered the knowledge, spread of best EU practices, harmonisation of standards and legislations, increased mutual trust and understanding among law enforcement authorities within the PCC SEE area, while embedding the signatories into a common security area. EU agencies Europol and Cepol contributed their support and expertise on a regular basis, while complementarity was observed also with other relevant stakeholders.
Project objectives:
- A regular contribution of EU Member States signatories of the Convention in the activities conducted under all pillars of the PCC SEE framework, guided by the common PCC SEE Roadmap;
- Efficient implementation of the PCC SEE work programme for 2014 and 2015 within the whole PCC SEE area;
- Enhanced national capacities to apply cross-border police cooperation within the PCC SEE area;
- Increased awareness and knowledge of the PCC SEE tools and frameworks within the wider European area;
- Further development of PCC SEE networks on operational level focusing on specific areas of cross-border cooperation provided by PCC SEE (e.g. JIT Network, Cross-Border Surveillance Network);
- Contribution to an efficient performance of the PCC SEE decision-making bodies;
- Contribution to the strategic guidance and monitoring of the PCC SEE implementation progress;
- Concluding bi- and multi-lateral implementation agreements for cross-border cooperation.
Project activities
- 9 meetings of statutory Convention bodies, intended to review progress, coordinate and set policy for advancing the implementation of the PCC SEE;
- 3 meetings of Police Directors, convened in order to secure the implementation of the Convention on the operational level;
- 12 meetings of regional working groups and networks, aimed at addressing normative and administrative measures for police cooperation in particular fields, to provide recommendations for improvement of certain cross-border measures and exchange experience, best practices, challenges and lessons learnt;
- 5 Ad Hoc expert meetings, organised in order to address other specific needs identified by the Convention Contracting Parties and develop concrete solutions to foster cross-border cooperation;
- 9 capacity building activities, aimed at enhancing national capacities of the Convention Contracting Parties and harmonisation of their standards, operational procedures and methods in applying cross-border police measures;
- 3 joint activities, aimed at addressing practical cross-border operational needs of the PCC SEE Contracting Parties.
Target groups
The activities of the project foresaw the participation from law enforcement authorities of the EU Member States signatories to the PCC SEE. Target groups that have benefited from the project were police officers and other law enforcement practitioners in the area of cross-border police cooperation as well as students and trainees at police schools, academies and universities.
Added value
The project addressed the need for a greater efficiency of cross-border policing in the PCC SEE area through the implementation of the PCC SEE and its operationalisation as a tool for operational police cooperation. Through an enhanced participation and partnership of EU Member States signatories to the PCC SEE, the project aimed at the need for a greater harmonisation of procedures, of legal provisions, standards and practices among the EU Member States and their SEE neighbours, also accompanied by a regular participation and utilising the expertise of relevant EU agencies, in strengthening the fight against cross-border and organised crime, including irregular migration.
In accordance with the OCTA 2011 findings and the main principles of the EU Internal Security Strategy, the project addressed the issue of EU law enforcement cooperation with the region of crucial security interest, in order to more efficiently mitigate the identified common threats originating from/via the Southeast European region. It contributed to the operationalisation of the established interdependence between EU internal security and its external dimension in practice, in view of increasing the law enforcement capacities within the whole PCC SEE area to fight all types of organised and cross-border crime, based on EU standards and practices.
Useful links
(1) Ministry of the Interior or the Republic of Slovenia, Police – Established in Slovenia
(2) Ministry of Interior – Established in Hungary
(3) Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Austria – Established in Austria
(4) Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Bulgaria – Established in Bulgaria