CEPOL, the European Police College has launched the 2012 European Police Exchange Programme.

In 2012, the Exchange Programme, a flagship CEPOL activity, will offer one-to-one exchanges to police officers and scientific and research experts; teaching staff and educational programme developers; and commanders. There will also be group study visits to the European Union agencies that deal with justice and home affairs, including Europol and Frontex.

Exchanges are organised according to 16 topics, which have been identified as important to the safety and security of European citizens. In 2012, four new topics will be included: illegal immigration, container shipments, mobile organised crime groups and the network for fugitive active search teams. A group exchange will be organised on the topic of trafficking in human beings.

Exchanges are open to participants who have a minimum of three years’ work experience in the field of interest and must speak at least one foreign language. Further, participants must commit to cascading their newly gained knowledge to colleagues at a national and European level. Police officers interested in taking part in the 2012 Exchange Programme are advised to read the participants handbook and contact their national exchange coordinator (details included in the handbook).

The Exchange Programme, now in its seventh year has been steadily growing in popularity and in 2011, almost 300 people, from 26 EU countries took part in the exchange programme – the highest number of participants ever in a single year and a significant increase from 2010.

CEPOL Deputy Director Detlef Schröder said: “Last year’s Exchange Programme was incredibly successful and, with four new topics on offer, this year’s programme promises to be just as good. CEPOL, today more than ever, is committed to helping police cooperation across Europe to the benefit of European citizens. Thanks to the Exchange Programme, hundreds of law enforcement officers get the opportunity to share experience and knowledge which can only strengthen crime-fighting capabilities.”

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On 23-25 January 2012 CEPOL ran a web-based training session in cooperation with the Hellenic Police Academy, the Greek International Police Cooperation Division, the SIRENE Unit and the Informatics Division of the Hellenic Police Headquarters. This purely “online” activity for Greek Police Officers illustrated the various functionalities offered by the Schengen database (SIRENE and SIS).

Sixty-five Police Officers from 26 regions took part by watching and discussing presentations on following topics:

• Police – Judicial cooperation in the Schengen area;
• Implementation of search and pursuit within the Schengen area;
• The 2^nd generation Schengen Information System;
• CEPOL’s e-Learning Module “Schengen”

The official opening and closure of this web-training were given by the Director of the Hellenic Police Academy and Governing Board Voting member Police Brigadier General Ballis Dimitrios. The opening was attended by the Supervisor of the Security and Order Branch of the Hellenic Police Headquarters, Police Major General Kallinis Christos, who acknowledged CEPOL’s contribution in the fields of Learning, Training and Police Cooperation.

Thanks to this online activity CEPOL’s e-Net gained approximately 100 new users, whilst the Trainers and Experts that presented will enhance the already existing pool of Schengen trainers for future Schengen/Sirene oriented CEPOL e-Learning activities.

Activities such as this one improve the existing e-Learning culture within EU Police forces. The receipt of several requests from Member States to organise web-based training sessions confirms that in today’s global financial and learning environment, training institutions continually seek new ways of improving their productivity.

By moving some of its learning possibilities and training programmes online CEPOL increases both the reach and frequency of key training messages with the use of web-Training tools.

For more information regarding this or future web-based activities please write to: webinars@cepol.europa.eu

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CEPOL, the European Police College hosted a delegation from the Secretariat of the Police Cooperation Convention for South Eastern Europe (PCC-SEE) to Bramshill on 23 January 2012 to investigate areas for future joint cooperation.

CEPOL Director, Dr Ferenc Bánfi welcomed the PCC-SEE delegation which was led by Mr Anton Travner, Head of Secretariat. Discussions focused on concrete ways to engage and cooperate more closely with the countries in the region in order to facilitate the achievement of European Partnership objectives. Among the topics discussed was the role of the Convention in facilitating access of selected members of the PCC-SEE to CEPOL activities. This means that selected members may be able to take part in CEPOL’s European Police Exchange Programme, courses and seminars, as well as the range of web-based learning activities.

The PCC-SEE brings together, as Contracting Parties, south eastern European countries, including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the FYR of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia. The PCC-SEE fosters modern forms of cooperation between Contracting Parties, such as joint threat analysis, liaison officers, witness protection and undercover investigations. The full implementation of the Convention will thus help those signatory countries not members of the EU to accelerate their eventual accession. For all Contracting Parties, participation in CEPOL training and learning activities will facilitate further cooperation not only between PCC-SEE members but also between law enforcement personnel from across the EU.

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With 27 Member States and with a combined population of over 500 million people, the European Union forms the spearhead towards a utopian future, where peace and cooperation will be commonplace, where diversity, intolerance and bigotry will be considered a remnant of a distant past, forgotten and long lost.

Bright as that hope and dream might seem, we are far from achieving this Nirvana. The sense of security and prosperity of all E.U. citizens is beset on all sides by cross border organised crime. Taking advantage of and twisting the ideas of free movement of people, ideas, technology and resources for their own private agendas, organised crime groups have become a serious threat that must be dealt with swiftly and efficiently.

Rolling with the tide and taking advantage of an increased spirit of cooperation and understanding between various actors and partners on a European Level, the E.U. has added a new weapon in its arsenal to combat serious crime: Joint Investigation Teams; for never has mankind stood stronger than when joined together, following a common vision and sharing a common purpose.

From 12 – 16 December 2011 the CEPOL Secretariat in cooperation with EJTN (European Judicial Training Network), having in mind all of the above, as well as the fact that the Seminars organised under the auspices of CEPOL have proved to be the best meeting point for Police Officers and Officials from the Member States, undertook the responsibility of organising the CEPOL Seminar 92/2011, “Joint Investigation Teams” whilst the responsibility of hosting went to the CEPOL Unit of the Hellenic Police Academy in Athens, Greece.

The main objectives, with regards to the evaluation feedback given by the participants, were fully met, and were:

1. Given a learning situation and working group activities, Participants will be able to understand and interpret the concept of JITs.
2. Given a learning situation and feedback from various European Agencies/Services, the participant will be able to identify and categorise different instruments of European Cooperation in the field of JITs.
3. Given a learning situation and scenarios, participants will be able to comprehend and understand the procedures of setting up and managing JITs.
4. Given a learning situation and study cases – discussions, participants will enhance their ability to apply for JIT funding, through relevant guidance.
5. Given a learning environment and CEPOL’s electronic platform (e-Net), the participant will be able to establish an ongoing network with colleagues from EU Member- States.

The Seminar was supported by Europol, Eurojust, and OLAF, via the contribution of experts and trainers. The team was complete with the addition of a Greek expert and an external expert/moderator from Finland.

Following the Seminar’s opening and after an initial introductory CEPOL – EU and e-Net awareness presentation, the rest of the day was dedicated to overviewing JITs.

Day two started with a presentation delivered on National Support, followed by another on “When to Use JITs”. After that the topic “Legislation” was presented. The day, as did all of the seminar’s subsequent days, finished with a workshop case study. These workshops were given to the participants, in order to help them see the JITs from a more practical angle and focused on the themes mentioned in the daily sessions.

The third day’s presentations started with the following topic: “Set up practicalities”. Following this, the next session focused on “Setting up and Running JITs: 3rd parties”. The afternoon’s workshop saw the participants split up into six groups tackling a related case study.

Day four opened with a morning session on “Handling Evidence” followed closely by “Evaluation of JITs” and ended with a presentation on Funding.

The final day’s workings commenced with a Reflective Panel, formed by the participants and the experts, during which they expressed their thoughts on the success of the activity and continued with an electronic evaluation of the Seminar, using CEPOL’s e-Net. Closing the seminar, the Chief of the Police Staff of the Hellenic Police Force, Police Lieutenant General STAMATAKIS Adamantios, delivered certificates to the participants.

In closing, we would like to use the words of two of the participants and of an expert that commented the activity as a whole:

Mr. Hartmut Riekoetter, a participant from Germany, said:
"The idea behind the course was to merge academic and practical experiences and knowledge. Added value was gained by the integration of Police, Justice and European institutions. For this purpose different lecturers took the floor: experts from the relevant bodies of the European Union, such as Europol, Eurojust, OLAF and EJTN as well as GR HENU. In this way the most relevant topics were discussed and presented from different perspective. Participants took part actively in the interesting discussions, contributing and creating an active and stimulating environment. Furthermore case studies and their outcome were reflecting especially the practical focus.”

Mr. Eamon O Grady, a participant from Ireland, stated:
“The CEPOL course on Joint Investigation Teams (JIT) hosted by the Hellenic Police (CEPOL Unit) was an excellent course that was extremely well organised and conducted. The course content and structure was very well put together with interactive presentations from an array of experts in the various disciplines/agencies concerned with the establishment and operation of JITs. The course structure facilitated great practical learning in that workshops were held each afternoon using case studies to examine and reinforce the learning of the various subjects that took place in the morning sessions.
The class composition was also excellent, with judges, prosecutors and police officers from many member states. The composition of the workshops meant that each of the participants had the opportunity to not only relay their roles in a JIT or potential JIT, but also to understand the various limitations, requirements and expectations of the other participant’s legislative systems.”

Mrs. Monica Quattrocchio, an expert from Europol, had the following to say:
“The CEPOL Seminar in Athens was a great experience. It was the first time I attended a CEPOL Seminar and I was impressed by the professionalism of the colleagues working for CEPOL Greece. The organisers succeeded in exceeding all the expectations:

• The course was very well organised and structured;
• In a very short period of time the participants were able to reach a good level of knowledge about the subject;
• The class was very interactive and enough time was devoted to the exercises
• The courtesy and availability of CEPOL’s Hellenic colleagues was outstanding: they managed to create a fantastic team spirit during the seminar and took care of all the participants and the experts during the free time in a remarkable way.

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“Crimes against Cultural Heritage” was the title and subject of a CEPOL course held in Rome, Italy on 28 November – 2 December 2011. Since the previous edition of this course last May had focused on providing knowledge about prevention strategies in order to ensure the security of museums and archaeological sites, this course’s main aim was exploring all the different kinds of crimes against Cultural Heritage and the most relevant criminal attacks. The event was organised with the assistance of the CEPOL Secretariat in conjunction with the Italian CEPOL Unit, the Department for Protection of Cultural Heritage (Carabinieri Corps) and support from Poland as well as Interpol.

Twenty two participants from 13 Member States and one Candidate Country took part in the course on protection of cultural heritage, the content of which represents a priority for INTERPOL and was specifically analysed and prepared during the Polish EU Presidency. Three liaison officers from Slovenia (who also represent Croatia in Rome), France and Spain attended the course reflecting the importance of this topic with regards to European police cooperation.

The activity was hosted at the Scuola di Perfezionamento per le Forze di Polizia and was opened by Alberto Deregibus, Lieutenant Colonel from the Department of Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, who welcomed the participants and experts outlining the structure and the objectives of the week long course. The extensive programme included topics such as:

• Works of Art: Heritage and Richness of humanity
• Prevention and protection
• Investigation and fight against illicit trafficking
• The counterfeiting of works of art
• Vandalism against cultural property

Marina Schneider, expert from UNIDROIT, explained the main international instruments used by UNESCO and UNIDROIT in the fight against illicit activities. She also focused on the ENFOPOL 341 document from October 2011, a study on preventing and fighting illicit trafficking in cultural goods in the European Union. With regards to legal aspect, the study focuses on criminal and civil legislation as well as special provisions arising from legislation concerning heritage protection and control of the movement of cultural goods, at international, European and national level. Particular attention was paid to the question of online sales – an as yet less secure sector – and to heritage that is more exposed than others, to illicit trafficking (archaeological heritage, cultural heritage, private heritage, heritage from countries in a situation of conflict or post conflict).

Each participant delivered a short presentation about their national situation. Rafal Weigel, the Polish expert, gave a particularly interesting overview of the situation in Poland which included data on the size of the phenomenon and the results achieved by the police so far.

Interpol’s actions were presented by Mr Panone, from the “Works of Art” unit, describing Interpol’s main tasks in the field and stressing the importance of prevention, how to fight trafficking in cultural property and developing effective countermeasures.

During a visit to the Department of Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Heritage the participants were informed about the “TPC database”. The evolution of this database project, implemented also in the framework of the ISEC Program aims to increase information exchange about stolen cultural goods. It is foreseen that the TPC database will benefit from the involvement of a relevant number of countries.

On the day dedicated to counterfeiting, Lt. CC Paolo Salvatori described the Italian experience in the fight against counterfeiting of artworks, in particular of contemporary art and Fabio Carapezza Guttuso, Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, dealt with the counterfeiting of the artworks of Renato Guttuso, one of the most important Italian contemporaneous painters.

Analysis of the more relevant criminal attacks highlighted theft of cultural objects via different methods, marketing of archaeological finds, illicit excavations, illegal exportations and illicit exporting of paintings, often sold through the auction houses. A presentation about the massive use of the web for the sale of cultural property was delivered by Mrs. Penelope Boulud underlining the special investigation unit’s techniques in this field. Illicit trading of books, archive documents and manuscripts were addressed in a presentation entitled “The Vulnerability of Antique Books” by professor Carlo Beccarini. “Protection of the religious Cultural Heritage“ was delivered by experts Francesco Buranelli and Ms Papadopoulos, both in charge of the Pompei archaeological site, described how Italy protects and makes its archaeological sites safe. Thereafter professor Marcello Guaitoli emphasised the importance of aerial surveillance to monitor criminal activity and identify illegal excavations whilst Annalisa Zarattini analysed the protection of underwater archaeological sites. Last but not least, the participants appreciated the lecture given by Fabrizio Carillo on “Vandalism against cultural property – psychological criminal profile” which focused on the psychological aspects related to this kind of criminal offences.

In the field of prevention, a study visit to Galleria Borghese underlined the importance of special security requirements needed for this kind of museum as it is isolated and situated in a big public park in the center of Rome.

Throughout the course attendees were able to hear from general attorney Gustavo Benitez who explained the police force’s activities in the field of fighting against cultural crimes in Ecuador and the importance of international police cooperation.

The Italian Exchange Programme Coordinator Vincenzo Basetti presented the ENFOPOL 342 document in which the Council recommends CEPOL continue to organise training courses for law enforcement officials involved in combating crime against cultural property, including cooperation with UNESCO and the European Judicial Network, also possibly including this topic in future Exchange Programmes. With this in mind participants were invited to assess the possibility of identifying some specific topics to be proposed for an Exchange Programme dealing with protection of cultural heritage. The interesting proposals that rose from this brainstorming session were discussed during workshops held at the Exchange Programme Evaluation meeting held in Prague recently.

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Dear Colleagues,

On the 1st of January 2012 Denmark took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Danish Presidency logo holds a dual symbolism between 1 and 2, reflecting both the six months’ duration of the Presidency and the dynamic nature of EU cooperation.

The intention of the Danish Presidency is to focus the work of the Governing Board on the implementation of current decisions and projects under development.

It will be our overall aim to secure the continuity of current CEPOL activities with the Trio-Presidency of the Governing Board.

The focus of the Governing Board will be on the implementation of the rationalisation process of CEPOL activities initiated during the Hungarian Presidency and continued during the Polish Presidency resulting in the adoption by the Governing Board of two important Decisions on the governance of CEPOL.

During the Danish Presidency the Governing Board will monitor closely the implementation of these decisions resulting in a draft Governing Board Decision on working groups to be adopted by the Governing Board at the meeting in May 2012.

Another important focus will be on the further maturing of the CEPOL Information Management Strategy and the Communication and ICT Strategies currently under development by the Secretariat in cooperation with Member States and to identify the Board Agenda in the context of “Information as a strategic asset to our organisation”.

In developing the European Training Scheme the Commission has entrusted CEPOL with a mapping exercise, on the basis of which the Secretariat will develop a crucial component required for planning – the Training Needs Assessment – in the first quarter of 2012, an important agenda item for the May Governing Board meeting in Copenhagen.

In 2012 the Commission will present its Communication on the European Training Scheme to identify the tools and further the institutional assignments based on an integrated approach to law enforcement training at the European Union level.

Thanks to the efforts of the Presidencies and the Secretariat in implementing the Action Plan and the positive audit reports, no major problems are foreseen in respect of the finalisation of the accounts for 2010.

I take the opportunity also to announce a Presidency seminar on Cybercrime to be jointly organised by the Danish National Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions on 13 – 14 February 2012. Invitations will be distributed via the Council structures such as the Law Enforcement Working Party and Droitpen and within the CEPOL network.

Mogens Hendriksen

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Spanish “Language Development” was the subject of a CEPOL seminar held at the Spanish Police Training Division in Madrid and Avila from 14 November to 2 December 2011. The aim of the seminar was to improve participants’ language skills in Spanish, learn about the host country’s police systems and increase participants’ knowledge of European Police Cooperation within a European context. The seminar was organised with the support of Austria, France, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom

Jose Maria Villarreal Criado, Director of the Updating & Specialisation Center in Madrid, gave the attendees a warm welcome during his introductory speech. Sixteen participants from France, Austria, Italy, Romania, Denmark, The Netherlands, Hungary, Finland, Poland and Lithuania took part in the seminar as well as two specialised language trainers. Activities were split into three parts: participant presentations, judicial systems/police terminology and EU Institutions (Interpol, Europol, Sirene, Frontex). Each participant gave a presentation based on law enforcement issues in their own country. Furthermore, different study visits were organised to Toledo, Stadium, Avila Police Training Center, Santiago Bernabeu Football Stadium and the Prado Museum in Madrid.

During the seminar’s third week the participants moved to Avila, located 100 km outside of Madrid. Trainers from the Training Center gave presentations about their Safety Unit, their Investigation Unit and their Judicial System. Participants were impressed by the facilities and the work done in the Training Center. The attendees had the opportunity to take part in actual courses and to exchange information with Senior Police officer students.

On the last day participants expressed their satisfaction with the seminar. Two participants said:

• Everything was well prepared and the Spanish CEPOL team’s organization was excellent.
• I have never learned so much language as I have here. Thanks to both the teachers and the other participants.

Francisco Marcelino Pérez, Director of the Avila Training Center, during the farewell speech encouraged participants to continue with cooperation between countries and wished them all the best for the future.

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The first CEPOL Course on ‘Counterfeit Medicines’ took place in the Garda College Templemore from Monday the 28th November to Wednesday the 30th November 2011. The course was organised with the assistance of the CEPOL Secretariat and was hosted in the Garda College.

Sixteen participants from eight Member States attended the course. Over three days presentations were provided from a range of experts involved in the Pharmaceutical, Health and Enforcement industries.

Day one of the course was opened by Assistant Commissioner Derek Byrne who has responsibility for the Irish National Support Services. He welcomed the participants and the experts and stressed the importance of a partnership approach from law enforcement and the pharmaceutical industry in tackling this international crime. He highlighted the involvement of organised crime and also the damaging effects of counterfeit medicines to the health of the public.

Ashley How, Director EMEA, Pharmaceutical Security Institute, (PSI) provided an ‘Industry Overview’ and was followed by Hugo K. Bonar, Enforcement Manager, Irish Medicines Board, who highlighted the ‘Threats to Health and Effects’ of counterfeit medicines.

The following day Nimo Ahmed, Enforcement Group Manager, MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency), introduced a case study where a successful investigation and convictions took place, tracking counterfeit medicines through a number of European Member States. Unfortunately Aline Plançon, Interpol, who was to provide a presentation on ‘Counterfeit Medicine and Organised Crime’ was unable to travel due to a flight disruption in Paris.

On day three of the course David Shore, Senior Director EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa), Pfizer Inc., provided a presentation on the response of industry to counterfeit medicines and gave a number of examples of successful operations against counterfeiters. Michael Doherty, Irish Revenue Commissioners gave a presentation on the EU Customs response to counterfeit Medicines.

The Course was moderated by Superintendent Eamon O Grady who specialises in the investigation of counterfeiting operations, who led discussion and a number of workshops during which topics such as ‘Public/Private relationships and partnerships’ and ‘Inter Agency Collaboration & Management of trans-national investigations’ were discussed.

This was the first CEPOL course on this subject and feedback from participants reflected the importance of this topic and networking among specialists:

‘With my current role as head of IP Crime this course hit the spot and gave me some interesting learning which I will pass on’

‘The industry experts were very informative and forceful in their presentations and gave a great insight into industry problems and what their agendas were in relation to this topic’

‘Very useful presentations and organisation was perfect. Aside from the obvious potential to learn and exchange information this course proved very valuable as an opportunity to network with like-minded professionals’

The Irish CEPOL Team would like to thank the participants for their engagement during the course and the experts for providing us with their expertise.

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CEPOL organised a Kynopol seminar for heads of dog handling centers from the 28^th November to 1^st December 2011 in Lognes, France. The event was hosted by France and inaugurated by Martine NAUTE, sub-director of the French training department. Frontex, Italy, Portugal and Hungary, the initiator of the Kynopol secretariat, contributed to the activity.

The main objective of the activity was to create a network of law enforcement dog professionals in Europe, Kynopol, to describe and identify their operational tasks and needs. This network will be created based on Council Decision 8178/11.

The programme and objectives of the activity were prepared by CEPOL in close cooperation with Frontex thus creating a new activity based on the right criteria.

Within the workshop’s setting, participants were then able to identify the needs and tasks of a future Kynopol network.

Participants had the opportunity to exchange best practice and to be informed about the development of EU border guard K9, the national implementation of Frontex standards, the most important stages and content in and identifying the tasks and needs of Kynopol. Last, but not least, a Study visit to the French dog training centre (CNFUC) took place, during which participants were informed about the legal basis of using law enforcement dogs and how dog & handler training is carried out in France. Participants also enjoyed a live demonstration of dog training in the field of drug and explosive detection as well as in the use of force with dogs.

After a short discussion on Council Resolution 8178/11, regarding the creation of such a network, participants had a workshop which generated the following proposals / conclusions from the brainstorming session carried out in relation to Kynopol:

• Priority at this stage is not to develop another network but to group and coordinate existing networks in order to avoid overlapping and use of community funds for parallel initiatives;
• Development of a network of professionals in the field of dog handling at the same level with already existing ones would lead to the development of a parallel process with the one undertaken by Frontex since 2006 aiming at setting common standards for service dog handlers.
• Due to the fact that Frontex standards for dog training / dog handling could apply to any law enforcement body managing a dog training unit, they can be universally used – if considered nationally important – by any law enforcement agency.
• Kynopol could distribute to the Member States the annual programme of activities carried out by EU bodies in the field of dog training.
• In order to support further development of standards, collection and assessment of expertise at an EU level is of utmost importance. Contribution from all Heads of dog training centers would be expected to the annual conference leading to a common culture for dog handlers in EU Member States. A systemic approach will increase the efficiency of cooperation in this field of expertise.
• The necessity for the designation of Kynopol National Contact Points is emphasised, which would make communications between Member States (relevant dog training institutions – police – border guards, law enforcement in general) and relevant EU Agencies more efficient.
• The creation of parallel networks, in the field of dog training with similar tasks, based on EU funds would provoke confusion in the Member States. The most efficient strategy is to not create another network but to tie existing bodies into one network, represented by Kynopol.

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A CEPOL workshop entitled ‘Training for Police Medical Experts and Psychologists’ took place in Bramshill, United Kingdom on 29-30 November 2011. Sixteen speakers and 19 participants from 20 Member States attended the workshop organised by the CEPOL Secretariat and managed by Zuzana Liskova, CEPOL’s Administrative and Common Curricula Support Officer.

This new activity was triggered by the creation of The European Medical and Psychological Experts` network (EMPEN) earlier this year. EMPEN is a network of and for medical, medico-legal and psychological activities in the law enforcement field which serves as a platform to exchange experiences and best practices.

CEPOL prepared the activity in order to encourage Member States to participate actively in the network through their competent national authorities, and to share knowledge in the area, and strengthen cooperation between law enforcement medical and psychological experts. Furthermore, training needs in the field were identified and topics for future CEPOL activities 2012 were proposed:

• Healthcare within and for police organisation (health management, prevention, health education, stress, illness quotas, rehabilitation, mental health, psychological impact);
• Psychological and medical aspects, training for police psychologist on first psychological aid, exchange of best practice and cascading knowledge;
• Psychological assessment procedures for recruitment of police staff, effectiveness of the assessment;
• Use of psychoactive substances (alcohol, drugs) by police staff;
• Medical treatment for immigrants; protection of border police officers against illnesses from immigrants and animals crossing borders;
• A conference organised by EMPEN and the creation of an EMPEN executive committee was suggested.

Deputy Director of CEPOL, Detlef Schröder, addressed his warm welcome to the attendees and also used the opportunity of this event to have less formal discussions with individual participants during the course of the workshop.

In one and a half days of intensive exchange the participants tackled the following areas:

Promoting the scientific activities of medical and psychological experts within law enforcement
The kick-off speaker Stefan Lita from Romania presented 40 years of experience of applied psychology within Romanian law enforcement.

Psychological assessment of police staff
Selection criteria for police staff and practical experience from various countries were presented by Daiga Caune from Latvia, Nora Hajdu from Hungary, Elizabeta Vovko Bergant from Slovenia and Markku Nyman from Finland. Each presentation started a lively discussion and plenty of questions were addressed to the speakers.

Psychological support for police officers
It is common knowledge that police service is a tough job, and speakers Michael Eckerskorn from Germany, Marc Stein from Luxembourg, Daina Goroviciute and Tatjana Nikitina from Lithuania as well as Eva Krivosudska from the Slovak Republic, brought up very sensitive topics such as care after traumatic events, suicides of police officers, police suicide prevention, psychological education and psychological support for police officers.

Daniela Giusti from Italy, Michaela Borovanska from the Czech Republic, Vasiliki Christodoulou from Greece and Krzysztof Skarzynski from Poland presented during the afternoon session paying attention to assistance for crisis negotiation teams, psychological services from police officers before, during and after their missions, stress management, and psychological care for police officers.

Psychological support provided by police services
On the second day the workshop discussed psychological support for victims of natural and civil disasters or major traffic accidents. Marc Stein for the second time during the workshop contributed with experience from Luxembourg; post-traumatic care provided by especially trained staff was the topic addressed by Armando Angelucci from Italy; and police contribution to establishing public health and epidemiological safety was introduced by Tamas Nagy from Hungary.

This activity for police medical experts and psychologist was the first of its kind and was highly appreciated by all attendees. CEPOL would like to thank all speakers and participants for their commitment and involvement.

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The 6th issue of the CEPOL European Police Science and Research Bulletin has been published and is now ready for download.

The `winter-edition` features an article about Problem-Oriented-Policing in Malmo, Sweden as well as reports about the police’s use of social media tools as a form of communication, perception of crime and the GODIAC project. This issue also contains essays by Stefano Failla, External Relations Officer – CEPOL and Risto Honkonen, Head of Research at the Finish Police College respectively addressing the Evolution of the Home Affairs Policy Area and whether or not Research and Science is one of CEPOL’s strengths.

Comments and/or submissions (see Guidelines) for the next issue should please be sent to:

research-bulletin@cepol.europa.eu.

Closing date for submissions to the next issue is 28 February 2012

The 6th issues of the European Police Science and Research Bulletin, as well as previous ones, can be downloaded from the “Research & Science Publications” section of this website.

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A cooperation agreement between CEPOL, the European Police College and the Police Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia was signed in Tiblisi on 12 December 2011.

The official ceremony took place at the Ministry of Internal Affairs Academy, in the presence of dignitaries from the government of Georgia and the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia, as well as representatives. The agreement was signed by CEPOL Director Dr Ferenc Bánfi; Chair of the CEPOL Governing Board, Ms Eliza Wojicik and Director of the MIA Academy of Georgia, Ms Khatia Dekanoidze.

The agreement – the first of its kind between CEPOL and a country belonging to the Eastern Partnership Policy Area – will enable better cooperation and exchange of best practice between Georgia and the EU in the field of law enforcement training. In particular, senior police officers from Georgia will have access to CEPOL’s broad range of training resources, from participation in courses and seminars to access to e-Net, CEPOL’s online resource centre.

In addition, the CEPOL delegation also met with the Georgian Minister of Interior, Deputy Minister of European Integration and EU Ambassador to Georgia to discuss ways in which CEPOL can contribute to Georgia’s European partnership aspirations.

Cooperation agreements are a key pillar of CEPOL’s external relations strategy and during the course of 2011, CEPOL will have concluded or renewed eight cooperation agreements. As part of its external relations strategy, CEPOL is also studying ways to provide a financial dimension to its external action, to assist and improve its partners’ potential to achieve their respective European policy objectives in the field of law enforcement training.

Dr Bánfi said: “Today’s Agreement is not the final step of a process, but rather the beginning of what I hope will be one of the best examples of how European Union agencies contribute to the achievement of European partnership objectives. I look forward to a closer cooperation with Georgia, and in particular, I would like to welcome senior law enforcement officials from Georgia to participate in CEPOL’s training programmes.”

A Cooperation Agreement with Montenegro is scheduled to be signed in Podgorica next week.

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A CEPOL workshop entitled ‘Training for Police Medical Experts and Psychologists’ took place in Bramshill, United Kingdom on 29-30 November 2011. Sixteen speakers and 19 participants from 20 Member States attended the workshop organised by the CEPOL Secretariat and managed by Zuzana Liskova, CEPOL’s Administrative and Common Curricula Support Officer.

This new activity was triggered by the creation of The European Medical and Psychological Experts` network (EMPEN) earlier this year. EMPEN is a network of and for medical, medico-legal and psychological activities in the law enforcement field which serves as a platform to exchange experiences and best practices.

CEPOL prepared the activity in order to encourage Member States to participate actively in the network through their competent national authorities, and to share knowledge in the area, and strengthen cooperation between law enforcement medical and psychological experts. Furthermore, training needs in the field were identified and topics for future CEPOL activities 2012 were proposed:

• Healthcare within and for police organisation (health management, prevention, health education, stress, illness quotas, rehabilitation, mental health, psychological impact);
• Psychological and medical aspects, training for police psychologist on first psychological aid, exchange of best practice and cascading knowledge;
• Psychological assessment procedures for recruitment of police staff, effectiveness of the assessment;
• Use of psychoactive substances (alcohol, drugs) by police staff;
• Medical treatment for immigrants; protection of border police officers against illnesses from immigrants and animals crossing borders;
• A conference organised by EMPEN and the creation of an EMPEN executive committee was suggested.

Deputy Director of CEPOL, Detlef Schröder, addressed his warm welcome to the attendees and also used the opportunity of this event to have less formal discussions with individual participants during the course of the workshop.

In one and a half days of intensive exchange the participants tackled the following areas: Promoting the scientific activities of medical and psychological experts within law enforcement The kick-off speaker Stefan Lita from Romania presented 40 years of experience of applied psychology within Romanian law enforcement.

Psychological assessment of police staff
Selection criteria for police staff and practical experience from various countries were presented by Daiga Caune from Latvia, Nora Hajdu from Hungary, Elizabeta Vovko Bergant from Slovenia and Markku Nyman from Finland. Each presentation started a lively discussion and plenty of questions were addressed to the speakers.

Psychological support for police officers
It is common knowledge that police service is a tough job, and speakers Michael Eckerskorn from Germany, Marc Stein from Luxembourg, Daina Goroviciute and Tatjana Nikitina from Lithuania as well as Eva Krivosudska from the Slovak Republic, brought up very sensitive topics such as care after traumatic events, suicides of police officers, police suicide prevention, psychological education and psychological support for police officers.

Daniela Giusti from Italy, Michaela Borovanska from the Czech Republic, Vasiliki Christodoulou from Greece and Krzysztof Skarzynski from Poland presented during the afternoon session paying attention to assistance for crisis negotiation teams, psychological services from police officers before, during and after their missions, stress management, and psychological care for police officers.

Psychological support provided by police services
On the second day the workshop discussed psychological support for victims of natural and civil disasters or major traffic accidents. Marc Stein for the second time during the workshop contributed with experience from Luxembourg; post-traumatic care provided by especially trained staff was the topic addressed by Armando Angelucci from Italy; and police contribution to establishing public health and epidemiological safety was introduced by Tamas Nagy from Hungary.

This activity for police medical experts and psychologist was the first of its kind and was highly appreciated by all attendees. CEPOL would like to thank all speakers and participants for their commitment and involvement.

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On 8th December 2011, the Presidency Handover Meeting between Poland and Denmark took place in Warsaw. The meeting was led by Mrs Eliza Wójcik, Director of the Bureau of Finance at the National Police Headquarters and Chair of the CEPOL Governing Board, until 31st December 2011. The aim of this meeting was to provide the incoming Danish Presidency with the best practices and experience acquired as well as to discuss the major achievements made in the last six months.

Issues related to cooperation with the CEPOL Secretariat in terms of tasks carried out by the Governing Board so far were mentioned, as well as the activities that require continuation. During the meeting, Mrs Wójcik highlighted that 10 decisions were approved altogether, during her duties as Chair (seven of which at the last meeting of the Governing Board, held in Kraków on 25th – 26th October 2011), including two decisions of a strategic nature covering changes in the structure of the Agency.

After signing a mutually agreed protocol, the Polish team handed the Presidency over to the Danish CEPOL team – represented by Mr Kim Sverre Hansen. Although the Handover Meeting was the last official meeting during the Polish Presidency of the Council of Europe, our involvement is not completed yet. According to the Polish priorities, Mrs Wójcik will take part in two cooperation agreement signing ceremonies namely between CEPOL and Georgia on December 12, and between CEPOL and Montenegro on the 19th of December 2011.

At the end of the handover meeting, CEPOL Deputy Director Detlef Schröder praised the excellent cooperation received from the Polish Presidency, stressing his appreciation of the work and dedication given by Mrs Eliza Wójcik and the team involved in the Presidency activities. Mr Schröder and Mrs Wójcik conveyed wishes of good luck and success in achieving their planned objectives to the incoming Danish Presidency.

The next Presidency Handover Meeting will be held in June 2012 in Cyprus.

The activities related to conducting the Polish Presidency within CEPOL were coordinated by an organisational unit located in the Non-operational Cooperation Department of the International Police Cooperation Bureau at the Polish National Police Headquarters.

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From the 17^th of October to the 4^th of November 2011 the Italian city of Vicenza played host to the CEPOL Senior Police Officer Planning and Command Course for Crisis Management Missions (SPOPCOP) Course. The course was organised by the Italian CEPOL Unit and the Carabinieri Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (COESPU) with support from Estonia and France. Seventeen senior police officers from 12 EU Member States attended this three week course, one of the longest in the CEPOL catalogue. The ambitious aim of the SPOPCOP is the training of senior police officers, eligible for high level positions within the EU crisis management framework, in areas related to planning and commanding police missions and operations. Thus, CEPOL fulfills its mandate to support EU bodies which are responsible for organising and directing missions within the context of the European External Action Service (EEAS).

The general effectiveness of a crisis management mission depends on many factors. Comprehensive planning of all necessary stages of the decision making process (political, strategical and operational) is fundamental. Furthermore, mission members, especially high ranking ones, should know how to manage unfamiliar procedures, to implement mandates and how to be effective in leading foreign colleagues in various scenarios. This course intended to give general guidelines on these topics. In fact, the SPOPCOP course is divided into six modules dealing with a general introduction to EU crisis management, cooperation/coordination between different actors in crisis management, strategic and operational planning of EU missions, leadership, communication and project management. The last two days were dedicated to a Command Post Exercise (CPX) during which participants put into practice their managerial skills.

The idea behind the course was to merge academic and practical experiences. For this purpose different lecturers took the floor: experts from the top planning bodies of the European Union, such as the Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (CIVCOM), the Crisis Management Planning Directorate (CMPD) and the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) as well as former Heads of Mission, academics and police trainers. In this way the most relevant topics were discussed and presented from different perspectives. Participants took part actively in the discussions, contributing and creating an active and stimulating environment.

Following the course’s initial days, a positive atmosphere among the participants was created. During the week-ends delegates had the opportunity to visit Vicenza and nearby towns such as Verona and Venice. The visit to Venice was particularly enjoyed thanks to the availability of local Carabinieri command that provided a boat to take the participants to the city center.

During the closing ceremony Vincenzo Giuliani, Carabinieri Major General, praised the course organisation provided by COESPU, an remarked that:
“Subsequent to the Lisbon treaty and its new policies, the future will see the European Union play an ever growing role in international crisis management. More courses like SPOPCOP will be necessary to train senior police officers for effective deployment and management in such cases. In the meantime, a community of professionals that share the same European ethics and commitments to protect and serve less fortunate people living in torn areas of the world is an excellent beginning.”

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Nearly 300 people participated in a professional police training exchange in 2011, as part of the CEPOL European Police Exchange Programme, organised by CEPOL, the European Police College. This is the highest number of participants ever in a single year and a significant increase from 2010, when only 80 people took part. The increase can be attributed to the wider range of exchange topics on offer this year and the introduction of group study visits.

The CEPOL European Police Exchange Programme offers police officers, experts and police trainers the opportunity to spend up to 12 days with a partner organisation in another country. As with traditional exchanges, the visit is then reciprocated. Exchanges are organised according to areas of interest and take the form of an individual exchange, including a special programme for commanders, a group exchange with a specific focus (cybercrime in 2011) or a study visit. In 2011:

• 292 people took part from 26 EU countries
• Over 15 different topics were covered, including community policing and prevention of radicalisation, financial crime, trafficking in human beings and drug trafficking
• Three study visits to Europol and one study visit to OLAF

As in previous years, the programme will be formally evaluated. This year’s evaluation meeting takes place in Prague on 6 – 7 December and is co-organised by the CEPOL and the Czech CEPOL team from the Czech Ministry of Interior. The purpose of the meeting is to review and assess the success of programme and agree recommendations for 2012 exchange programme.

The two-day meeting will be attended by around 70 people, including representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Union agencies operating in the field of Justice and Home Affairs. Exchange programme coordinators from each Member State will also attend; as will over 50 exchange programme participants provide accounts of their individual exchanges on the first day of the meeting. Feedback indicates that most have had positive experiences, with over 95% of participants rating their exchange as either excellent or good.

CEPOL Deputy Director Detlef Schröder said: “The number of exchange participants that we have seen this year underlines the importance of the programme both in sharing law enforcement knowledge and skills and in fostering a European police culture. The exchange programme enables a better understanding of the issues facing Member States, a better knowledge of the solutions available and a better professional network, which combined make for a stronger response in the fight against crime. At a time when four out of ten EU citizens think that the EU needs better tools to fight crime, the exchange programme is more relevant than ever.”

A report on the 2011 exchange programme will soon be made available on the CEPOL website.

About the 2011 European Police Exchange Programme
The European Police Exchange Programme is one of CEPOL’s pillar activities, offering police officers, experts and police trainers the opportunity to spend up to two weeks with a police force in another country.

Built on the principles of traditional programmes, where visits are reciprocated, the exchange programme has been designed to:

• Promote mobility and the exchange of police officials, in the context of practical training programmes
• Establish a common and shared practical knowledge in different police fields;
• Facilitate sharing, at an EU level, police good practices
• Contribute to the creation of the European police identity
• Encourage mutual learning and networking within the framework of European police cooperation

Each exchange is organised according to a participant’s area of interest. In 2011, the exchange programme covered topics from community policing to counterterrorism, from forensics to financial crime and from dog handling to drug trafficking.

In addition to traditional exchanges, The exchange programme also includes group study visits to EU agencies involved in justice and law enforcement, such as Europol and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). These week-long visits are targeted to police officers and specialists in international police cooperation who deal with cross-border crime.

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The first CEPOL conference on urban violence was held at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de la Police (ENSP) near Lyon, France on 15-18 November 2011.

Three French national police services namely the Security and Safety police (DCSP), the riot police (DCCRS), and the Training Department of the Central administration (DRCPN), took part in the preparation and implementation of this pilot activity, with the assistance of the national police college. This activity also benefited from support by the Portuguese Superior Institute for Police Science and Internal Security (ISSPSI) and the Irish Garda Siochana. The activity attracted 25 participants from 13 Member States and Associate Countries.

During the opening ceremony, Hélène Martini, director of ENSP stressed the need for a police exchange at EU level as urban violence now affects several Member States. Jacques Fournier, Central director of the DCSP, explained how recent violent events have brought to important changes in the practice of day to day policing whilst Luc Presson, central director of the DCCRS, highlighted the importance of a well-trained and well-prepared public order police force able to cope with large-scale violent events.

In a very open-minded keynote speech, sociologist and well-known researcher Sebastian Roche, illustrated types of perpetrators as well as motivations and actions related to urban violence in a successful attempt at clarifying concepts and sharing a common definition and understanding of urban violence at an EU level.

Speakers from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and the UK as well as the participants themselves shared their own understanding and experiences during plenary and breakout sessions, on the following topics:

• Detection and analysis of early signals for a proactive police approach;
• Management of the crisis, i.e.: how to encompass all aspects of police management linked to urban violence such as management of staff, of investigation, of public order and of media;
• Identification of new methods of police cooperation at EU level.

Laurent Borredon, journalist at Le Monde and Bryan Spence, senior police officer from the United Kingdom, presented their views on media coverage and media management during a crisis. Sergio Felgueiras (ISSPSI), Francis Clerkin (Garda) and Didier Martin (DRCPN) played key roles in moderating the conference.

All delegates were enriched by a visit to the Headquarters of the riot police in Lyon. During the tour, participants were shown specific intervention tactics, equipment and special devices such as drones, vision amplifiers and a EC 135 helicopter which was deployed during recent disorders in France. The regional Director of the DDSP explained how human and technological intelligence could lead law enforcers by supporting the decision making process of the civilian authorities.

Evaluation forms completed at the end of the conference reflect the general level of interest that this event generated. A few extracts follow:

• “All topics were well chosen…”
• “It was an interesting exchange because I can take the best experiences from my colleagues from other countries…”
• “I took notice of many experiences I will be able to apply in my country…”
• “I have learned a lot from the discussions about media management…”

It now seems that most Member States have understood the need to better train their police to cope with urban violence, and share experiences with partner organisations. Nevertheless, urban violence has not yet been on the political agenda of the European Union, thus CEPOL with its French partners is playing a pioneering role by organising training activities at a European level on this phenomenon.

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On 7–11 of November 2011 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in the vicinity of Schiphol Airport, a CEPOL course entitled “06/2011 Airport Security” was held.

The course was organised for the first time by the Dutch CEPOL Team from The Netherlands Police Academy, closely and kindly supported by the Royal Dutch Marechaussee and representatives from the Greek and Italian border police forces.

This CEPOL activity aimed to provide a unique opportunity for participants to experience many of the challenges faced in dealing with the various aspects of airport security, passenger and staff safety at airports and other current issues related to border police activities. Over four days, the participants attending this course got a close and up-to-date view of many aspects of border control and daily work at a major airport.

On the first day, the course was officially opened by the Brigade General Mr. Van den Brink of the Royal Marechaussee and the Director of Education of the Police Academy, Mr. Peije de Meij. Throughout the duration of the course, experts informed the participants on specific topics in the field, all moderated by the Course Manager Mrs Sandra Wijkhuijs (Police Academy) and supported by Mr Erwin Dorst (Royal Marechaussee).

Some of the topics discussed included: security measures during high risk flights; crisis management in the case of disaster and future (technical) developments in border control. The expert invited from the Greek border police informed the participants on daily practices in place at Athens Airport whilst the expert from Italy talked about visitor screening and using access control. A much appreciated presentation covered an interesting view on the procedure of ‘Search, Detect, React’ (SDR). This is a working method that integrates the human factor, technology and regulations into one cohesive process with a proactive approach to security as the main goal.

By means of an interactive approach, the participants were asked to assess in small groups the security situation of Schiphol Airport. This challenging assessment was a great way to facilitate an active exchange of experiences and to reach a good detailed understanding of the challenges of the border police. Furthermore, the security policy of the Royal Marechaussee was clearly explained and demonstrated during behind the scenes visits at Schiphol Airport. These visits, guided by experts from the Royal Marechaussee, provided the participants with a closer look at border police related developments and security at a tactical, strategic and international level. One of the course’s most appreciated moments was a demonstration given by a specialised explosives team and their trained dog. A participant from Denmark stated: “The training contained an excellent balance between presentations and practical visits to the airport. The course was a great opportunity to exchange views with colleagues from other European airports.” A colleague from Poland added: “Being amongst these professionals and exchanging knowledge about so many aspects of the developments in border control has given me ideas for the preparation of the Euro 2012 football championships.”

Improving networking was an important aspect of the course. As explained by several attendants: “It’s very important to have a good network because when a problem or question arises concerning another European country, you can simply phone someone you know. You know a face instead of only a name.” Twenty-four senior officers all involved in border police and airport security from sixteen EU Member States took part in this successful course.

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The EU’s fifth Anti-Trafficking day will be held in Warsaw on Tuesday, October 18, 2011. The event—subtitled “Together Against Trafficking in Human Beings”—will provide participants with a platform for the exchange of views on strengthening cooperation between EU Agencies and other stakeholders in addressing trafficking in human beings (THB). The centrepiece of the day’s agenda will be a debate between the directors of EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Agencies involved in the fight against trafficking in human beings, moderated by the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, under the title “EU Member States and Agencies jointly addressing THB and victim protection.” This year’s Anti-Trafficking Day will be the first since the publication in March this year of EU Directive 2011/36/EU on prevention and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, which aims to create a coherent pan-European approach to the problem. It will also be the first since the establishment this year of the position of EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator and the European Asylum Office.

In addition to the central debate, there will be three workshops dedicated to the themes of prevention of THB, protection of victims and the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators. Each workshop will be co-chaired by representatives of EU Agencies involved in the relevant aspect of the fight against THB.

Frontex will co-chair the workshop on prevention together with CEPOL, the European Police College.

For a provisional agenda, click here

EU Anti-Trafficking Day has been held on 18 October for the last five years, in the Member State holding the EU’s revolving presidency, currently Poland. The first Anti-Trafficking Day took place in 2007. This year’s event is jointly organised by the Polish EU Presidency, the European Commission, The EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator and seven EU Agencies: CEPOL, the EU Asylum Support Office (EASO), the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), Europol, Eurojust, the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) and Frontex. Representatives of Non-Governmental Organisations, international organisations and academia involved in the field will also take part.

THB Facts and Figures
The exact extent of THB globally is not known for sure and estimates vary widely though a conservative UN estimate puts the figure at around 2.5 million. Described by a UN working group on the subject, THB is described as modern slavery that traps more people today than in the entire 400 years of the transatlantic slave trade. Moreover, according to Blue Blindfold, a UK-based THB awareness and prevention campaign, THB is the third largest source of income for organised crime groups and growing even faster than trafficking in illegal arms and drugs.

“According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), about 12.3 million people worldwide are in forced labour, bonded labour, forced child labour or sexual servitude at any given time. Other estimates range between 4 million and 27 million. According to US government-sponsored research, about 800,000 people are trafficked across national boundaries each year, about 80% of whom are women and girls and “up to 50%” are children.” House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, The Trade in Human Beings: Human Trafficking in the UK, Sixth Report of Session 2008–09 Volume I

Article 2 of the EC Directive on THB defines trafficking in human beings as: “The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or reception of persons, including the exchange or transfer of control over those persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.”

According to a Frontex Risk Analysis report, Situational Overview on Trafficking in Human Beings, 6,991 potential victims of trafficking were reported by 27 countries in 2009, up 34% on the 2008 figure of 5,200 potential victims. Of the total, almost 25% of identified victims were men and 15% were minors.

The types of trafficking were defined as follows:

• The exploitation of the prostitution of others;
• Other forms of sexual exploitation;
• Forced labour or services;
• Slavery or practices similar to slavery;
• Servitude;
• Exploitation for activities associated with begging or for unlawful activities; and
• Removal of organs.

The traffickers’ roles were divided as follows:

• Recruiter;
• Kidnapper;
• Seller;
• Buyer;
• Transporter;
• Harbourer;
• Receiver;
• Exploiter;
• Document/ID Facilitator; and
• Other

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On 28-30 June 2011 the CEPOL Research & Science Conference 2011 took place in Madrid, Spain. The conference, hosted in the Palacio de Congresos was opened by the Director of CEPOL Dr Banfi and Spanish State Secretary of Security Mr Camacho. The 2011 edition of this annual event focused on Cyber Security, Cybercrime and Social Networks and acted as a forum to discuss the current situation of this phenomenon from different perspectives and future trends that change day by day.

The conference was organised by the Studies Cabinet of Interior Security which belongs to the Spanish Ministry of Interior with the support of Poland, Portugal and the CEPOL Research and Science Working Group.

The event was attended by 70 participants from EU Member States and experts from the USA, Switzerland, the European Network of Forensic Institutes (ENFSI), the European Cybercrime Training and Education Group (ECTEG), Europol and the European Network and Information Security Agency (Enisa). Experts from private companies such as Symantec, Telefónica and IBM also attended the conference.

The conference took place over two and a half days and addressed an array of topics including national and international approaches to the challenges posed by the evolving Cyberspace, strategy and policy implications of Social Networks, the Investigation of Cybercrime as well as the current and future needs for training in this field. Cooperation between public and private institutions was also discussed as the key element in obtaining coordinated action for fast information exchanges which would allow for allocation of appropriate resources in order to prevent and react efficiently.

Contributions from participants and experts during the discussions helped to find a common approach towards new challenges, and the conference outcomes will certainly be of great interest in the fight against cybercrime. These findings will be published in CEPOL’s European Police Research and Science Bulletin and will be available to all conference participants and experts as well as to researchers and scientists from across the EU.

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On June 9 – 10 2011, an International Meeting was held in Rome entitled: “Prevention and control activities carried out by the local police, current capabilities and future scenarios in Italy and in a comparative perspective”.

The meeting was attended by several academics and representatives from Italian and European institutions. This event, which was promoted by the Department for Security Policies and Civil Protection in the Rome District, was organised by the “Roma Tre” University in Rome (Department of Public Institutions, Economics and Society –DIPES – as well as the PRIN Research Unit).

During the meeting, following the presentation of the on-line scientific magazine “Democracy&Security”, the general framework was analysed and the peculiarities of the Italian and European legal systems were stressed, with particular reference to the local security. The main purpose was to understand the similarities and differences, on the basis of a subdivision into three sessions:

1. “The Italian and European institutional legal frameworks“;
2. “Institutional order and local police experiences in Europe” ;
3. “Institutional self-rule and local security”.

An analysis of the topic “ Institutional self-rule and local security in Europe” was proposed and some “experiences” of foreign local polices forces, such as the British, Portuguese, Spanish and German police forces, were reported. It was stressed that reference is to be made not only to the principle of “integrated security” but also to the “multiple aspects of security”, since this concept can have different meanings according to the context. It is important to take into account that the principle of subsidiarity, as well as cooperation and coordination, represent basic conceptual categories.

In a wider perspective, immigration, terrorism and money laundering were dealt with as topics, and attention was given to the importance of police cooperation and coordination. It was highlighted, that the European Union, which in the past was, above all, an association of Countries at an economical level, has become an association of Member States aiming at creating, a common policy with a particular reference to security. This is the consequence, above all, of the Lisbon Treaty as well as of the Stockholm Programme.

Attention was focused on the various European Agencies such as Europol, Frontex, Eurojust and CEPOL. In particular, the importance of CEPOL was pointed out in relation to the training of the “European policeman” aimed at safeguarding EU citizen’s security.

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On June 9 – 10 2011, an International Meeting was held in Rome entitled: “Prevention and control activities carried out by the local police, current capabilities and future scenarios in Italy and in a comparative perspective”.

The meeting was attended by several academics and representatives from Italian and European institutions. This event, which was promoted by the Department for Security Policies and Civil Protection in the Rome District, was organised by the “Roma Tre” University in Rome (Department of Public Institutions, Economics and Society –DIPES – as well as the PRIN Research Unit).

During the meeting, following the presentation of the on-line scientific magazine “Democracy&Security”, the general framework was analysed and the peculiarities of the Italian and European legal systems were stressed, with particular reference to the local security. The main purpose was to understand the similarities and differences, on the basis of a subdivision into three sessions:

1. “The Italian and European institutional legal frameworks“;
2. “Institutional order and local police experiences in Europe” ;
3. “Institutional self-rule and local security”.

An analysis of the topic “ Institutional self-rule and local security in Europe” was proposed and some “experiences” of foreign local polices forces, such as the British, Portuguese, Spanish and German police forces, were reported. It was stressed that reference is to be made not only to the principle of “integrated security” but also to the “multiple aspects of security”, since this concept can have different meanings according to the context. It is important to take into account that the principle of subsidiarity, as well as cooperation and coordination, represent basic conceptual categories.

In a wider perspective, immigration, terrorism and money laundering were dealt with as topics, and attention was given to the importance of police cooperation and coordination. It was highlighted, that the European Union, which in the past was, above all, an association of Countries at an economical level, has become an association of Member States aiming at creating, a common policy with a particular reference to security. This is the consequence, above all, of the Lisbon Treaty as well as of the Stockholm Programme.

Attention was focused on the various European Agencies such as Europol, Frontex, Eurojust and CEPOL. In particular, the importance of CEPOL was pointed out in relation to the training of the “European policeman” aimed at safeguarding EU citizen’s security.

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Hungary handed over the CEPOL Governing Board Presidency to Poland on the 16th June 2011 in Balatonalmádi, Hungary.

The Hungarian Presidency would like to present a brief summary of the activities carried out over the last six months:

• Hungary began its period in charge of the Presidency with the budget discharge procedure, budget accounts for 2008 were closed but CEPOL did not get a discharge and the EU Parliament has subsequently postponed the discharge of the 2009 budget.
• The Annual Activity Report 2010 of the Authorising Officer was completed by written procedure and sent to the relevant authorities.
• In accordance with Article 21 of Council Decision 2005/681/JHA dated 20 September 2005 establishing CEPOL, the Five Year External Evaluation has been carried out, with the Governing Board also making some recommendations and as a result the 24th Governing Board meeting established a project group for the Rationalisation of CEPOL Activities. The project group had its first meeting in May in Budapest and its second one in June in Balatonalmádi, Hungary. Based on Council Decision 2005/681/JHA the project group discussed the implementation of the short term recommendations made by the Governing Board and prepared a draft decision. Following discussions during the 25th Governing Board meeting the decision was adopted. In accordance with the decision all CEPOL committees – the Stategy Committee, the Budget and Administration Committee (BAC), the Training and Research Committee (TRC) and the Annual Programme Committee (APC) will be disbanded as of 1 January 2012.
• Hungary has followed up the implementation of the CEPOL Strategy and the Balanced Score Card started by Belgium in the previous semester. So far 69 Key Performance Indicators – 25 strategic and 44 operational – have been adopted by the Governing Board in line with CEPOL’s 4-year (2011-2014) strategic goals and objectives.
• CEPOL’s Multi Annual Plan has been submitted to the European Parliament underlining the progress achieved; of the 44 milestones 38 have been completed and the remaining 6 are in progress.
• The Internal Audit Panel executed the first audit at the CEPOL Secretariat and provided a draft opinion on the 2010 Annual Accounts as per Article 16(5) of Council Decision 2005/681/JHA. The report has to be sent to the relevant authorities by 30 June 2011. The Governing Board also adopted the Annual Working Plan of the Internal Audit Panel.
• The implementation of the CEPOL European Police Exchange Programme inspired by Erasmus has progressed successfully during the Hungarian Presidency. The first part of the programme for senior police officers and members of training staff is taking place from May to August, 166 participants from 20 Member States submitted application forms. Following the great interest from Member States, CEPOL is considering implementing a second part of the programme in the 2nd half of 2011.
• The Cooperation Agreement with the Montenegro Police Academy, Danilovgrad was approved by the Governing Board and forwarded to the Council of the European Union for approval.
• The Cooperation Agreement with the Swiss Police Institute was revised and extended.
• The External Relations Policy Paper was revised and adopted by the Governing Board.
• The Governing Board adopted several decisions by written procedures. The amendment of Decision 30/2006/GB laying down administrative rules, commitments and guidelines for courses and seminars was also adopted with Decision 11/2011/GB.
• In May the European Commission’s Internal Audit Service executed an audit at the CEPOL Secretariat and for the first time CEPOL did not receive any notification.
• The implementation of the Framework Partnerships and Grant Agreements was performed in the first half of 2011.

In conclusion the Hungarian Presidency is please to have made every effort to ensure that CEPOL’s good image is restored.

Dr. József Boda, Hungary
Chair of the Governing Board, January – June 2011

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The 25th Governing Board meeting, the second to be hosted by the Hungarian Presidency, took place in Balatonalmádi, Hungary on 14 – 15 June 2011. Dr. József Boda, Chair of the Governing Board, opened the meeting by welcoming the representatives of the Member States, Associated Countries and especially the invited representatives of the Candidate Countries. After the adoption of the Agenda, the outcomes of proceedings of the 23rd and 24th Governing Board meetings and announcements, each representative of the Candidate Countries delivered a status report on their countries accession to the EU and a presentation of their institute.

The main topics discussed in the meeting were:

• Annual Internal Audit Report for 2010 for CEPOL – presented by the Director of Internal Audit Service
• 2010 Annual Accounts
• Project Group for the Rationalisation of CEPOL
• Agency Progress Report – June 2011
• Annual Activity Report 2010 of the Authorising Officer
• Multi Annual Plan 2010-2014
• Planning of the Work Programme 2012
• Cybercrime and Cooperation with ECTEG
• Grant Agreements
• Budget Transfers within Titles
• Internal Audit Panel Plan
• Activities „Policing Europe” – Legal and Operational Aspects of International Police Cooperation
• CEPOL 10 Year Anniversary
• Revised External Relations Policy Paper
• Presentation of Polish Presidency Priorities
• Meeting Calendar for the second half of 2011

The Governing Board adopted a number of decisions, including:

• The 2010 Annual Accounts
• Rationalising CEPOL Activities (repealing Decision 10/2007/GB)
• Approval of Advance Payments
• Approval of External Relations Policy Paper
• Approval of the Meeting Calendar for the 2nd half of 2011

The Chair of the Governing Board announced:

• That the Annual Activity Report 2010 of the Authorising Officer, as agreed by written procedure of the Governing Board, has been sent to the relevant authorities
• The importance of adopting the Rationalisation of CEPOL activities according to the Five Year Report

and presented:

• The draft outcomes of proceedings of the 23rd and 24th Governing Board meetings for adopton
• The draft Decision on Rationalising CEPOL Activities (repealing Decision 10/2007/GB)
• The Annual Activity Report 2010 of the Authorising Officer

The Director presented:

• The Agency Progress Report – June 2011
• CEPOL 10 Year Anniversary

The Deputy Director presented:

• Reserve List of activities 2011
• Cybercrime and Cooperation with ECTEG
• Grant Agreements
• Advance Payments for CEPOL seminars
• Activities „Policing in Europe” – Legal and Operational Aspects of International Police Cooperation

The Head of Corporate Services Department presented:

• The 2010 Annual Accounts
• The Multi Annual Plan 2010-2014
• Budget Transfers within Titles

The 26^th Governing Board meeting is scheduled for 26-26 October 2011 in Warsaw, Poland.

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The 5th issue of the CEPOL European Police Science and Research Bulletin has been published and is now ready for download.

The `summer-edition` features an editorial by Janos Fehervary, Head of International Affairs (Sicherheitsakademie, Austria), reflecting on the state of `research and science` within CEPOL – written with a personal touch. There are also instructive research reports on trends of economic crimes in Finland and on diversity within European police forces. Finally, the future of European police cooperation is reflected through the lens of career opportunities for senior police officers in a though-provoking essay by Eduardo Ferreira, Especialista Superior (Escola de Polícia, Portugal).

Comments and/or submissions (see Giudelines) for the next issue should please be sent to:

research-bulletin@cepol.europa.eu.

Closing date for submissions to the next issue is 2 September 2011

The 5th issues of the European Police Science and Research Bulletin, as well as previous ones, can be downloaded from the “Research & Science Publications” section of this website.

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On 3-6 May 2011 the Police Department of the Republic of Lithuania in collaboration with the Lithuanian Police School hosted CEPOL course “Police Cooperation and Europol”. The activity attracted 19 participants from 13 Member States plus Turkey. Lessons, lectures and workshops were given by a total of ten experts from Lithuania, Belgium, France, Poland and Europol.

Visvaldas Račkauskas, Deputy Police Commissioner General, stated during the opening session that, mobility and technology as well as free movement of goods and services directly affect criminal activities in the EU. Law enforcement authorities should have sufficient intellectual, physical and technical resources to put them one step ahead of potential criminals. The aim of Europol is to increase the responsibility and effectiveness of Member State authorities as well as to promote their cooperation in combating transnational organised crime and terrorism, and the prevention thereof. The objective of this course is to familiarise participants with the tools available to Europol in the fight against transnational organised crime and to develop a shared vision of how we can improve the fight against organised crime with the support of Europol and ensure the public’s expectations in public order and safety.

The following topics were presented and discussed during the course:

• The Stockholm Programme and the EU Internal Security Strategy;
• Project HARMONY;
• The Council Decision regarding Europol;
• Europol external relations strategy, its cooperation agreements and their practical application to daily work;
• Europol Operations Department – structure and working arrangements;
• The role of ENU, ELO, information flows, Siena handling codes and data protection;
• Analysis Work Files, the current state of play and future developments;
• Europol’s Products and Services:
  • Strategic and Operational Support
  • Cooperation platforms FCIC/CARIN, Check the WEB, EU Bomb Data Systems (EBDS)
• Practical examples of illegal immigration and forced labour;
• Choosing a channel – the availability of communication tools:
  • legal basis,
  • differences and advantages,
  • access to databases (Interpol, SIS, Europol IS);
• Regional cooperation platforms – Baltic Sea Task Force on Organised Crime,
• Europol’s role in protection of human rights.

During the closing ceremony course moderator Laimonas Vasiliauskas expressed his hope that participants had found out about the objectives and capabilities of Europol and had established new contacts which will be used to facilitate cooperation in the fight against international crime. Whilst delivering course certificates he wished each participant successful cooperation both within the Europol channels and with course participants and experts.

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On 10-13 May 2011 the Cyprus Police Academy hosted CEPOL course “58/2011 – Management of Diversity". The event took place in Nicosia and benefited from the support of Poland and Austria as well as contributions from Cypriot experts.

Seventeen representatives from 14 EU Member States and three representatives from associated country Norway, attended the course. Most of the participants were experts in the management of diversity field and deal with such cases on a daily basis. It must be pointed out that despite the fact that experts came from EU Member States, the course focused on international aspects of tackling the problem.

Chief Superintendent Zacharias Chrysostomou, director of the Cyprus Police Academy, welcomed the participants and gave them information on how the Cypriot police is trying to promote issues related to managing diversity and stressed the benefits of diversity.

CEPOL Director, Ferenc Banfi, added during the opening session that "It is without a doubt that a new society needs new police, and a new approach to managing diversity. It is not enough, in fact, to rely on "traditional" intercultural competence training – defined as the ability to successfully communicate with persons of other cultures, as this is still very much focused on differences between groups; it has even been defined, not uncontroversially, as a “zoological approach to diversity”. It is perhaps good to recall, in this context, that we always use our own beliefs systems as a filter, even when we do this with our best intentions. This is why without a combination of at least three elements – self-awareness, skills building and cultural knowledge – a training program will not be effective. I would like to leave you with this reflection, it is indeed in the very spirit of CEPOL to bring together the different experiences of European Union Police Forces, to grow together through our training activities. I am confident that this will indeed be a fruitful activity.”

The overall aim of the course was to enhance the integration of diversity issues into police management. The participants had the opportunity during the initial stages of the course to:

• Compare and contrast police approaches and policies among Member States.
• Identify, analyse and cope with risks, dilemmas, challenges and advantages of managing diversity within and outside the police
• Understand and reflect on the professional duty and the key role of the police in managing diversity
• Recognise, understand and accept differences and approach them with an open mind
• Understand and reflect on professional duty and roles in managing diversity
• Establish an ongoing network with other colleagues on the course.

The course was beneficial to both the experts and the participants, as everybody had the opportunity to work in a multicultural environment and exchange ideas about practices and methods that could be of use in dealing with diversity cases. Each participant’s expertise and competence contributed positively to fulfilling the above mentioned objectives.

Participants also had the opportunity to identify diverse issues within European Police methods. The course was organised in an effort to enable the participants to exchange experiences, to discuss and identify possible common standards that could be adopted by all Member States in order to prevent this social phenomenon.

The Chief of Cyprus Police, Michael Papageorgiou in his closing speech said: "I am certain that the useful information and knowledge gained on managing diversity over the past four days will be used by you and will be disseminated to your colleagues. As regards Cyprus Police we assure you that the knowledge acquired will be put into force, and that we are ready to become involved in similar CEPOL activities, as well as to promote further cooperation with other Member States in the field of discrimination, diversity and human rights".

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CEPOL is happy to announce the 1st Police related webinar (web-based seminar) scheduled for the 1st of June, 11:00 am GMT. The title of this webinar is: Policemen Victims of Accidents,

Topics addressed during the presentation will cover statistical studies, self protection measures and real case analysis of traffic accidents, possibly the biggest threat to police officers during service.

Further information about the content of the webinar and instructions on how to attend the event can be found in the Open Platform for Educators within CEPOL’s e-Net (Login required).

Please disseminate this information to relevant or interested people in your organisation.

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The 7th CEPOL seminar for SIRENE Officers was held in Samorin, 20 kilometers from Bratislava in Slovakia on 11-15 April 2011. The seminar dealt with the basics of working in a SIRENE Bureau based on procedures and practices described in the SIRENE Manual and the ”Schengen Catalogue – Best Practices”.

Thirty nine participants from 24 Member States including delegates from Associated Countries Norway and Switzerland took part in the seminar. Prior to the seminar participants were invited to log into CEPOL’s e-Net in order to carefully study pre-course material.

The seminar’s teaching method included lectures and group assignments in four specific areas, namely:

1. Procedures involving articles 95 “Multiple Alerts” and 98 “Flagging” of the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement (CISA) led by Giuseppe Segnin, Italian SIRENE Bureau.
2. Procedures involving CISA articles 96 “Misused Identity” and articles 109 and 110 covering “Right of Access” led by Veronika Turakova, Slovakian SIRENE Bureau.
3. Procedures involving CISA articles 97 and 99 covering “Flagging” led by Dangis Krisciunas, Lithuanian SIRENE Bureau.
4. Procedures involving article 100 “Schengen Police Cooperation within the Legal Competences of the SIRENE Bureau” led by Lukasz Wilinski, Polish SIRENE Bureau.

Presentations covered both theoretical and practical matters. Particular cases demonstrating information exchange via forms, issue solving and correct/incorrect procedures were presented. Participants took an active part in the workshops presenting their national solutions and procedures highlighting similarities as well as differences. All delegates discussed particular issues and responsibilities of the SIRENE Bureau in rapport to national and international proceedings.

Information on the Schengen Convention, entering and querying alerts in the Schengen Information System (SIS), post-hit procedures, use of forms, consultation procedures, misused identities and other relevant legal acts was given and shared during the seminar. In short: 360° of the role of SIRENE Bureau operators were covered during the seminar.

Bearing in mind that some seminar participants were from not-operational countries and that, on the other hand, some participants were much more experienced, information was presented not only at an elementary level involving the basic procedures but also from a more advanced point of view involving some detailed aspects.

Overall the outcome of the seminar was very positive. The collaborative atmosphere that surrounded the seminar, much helped by the support from the Slovakian CEPOL Team, created an ideal environment for learning, sharing and networking.

One quote from the post course evaluation forms really summed up the general feeling:
“This kind of seminar should be more frequent!”

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On 12 – 15 April 2011 the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic hosted a CEPOL course which focused on Confiscation of Assets and Seized Assets Administration. One of the aims of the course was to examine and compare national legal approaches to confiscation of proceeds derived from crime and to identify and examine the EU and international legal framework concerning identification, tracing and confiscating proceeds of crime.

The course that took place in Prague was supported by Italy, France, and Europol and was enriched by contributions from Germany, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom. Twenty-three participants from 15 EU Member States attended this course.

The participants were introduced to the topic by Mrs Eva Romancovová, Czech Ministry of Interior – Security Policy Department, by speaking about the Central Register of Accounts and Financial Analytical Unit (CARIN) network in the Czech Republic and about Asset Declaration under the Slovak Legislation.

Day 2 of the course saw presentations from the United Kingdom on Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime followed by Italy and the Czech Republic on Administration and Selling of Seized assets. The day was closed with practical examples/cases and ways of solving them in each country.

Europol kicked off day three by presenting “Tracing of Criminal Proceeds” followed by the German delegate who talked about the German system of Asset Recovery, and the Czech Republic’s presentation on Financial Inquiries and Statistics. The course was concluded by the French delegate’s presentation on Central Register of Accounts in France. All presentations were followed by very interesting and lively discussions which were enabled by the exceptionally open and welcoming atmosphere created by the participants and experts.

The encouraging participants’ feedback showed that the narrowing of the topic was a step in the right direction highlighting that it is possible to narrow down even further and the next course may focus even more on practical police work. However focusing on ARO, CARIN and other aspects was much appreciated and “filled a hole in the market”.

All participants and experts made enormous contributions and produced a work-friendly atmosphere where the exchange of best practices and the creation of essential contacts networks for future cooperation were made easy.

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CEPOL seminar 63/2011 “Human Rights and Police Ethics Integrity, HR & Cost – Benefit” was hosted by the Slovenian Police Academy near Kranj on 12 – 15 April 2011. The seminar was organised with support from Bulgaria and Poland and contributions from Sweden, Switzerland and the EU Agency Frontex.

The activities led by seminar manager Robert Šumi attracted 24 participants from 18 Member States and Turkey. Lessons and sessions were given by a total of 10 experts from five different Member States and from Frontex.

The seminars objectives included and promoted:

• The importance of a personal integrity in policing
• Scientific approaches to measuring personal integrity and awareness of the importance of integrity in police work;
• Increasing the understanding of the relation between integrity, ethics and human rights;
• Exchanging experiences within the European police services and the field of police education.

At the beginning of the seminar Janko Goršek, Director General of the Slovenian Police, stressed that ethics and integrity begin at the top – with those who must set an example for their colleagues and that ethical conduct can not be ordered, but leadership can give it its deserved value in actions and thus encourage it in others. Mr Goršek concluded his opening remarks by saying “Only in this manner police will be able to effectively perform duties while duly respecting human rights, the individual’s personality and integrity”.

The following topics and content were covered during the seminar:

• Yordanka Minkova presented a project aimed at developing Fundamental rights training for Border Guards, which is being developed by Frontex;
• Valentin Simeonov, Bulgarian Police Academy, gave a presentation called “Respect of human rights in day-to-day police work through prism of ethical behavior”;
• Tomasz Milkowski, Police Academy in Katowice Poland, showcased the Polish method used to strengthen police officer integrity;
• Srečko Felix Krope, Slovenian police, highlighted the cost of unethical behavior by police officers with the aid of two practical cases;
• Dorijan Keržan, Slovenian police, showed practical examples from a philosophical point of view of how ethical and moral issues can occur at a police work place;
• Vojko Strahovnik, Graduate School of Government and European Studies in Kranj, tackled participants with the dilemma of whether police ethics exists or not;
• Seminar manager Robert Šumi and Simon Slokan from the Police Directorate in Ljubljana presented the Slovenian project “Integrity at Police”. Mr Šumi concentrated on Integrity and Leadership, while Mr Slokan presented concrete examples of results obtained on the field;
• Maria Knutsson, Swedish National Police Academy, gave a presentation entitled “How do we acquire knowledge about police (mis)conduct?”
• Erica-Maria Umbricht, Hitzkirch Interkantonale Polizeischule Switzerland, explained in her presentation that Integrity and Ethics can often bear fruits;
• Franc Virtič, Police Directorate Maribor, via a Quality Management Framework explained the connection between ethics and excellence and raised the question whether policing is a job or a profession;
• Maria Knutsson, Erica Maria Umbricht and seminar participant Janna Davidsson from Malmoe Police in Sweden presented the importance of whistleblowers in the police service. They stressed that appropriate socialisation for police officers starts at the beginning – in the Police School or the College.

A first glance at the evaluation forms filled in by the participants at the end of the seminar highlighted that most had gather valuable new knowledge and that they were eager to share this with their colleagues.

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Twenty-eight senior police officers and 15 magistrates from 21 Member States took part in the latest Joint Investigation Teams CEPOL seminar hosted by the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de la Police in Lyon from 28 March to 1 April 2011.

The European Council, Eurojust, Europol, Olaf, Interpol and the European Judicial Training Network sent a total of 13 experts to support this ever popular CEPOL event.

Working visits and case studies, feedback from practitioners involved in past joint investigations and comprehensive information on how Joint Investigation Teams (JIT) are financed offered the participants a unique opportunity to enhance their knowledge and willingness to use JITs as key instruments during cross border investigations.

During the closing ceremony, Hélène Martini, Director of the ENSP, and Detlef Schröder, Deputy Director of CEPOL, recalled the organiser’s use of the European Union motto “Unity in Diversity” to illustrate the distinct European character of the Joint Investigation Teams seminars, and stressed how CEPOL activities can contribute to strengthening European resilience to crime and foster a proactive law enforcement agenda.

Special thanks to all who contributed in this joint success story of CEPOL and the European Judicial Training Network.

The following comment by one of the participants on day two of the event sums up the success of this event:

“After one day in Lyon, I can neither distinguish who are the police officer and who are the judges nor from which countries they are. We all have a common goal: to work together and get the best result and it is a really a good experience in my career!”

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On 22-25 March 2011 the Italian Scuola di Perfezionamento per le Forze di Polizia in Rome hosted CEPOL course “Fraud against EU, European Institutions and Euro Counterfeiting”.

The event, coordinated by Colonel Rosario Massino with support from Captain Gennaro Pino both from the Guardia di Finanza, attracted 21 participants from 15 Member States plus Switzerland. During his opening presentation General Gennaro Vecchione, Chief of the Department for the Repression of EU Frauds within the Department for Community Politics at the Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri, illustrated the serious phenomenon of frauds against European Institutions. Mr Vecchione highlighted that the negative effects caused by this kind of crime are due to the following reasons:

• Appropriate standards of development and employment have not been reached within the European Union;
• Financial loss suffered by Member States in case funds are not recovered;
• The development of underground economies;
• Negative impact on the confidence rapport between people and Community Institutions.

In consideration of the above, it was stressed that all Member States should promptly and effectively adopt the so called “principle of assimilation”, according to which the regulations as well as the organisational and operational measures adopted to protect the national resources must be implemented to safeguard EU financial interests.

Particular attention was given to frauds concerning excise taxes, and reference was made to European Council Directive 2008/118/EC dated 16 December 2008 concerning the general arrangements for excise duty.

On the topic of counterfeit cigarettes and cigarette trafficking, an interesting comparison emerged between the evaluations made by the investigative agencies represented by Mr Gianluca Dinoi and the presentation given by Mr Matteo Mattei, Brand Integrity manager at Philip Morris International.

Several presentations were given by participants: Mr Rastislav Kovac, expert from the Slovakian police, explained organisation and tasks of the Slovakian Anti-Corruption Bureau, their involvement in protection of financial interests of the EU in Slovakia and the fight against Euro counterfeiting. A further presentation was made by Mr Stephan Schweikert, liaison officer from the German Embassy in Rome. During these presentations the possibility of cooperating in investigations was taken into account. The topic of police cooperation was dealt with also by Mr Mario Bruno, Europol, in his presentation.

Moreover, Mr Alberto Potenza explained the functions, the tasks and the new perspectives of OLAF, the European Anti-Fraud Office, responsible for “protecting the financial interests of the European Union against fraud, corruption and any other illegal activities as well as the reputation of the European institutions”. regarding cooperation, taking into account the needs underlined by those who attended the previous edition of this course, a useful handbook was worked on, containing information on “who does what”, as well as on the different departments and bodies responsible for the fight against financial and economic crimes , including EUROFISC, introduced in 2010.

Participants were divided into two groups actively taking part in discussions concerning “Remarks and suggestions on international cooperation methods to safeguard EU financial interests and Euro counterfeiting”. The two working groups presented proposals on behalf of some experts attending the course.

The results of the different national points of view expressed during workshop 1 are the following:

• Language is a major barrier and it is suggested that EU requests for cooperation should be in one language (Officer lan