Europese politie chefs werken aan betere coöperatie tussen politiemachten (en)

Aleksander Jevsek, Head of Criminal Police Directorate, together with Rajko Kozmelj, Assistant Director of Criminal Police Directorate, chaired a one-day operational meeting of the European Police Chiefs Task Force in The Hague today.

"The COSPOL Project, which is a multilateral law enforcement instrument created under the guidance, support and direction of the EPCTF with the aim of achieving tangible operational results in terms of arresting top level criminals and dismantling crime groups and terrorist networks by making use of analytical support of Europol, must be regularly evaluated, as this gives us an indication of the extent to which we are achieving the set goals." stated Aleksander Jevsek, Head of Criminal Police Directorate.

The COSPOL Project (Comprehensive Operational Strategic Planning for the Police) was set up within the European Police Chiefs Task Force (EPCTF) with the aim of providing support in strategic planning of law enforcement activities in the fight against organised and serious crime. Moreover, it provides coordination and communication with all relevant partners at all EU levels.

The participants of the meeting discussed operational issues that affect the work of police organisations of the EU Member States, including the evaluation of COSPOL projects drawn up by the Slovenian Presidency, future operational activities within the framework of those projects, representing actual operational cooperation between European police forces in tackling the most serious types of crime, the Organised Crime Threat Assessment for 2008 (OCTA 2008), the implementation of Council Conclusions based on OCTA 2007, and operational support provided by Europol to the Member States. At the end of the meeting, police chiefs took note of the first results of the Europol project on cooperation between National Asset Recovery Offices, as well as the proposal for a new law enforcement journal entitled 'The New Police in Europe'.

The EPCTF is a forum where decisions which are significant for coordinated action of EU police forces are taken. The EPCTF discusses challenges and difficulties facing the police in the EU and attempts to find adequate solutions. The composition of the task force is a guarantee that the decisions adopted will be put into practice without reservations and unnecessary delays.

Before the Member State police chiefs and their delegations, as well as representatives of Europol and the European Commission, Slovenian police experts presented the activities of the Slovenian Presidency aimed at improving the efficiency and quality of operational police work in the EU.

In its endeavours to further strengthen cooperation between the police forces of the Member States, the Slovenian Presidency has received wide support by EU police chiefs as regards its further activities aimed at improving the efficiency and quality of operational cooperation between European police forces, which represents a step forward towards our common goal of establishing an area of security and stability.