EU voorstander van politionele samenwerking met landen Oostelijk Partnerschap (en)

European Commission

Press release

Brussels, 21 December 2012

EU to support police cooperation with Eastern Partnership countries

The European Commission has today adopted a new programme to support cooperation on police services between the EU and the Eastern Partnership (EaP) neighbouring countries.

The Eastern Partnership Police Cooperation Programme will promote police cooperation on issues related to cross-border crime between the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries and among the EaP countries themselves. By doing so, the EU will help to strengthen the rule of law in the region.

“Trust in law enforcement agencies is one of the cornerstones needed to build a sustainable democracy and we believe that cooperation in the police services can greatly enhance law and order in the countries of our Eastern neighbours. The Eastern Partnership Police Cooperation Programme aims at ambitious but important targets. Law enforcement reform - including the police reform - is one of the main benchmarks against which the EU will assess progress and adapt its levels of support to our Eastern partners, " Commissioner for Enlargement and the European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle i said.

In the framework of the adopted programme a series of activities such as study tours, exchange programmes, training and meetings will be organised to facilitate networking and build partnerships and trust among the police forces of the EU and EaP countries. Specialised training and exchange of best practice will be supported to increase knowledge and skills of Eastern neighbours' police in police management and fight against cross-border crime. The total budget of the programme is €5 million planned for the period of four years.

Background

The EU funding comes from the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). This is the main financial and cooperation instrument through which funding is given to the Eastern Partnership countries and Russia.

The Eastern Partnership represents the Eastern dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), and aims to reach out to its six neighbours in the East (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) and bring them closer to the EU through political association and economic integration.

The Eastern Partnership Police Cooperation Programme is designed to reflect the required reforms of the law enforcement sector to support progress towards deep and sustainable democracy within the European Neighbourhood region in line with the Joint Communication "A new Response to a Changing Neighbourhood". It is also an important deliverable of the "Eastern Partnership Roadmap" which also refers to cooperation between law enforcement agencies.

For more information

The Annual Action Programme 2012 for the Eastern Partnership Police Cooperation Programme:

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/ap/aap/2012_en.htm

Website of DG Development and Cooperation - EuropeAid:

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/index_en.htm

Website of EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle:

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/fule/index_en.htm