Stability Pact: Initiative against Organised Crime

TASK FORCE STATUS: Since October 2002 - still active

The overall objective of the SPOC Initiative is to strengthen regional capacities to combat organised crime in accordance with the EU and internationally recognised standards. The mandate of SPOC is to facilitate dialogue with the international and regional representatives of the legal, academic, donor and law enforcement communities. - Page Update: 28 March 2006

I. Introduction

International analysis and discussions with representatives from the region have confirmed that one of the most serious problems within the region is transnational organised crime.

Organised crime has infiltrated some SEE government structures during the 80s and 90s. Today, organised crime is eroding some of the benefits, particularly investment and business opportunities that SEE countries have started to enjoy after the consolidation and improvements in the last years. The lack of coordinated action has enabled organised crime to reach devastating levels, also undermining democratisation, human rights and respect for the law.

The Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe (SCSP) stated from the beginning that support to SEE countries required coordination on multiple levels simultaneously to combat organised crime. In order to be effective, the Stability Pact Initiative against Organised Crime (SPOC) was launched in October 2002. It operates under the auspices of Working Table III/Security/Sub-Table Justice and Home Affairs.

II. Structure

A. The SPOC Board

The SPOC Board meets twice per year. It consists of representatives of the SEE states, principle International Organisations, the EU member-states, major donor countries and NGOs active in the research field against organised crime. In general, the board is open to all actors who intend to commit their efforts to combat organised crime in SEE. This includes representatives from the law enforcement community, the legal community, the academic world, regional expertise and the donor community. It is expected that the present group will grow. The Board debates national and regional strategies and projects concerning capacity building, awareness raising and legislative reforms. It is also involved in policy advocacy.

B. The SPOC Board Chairman

The Chairman of Working Table III, Mr. Janez Premoze supervises the work of the SPOC initiative on an interim basis since 1^st March 2006. The Brussels-based team and the Bucharest Secretariat support his work.

C. The SPOC Secretariat Bucharest

The SPOC Secretariat serves as an information hub and acts as the support unit. It has been operational since late 2003 providing legal expertise to the countries of the region in harmonising their legal framework with EU and international standards. It supports the strengthening of existing and the development of new mechanisms for regional cooperation against organised crime. The Secretariat is located in the Parliament building in Bucharest in premises provided by the Romanian government. The Secretariat is headed by Mr. Sorin Sterie and supported by three other lawyers (Romanian, Serbian, German) and a Romanian Executive Assistant.

Contact:

Sorin Sterie, Acting Head of SPOC Secretariat,
Tel: +32 2 401 61 24
Email: sorin.sterie@stabilitypact.org

Moritz Hildebrand
EU Legal Advisor
Tel: +40 21 402 21 62
Mob: +40 720 077 575
Email: moritz.hildebrand@spocsee.org

Tiberius Llie Moldovan
Prosecutor
Tel: +40-21 402 21 72
Email: Tiberius.moldovan@spocsee.org

Saso Avramovski
SEE Legal Advisor
Tel: +40-21 402 21 54
Email: saso.avramovski@spocsee.org

Medeea Negutescu
Executive Assistant
Tel: +40 21 402 21 55
Mob: +40 744 380 726
E-mail: medeaa.negutescu@spocsee.org

D. The SP/SPOC Brussels team

A Brussels-based expert, Mr. Sorin Sterie, in collaboration with the Secretariat in Bucharest, works for SCSP Working Table III's Justice and Home Affairs team. He provides legal expertise and maintains regular contacts with the donor community and other SCSP Initiatives related to criminal issues. He also communicates with counterparts from the European Commission and the European Council. The Brussels-based Justice and Home Affairs junior lawyer Ms Rovena DEMIRAJ, supports the work of SPOC within SCSP Working Table for Security issues.

III. Instruments

SPOC's work is based on a wide range of instruments:

London Statement on Organised Crime (November 2002); Thessaloniki Declaration on Western Balkan (June 2003); EU-Western Balkans Forum JHA Ministerial Meeting (December 2005); SEECP joint statement on JHA (February 2006), the SPOC board session in Bled (October 2005); the Working Table III meeting in Prague (November 2005). Its activities are in line with the acquis communautaire and the Stabilisation and Association process.

It also takes into account additional sources such as the Assessment of the SECI Regional Center for Combating Trans-Border Crime Final Report from August 2004, the report of the Friends of the Presidency on concrete measures to be taken to effectively enhance the fight against organised crime originating from the Western Balkans and the Transcrime study "The Contribution of Data Exchange Systems to the Fight Against Organised Crime in the SEE Countries" from November 2004.

Address:

SPOC Secretariat Bucharest
Parliament Building,
Str. Izvor nr. 2-4, Sector 5,
050563 Bucharest, Romania

Documents

SPOC Programme & Working Priorities

The Special Co-ordinator is suggesting that the SPOC Secretariat in Bucharest will integrate into the SECI Center to become the core of a new division for legal, data analysis, strategic/external relations issues. He is seeking active political support from SEECP ministers of JHA. for the upgrading of the SECI Center, with the support of the EU." (More on SPOC and SECI)
Programme & Working Priorities 2006
SPOC Chair Balkan Tour 2005-2006
SPOC Chair Progress Report , Regional Table in Prague, 15-16 November 2005

Research Projects

Assessing the Implementation of international and European Anti-Terrorism instruments in South-East Europe
- Report
- Matrix

The Contribution of Exchange of Information Systems to the Fight Against Organised Crime in the SEE Countries: an Assessment
Monitoring the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime in SEE ( TOC Matrix ) [Updated online - 18 November 2005]
Influence of South Eastern European Organised Crime on EU States - An Analyse of Europol yearly report, February 2005

Ministerial Documents

EU-Western Balkans Forum: JHA Ministerial Meeting, Presidency Statement, Brussels, 2 December 2004
Joint Statement of the Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs from the States participating in the SEECP on a Joint Campaign to fight Organised Crime and Corruption in SEE, Bucharest, 18 May 2004
EU-Western Balkans Forum , JHA Ministerial Meeting, Joint Conclusions, Brussels, 28 November 2003
Sarajevo Declaration of the Ministers of Justice and State Representatives from South Eastern Europe ("Sarajevo II") concerning the implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, Sarajevo, 28 October 2003
The EU-Western Balkans Summit in Thessaloniki , 21 June 2003
Sarajevo I Declaration of the Ministers of Interior or Public Order and State Representatives from South Eastern Europe concerning the fight against organised crime, regarding in particular Data protection and processing, as well as Witness protection, 18 June 2003
London Statement on Defeating Organised Crime in SEE , 25 November 2002

SPOC Board Meetings

SPOC Board Meeting, 26-27 October 2005, Bled
[ Letter of Invitation , Draft Agenda , Draft Programme and Activities for 2006 ]
SPOC Board Meeting , 8 April 2005, Dubrovnik
SPOC Board Meeting, 3 November 2004, Bucharest
SPOC Board Meeting, 3 March 2004, Vienna
SPOC Board Meeting , 8 May 2003, Brussels

Progress Reports of the SPOC Chairman

Progress Report of the SPOC Board Chairman - Working Table III, Prague, 15 November 2005
Progress Report of the SPOC Board Chairman - Working Table III, Sofia, 17 May 2005
Progress Report of the SPOC Board Chairman - Working Table III, Skopje, 17 November 2004
Progress Report of the SPOC Board Chairman - Working Table III, Portoroz, 7 June 2004
Progress Report of the SPOC Board Chairman - Working Table III, Tirana, December 2003

Regional Table Meetings [Go to RT Link]

Speeches

Speech by SPOC Chairman to Ministerial Conference on joint measures to curb corruption in SEE, Brussels , 11-12 May 2005
Speech by SC Erhard Busek, addressing the Salzburg Forum, 15-17 July 2004
Speech by the Representative of Working Table III Security Issues – Justice and Home Affairs: Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, Vienna, 29 June 2004