Special Co-ordinator Erhard Busek welcomes the report by the European Commission’s SECI Center Assessment Mission, which concluded that the Bucharest-based SECI Regional Center for Combating Trans-Border Crime has played a major role in developing law-enforcement cooperation, and has contributed to the overall regional security and political stabilisation.

The independent evaluation aimed at assessing the SECI Center’s contribution to fighting organized crime in the Balkans, as well as its compatibility with similar efforts by existing European Union mechanisms.  

The report, which was released last week, concluded that the Center has the potential to become a regional office for Europol.  In order to achieve that, it says that the SECI member states should make more systematic use of the Center as an instrument for regional law enforcement operations.  It also said that the EU should provide assistance to the Center and its member states in upgrading it into an institution meeting all legal and operational requirements.

“This is excellent news for the region,” said SC Busek.  “I am very pleased to hear that the region has not only passed the test but exceeded the expectations.”

Busek also said that the region must now show even stronger commitment to the Center in order to implement the findings of the report.  “I look forward to seeing joint investigation teams beginning to eliminate organized criminal groups in the Balkans.  This would fulfil the ambitions expressed in the 2002 London Declaration,” he added.

The SECI Center supports joint trans-border crime fighting efforts through liaison officers, in order to improve economic and political stability in the region.  In the past, its rapprochement towards European law enforcement institutions has been promoted by the Stability Pact’s organized crime fighting initiative (SPOC), as well as by SC Busek who also heads the Vienna-based SECI.