Preface

This document outlines the process, the implementation strategy and the budgetary implications related to the Stability Pact Regional Police Training Initiative. The document has been prepared by the co-chairs of the Working Group responsible for the initiative on behalf of the Working Group. Additional information related to this initiative can be obtained from:

Mr. Zlatko Miletic
Co-chairman of the Working Group
Border Police Directorate, Croatia
e-mail: zlatkomiletic@net.hr

Mr. Tor Tanke Holm
Co-chairman of the Working Group
National Police Directorate, Norway
e-mail: tor.tanke.holm@politiet.pod.no

Mr. Albert Goedendorp
Past president of AEPC
e-mail: info@aepc.net

The process

In a proposal from UNMIBH presented at the Stability Pact meeting in Oslo in October 1999, the idea of the Southeast European Police College was introduced. According to the proposal the college could deliver advanced and specialised police training for target groups such as police commissioners, high level staff and others.

At the Stability Pact meeting in Sofia in October 2000, Working Table III (Security) endorsed a Norwegian research proposal that proposed a study of regional strategies for police training to enhance cooperation in Southeast Europe (SEE). The mandate of the researchers was twofold: first, to map existing cooperation on regional police training and second, to discuss and propose new strategies for such initiatives.

The study concluded that an essential characteristic of most of the countries of Southeast Europe is that they are passing through a period of transition, in which they are reforming and restructuring their law enforcement institutions. This commonality holds across the region despite the fact that there are significant political differences, varying legal structures and systems, and differing types of law enforcement organisations among the countries. Another common element throughout the region is the will of the respective states to adopt EU policing standards and practices.

Given the necessity to reform the institutional rule of law arena in many of the countries in SEE, it may be fair to recognise the pivotal role of the police and the strong need to strengthen regional police co-operation across the SEE. One of the means to do so is through regional training. Training will, given the right conditions, have both short and long-term effects. It will increase police skills, enhance democratic policing, and create and develop regional networks and cross-border co-operation. Furthermore, it will increase the knowledge and ability of bi- and multilateral policing to achieve its desired goal to fight transnational organised crime.

The study was presented at the Chief of Police meeting in Sarajevo on 14 December 2000. The meeting welcomed the study and supported the idea to take the initiative further.

Based on these recommendations the Chairman of Working Table III took the initiative to establish a Working Group with representatives from ministries of interiors, police academies and police services in the region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Hungary, Macedonia, Slovenia and Romania) as well as international experts and representatives from the donor community. The Working Group that is co-chaired by Croatia and Norway, have met four times, in Zagreb in April, in Belgrade in June and in Sofia in September 2001 as well as in Sarajevo in January 2002. The next meeting of the Working Group will be in September/October in Lubljana.

The implementation strategy

During the meeting in Belgrade the Working Group agreed on a set of recommendations related to the objectives of the training, subjects for training, the target group for training, relevant training providers and training methodology.

The following recommendations were first endorsed by the Police Forum meeting in Belgrade on 7 June and later by the Working Table III meeting in Zagreb on 12-13 June:

The objectives

The overall objective of the initiative is to introduce best practices of policing, through the exchange of knowledge and experience regarding subjects relevant to the target group of police officers, and to apply European standards in the field of policing. Furthermore, the programme should initiate broad regional police co-operation and networking by bringing participants from the different countries in the region together. Networks should also be created between the providing countries and the receiving countries in order to increase the possibility of establishing relationships. The initiative will be realised by means of training courses.

Training activities

The courses will be executed in three terms: short term, medium and long term.

In the short term ­ in 2001 ­ training courses will be given on the following topics: - illegal immigration, Croatia, 19-23 November - trafficking in human beings, Croatia, 26-30 November

In the medium term ­ from 2002 onwards ­ training courses will be given on the following topics:

In the long term ­ from 2003 onwards ­ training courses will be given on the following topics:

The provider

The training courses will be provided and coordinated by the Association of European Police Colleges (AEPC), in co-operation with the Central European Police Academy and the Nordic Baltic Police Academy. In consultation and agreement with the AEPC, other instituti-ons can also be involved in the training courses. The concept The training courses will be designed for police officers at the decision-making level from countries in the region in question. The number of participants on each training course should be 20 to 30. The courses will be implemented in the region according to a ‘roaming’ concept. The venues for the courses should preferably be national police training institutions.

Budgetary implications:

The initiative will be based on funding from the donor community. According to AEPC budget, the total cost of one training course is 99.000 Euro.

2001
Norway funded the activities of the Working Group and the two training courses in Croatia.

2002
Norway is funding the activities of the Working Group and two training courses, trafficking in small arms and light weapons as well as policing a multicultural society or police ethics. Finland is funding two training courses, trafficking in drugs and police management. Germany is funding one training course, dealing with extreme phenomena. Additional funding for one training course has to be identified.

2003
Finland is willing to fund two training courses, training methods and methods of technical crime investigation. Norway intend to continue its act of engagement with regard to the initiative.