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25.03.2008

Conference on strengthening the cooperation in the fight against serious crime – contribution of regional threat assessments to security in Europe

One of the priorities of the Slovenian EU Presidency in the field of home affairs is to focus on the Western Balkans. This is why the Slovenian Presidency, in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior, will organise a two-day conference entitled Strengthening the cooperation in the fight against serious crime – contribution of regional threat assessments to security in Europe, which will be held in Vienna on 26 and 27 March 2008. The Conference, which is part of the project "Organised Crime Threat Assessment for the South-Eastern European Area”, will be attended by high representatives of the EU Member States and representatives of the police forces of the Western Balkans.

Give the fact that the security situation in the Western Balkans affects the security situation of the entire EU, the European Commission, the Member States and international governmental and non-governmental organisations are paying great attention to the region. It is therefore our objective to strengthen the cooperation between police authorities in the Western Balkans in the fight against crime while transferring EU security standards to the region. The EU is striving for peace, stability and welfare in the region, with the ultimate goal of bringing the Western Balkans into the EU.

Slovenia presented the basic idea of a project called “Organised Crime Threat Assessment for the South-Eastern European Area” (SEE OCTA) in 2006, while receiving overall support for the project at the Ministerial Conference at Brdo on 4 October 2007. The project received backing both from the ministers of the Western Balkan countries and from other delegations participating in the conference. Moreover, Europol and the SECI Centre expressed their willingness to play an active role in the process as the key players. In drawing up the document, EU OCTA methodology will be applied to enable the countries of the region to contribute to the drawing up of their own organised crime threat assessment.

The Conference will represent an opportunity to hold a high-level discussion based on which conclusions will be adopted, providing the basis for the Conclusions of the JHA Council at the end of the Slovenian EU Presidency and thus reinforcing the commitment to implement the project. The first results in the form of a threat assessment can be expected in the first half of 2009, while its approval and adoption of measures are envisaged for the Ministerial Meeting EU – the Western Balkans, which will be held in September 2009.

 

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Date: 25.03.2008