European Police College (CEPOL)
PURPOSE: To repeal 2000/820/JHA and establish the European Police College (CEPOL).
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision 2005/681/JHA of 20 September 2005 establishing the European Police College (CEPOL) and repealing Decision 2000/820/JHA.
CONTENT: By this Council Decision, Decision 2000/820/JHA setting up the first European Police College (CEPOL), has been repealed. The main reason for the revision is to guarantee financing for the College through the Community budget. The revised Decision also establishes Bramshill in the United Kingdom as the seat of CEPOL.
The body of provisions set out in the new Decision reflect, as far as possible, those set out in Decision 2000/820. Where there are technical changes they refer to relations with third States, the functioning of the Governing Board, the Director’s tasks, staffing of the CEPOL secretariat, financial requirements, access to documents and as well as evaluation procedures. In summary, the Council Decision contains the following elements:
- The establishment of a European Police College (CEPOL) in the United Kingdom, which is to act as a successor to the 2000 CEPOL. It is to function as a network, by bringing together the national training institutes in the Member States whose tasks include the training of senior police officers.
- The Protocol on Privileges and Immunities of the European Communities will apply to the Director of CEPOL and the staff of its Secretariat, though not to staff seconded to CEPOL from the Member States.
- The aim of CEPOL will be to help train Member States’ senior police officers by optimising co-operation between CEPOL’s various components. It is expected to support and develop a European approach to the main problems facing Member States in their fight against crime, crime prevention and the maintenance of law and order as well as public security. The cross-border dimension of crime will be singled out for particular attention.
- CEPOL’s objectives will be to increase knowledge of the various national police systems and of cross-border co-operation within the EU, to improve upon knowledge of international and EU institutions, the structure and functioning of Europol as well as those of Eurojust’s.
- CEPOL will be tasked to provide training session, to contribute to harmonised programmes for the training of middle-ranking police officers with particular regard to cross-border activities. Other tasks will be to provide specialist training on organised crime, prepare EU police forces for non-military crisis management, provide training for officers from candidate countries, develop on electronic network to provide back-up for CEPOL to ensure that all the necessary security measures are in place and to provide language training.
- CEPOL will be composed of the Governing Board and a Director, heading the CEPOL Secretariat. In addition CEPOL national contact points will be set up in each of the Member States.
- As far as the financial requirements are concerned, the Decision states that CEPOL’s revenue will of a subsidy from the Community entered into the general budget of the European Union under the Commission section. Expenditure will relate to staff, administration, infrastructure and operational expenses. Revenue and expenditure need to be in balance. The actual implementation and control of the budget will the responsibility of the Director.
- Within five years of the Decision taking effect, the Governing Board is asked to prepare an independent evaluation Report on the activities of CEPOL.
- As far as the discharge of the budget is concerned, Article 5(3) of Decision 2000/820/JHA applies.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: A number of measures need to be prepared prior to the Decisions entry into force. Both the Governing Board and the Director chosen on the basis of the 2000 Decision are expected to prepare the adoption of the rules of procedure of the Governing Board, the implementation rules, which apply to CEPOL staff, rules regarding the selection of candidates, financial provisions and rules for access to CEPOL documents. Implementation of these measures applies as from 2 October 2005. The Decision takes effect as from 01 January 2006.