CONT recommends postponing 2009 discharge

The EU Budgetary Control Committee (CONT) has recommended that the European Parliament postpone discharging CEPOL’s financial accounts for budgetary year 2009. CEPOL has now had a new Director since February 2010 and is implementing its Multi Annual Action Plan in order to function correctly as an EU Agency and meet the standards expected by the CONT and European Parliament. The CEPOL of 2008 and 2009 no longer exists; CEPOL in 2011 is an organisation dedicated to excellence in all areas of activity.

The recommendation does not come as a surprise since the year 2009 was marked by inadequacy and ineffectiveness in the areas of budget, procurement and human resources management. In addition the European Anti-Fraud Office’s (OLAF) investigation has led to a referral for a criminal procedure against the former director. This fact casts a shadow over the achievements of 40 national training institutions in the Member States and draws the attention away from the core activities and the value added to the fight against crime through education and learning.

Training courses, seminars, conferences, the exchange programme and other projects have brought together thousands of senior police officers, scientists and researchers in the last 5 years.

The implementation of the Lisbon Treaty and the Stockholm Programme means that the coming years will be marked by increasing expectations of European law enforcement education. Building European training schemes is one aim that will result in a shift from quantitative to qualitative thinking in teaching and learning in law enforcement. Aligned with this trend, CEPOL will concentrate on the implementation of its approved strategy and address all of the CONT’s expectations.

The European Police College has been under new management since February 2010 and now performs the work of the Agency in line with all applicable regulations and legitimate expectations of all stakeholders.