The European Dimension of Local Police

On June 9 - 10 2011, an International Meeting was held in Rome entitled: “Prevention and control activities carried out by the local police, current capabilities and future scenarios in Italy and in a comparative perspective”.

The meeting was attended by several academics and representatives from Italian and European institutions. This event, which was promoted by the Department for Security Policies and Civil Protection in the Rome District, was organised by the “Roma Tre” University in Rome (Department of Public Institutions, Economics and Society –DIPES – as well as the PRIN Research Unit).

During the meeting, following the presentation of the on-line scientific magazine “Democracy&Security”, the general framework was analysed and the peculiarities of the Italian and European legal systems were stressed, with particular reference to the local security. The main purpose was to understand the similarities and differences, on the basis of a subdivision into three sessions:

1. “The Italian and European institutional legal frameworks“;
2. “Institutional order and local police experiences in Europe” ;
3. “Institutional self-rule and local security”.

An analysis of the topic “ Institutional self-rule and local security in Europe” was proposed and some “experiences” of foreign local polices forces, such as the British, Portuguese, Spanish and German police forces, were reported. It was stressed that reference is to be made not only to the principle of “integrated security” but also to the “multiple aspects of security”, since this concept can have different meanings according to the context. It is important to take into account that the principle of subsidiarity, as well as cooperation and coordination, represent basic conceptual categories.

In a wider perspective, immigration, terrorism and money laundering were dealt with as topics, and attention was given to the importance of police cooperation and coordination. It was highlighted, that the European Union, which in the past was, above all, an association of Countries at an economical level, has become an association of Member States aiming at creating, a common policy with a particular reference to security. This is the consequence, above all, of the Lisbon Treaty as well as of the Stockholm Programme.

Attention was focused on the various European Agencies such as Europol, Frontex, Eurojust and CEPOL. In particular, the importance of CEPOL was pointed out in relation to the training of the “European policeman” aimed at safeguarding EU citizen’s security.