The European Union Strategic Training Needs Assessment (EU-STNA) is the Union’s collective, multiannual process for identifying and prioritising the law enforcement (LE) training needs that require coordinated action at the European level. Mandated by Regulation (EU) 2015/2219, which assigns the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) responsibility for assessing strategic training needs and developing multiannual learning programmes, the EU-STNA serves as the Union’s central mechanism for translating identified capability gaps into coordinated training priorities.
Taking place in a period defined by rapid digital transformation, geopolitical instability, and increasingly hybrid and technology-enabled criminal threats, the 2026–2029 EU-STNA consolidates its role as the strategic analytical framework guiding EU-level training policy and programming. By embedding forward-looking elements such as the operational use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies in policing, this cycle reinforces the EU-STNA as a key instrument for strengthening LE competence, cooperation, and resilience across the Union.
Drawing on an analysis of policy documents from the previous four years, the EU-STNA synthesises the training requirements of law enforcement agencies, as identified by subject-matter experts during thematic focus group meetings. In these discussions, experts evaluated which capability challenges emerging from the desk research could be addressed through training. The identified training needs were subsequently ranked by Member States, with the prioritisation weighted according to their representation in the European Parliament. The final list therefore reflects the aggregated priorities of the EU Member States.
