35th Governing Board Meeting held in the Netherlands

During the first half of 2016, the Netherlands holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union, and therefore the presidency of CEPOL, the European Police College. The Agency’s Governing Board gathered last week in Scheveningen, near The Hague (the Netherlands), for its biannual meeting. The main topic was the implementation of the new CEPOL regulation (which will enter into force on 1 July) and its consequences for the Agency and EU Member States.

Frederike Everts, member of the Executive Board of the Dutch Police Academy, chaired the meeting. Directors of police and/or police academies from all EU Member States, as well as delegations from the European Commission, AEPC and EUROPOL, took part on it.

Safer Europe

Jannine van den Berg, Chief Constable of the Central Division of the National Police of the Netherlands, opened the meeting as portfolio holder on international police cooperation:“We are currently facing many serious challenges within the European Union. The growing numbers of migrants who flew their homes, hoping for a better life in the European Union, show us the privilege to live in this part of the world and the importance to cherish our values of freedom, security and justice. Other events, such as the recent terrorist attacks in Brussels and Paris show us however that these values should not be taken for granted, and emphasise the need for enhanced cooperation between Member States to realise a safe and secure European Union.”

She continued: "In order to enhance safety within the EU, law enforcement authorities in the Member States must be well trained and informed of the key issues at stake. We can improve the quality of investigations by pooling our knowledge and skills at all levels.”

What is CEPOL

CEPOL stands for “Collège Européen de Police”, the European Police College. CEPOL is an EU agency that provides training and learning opportunities to law enforcement officers on issues vital to the security of the European Union and its citizens. Every year CEPOL organises at least 100 courses, seminars and conferences. Activities are organised in the Member States by national police academies and in the Agency’s headquarters (Budapest, Hungary). In 2015, more than 3000 law enforcement officers participated in these activities. In addition, CEPOL offers an exchange programme, online modules, webinars and common curricula.

New tasks

The new CEPOL regulation presents some relevant changes for the Agency, such as:

• A wider target group: CEPOL will not only or primarily offer training activities for police officers, but for all law enforcement organisations at all levels.
• CEPOL will also play a key role in organising joint training on missions in the framework of the EU Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP).