EU agencies discuss the European Law Enforcement Training Scheme in the European Parliament

Today, the European Commission and representatives from the EU justice and home affairs (JHA) agencies will discuss the European Law Enforcement Training Scheme (LETS) in front of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee of the European Parliament.

Nine JHA agencies fully support the idea of a European Law Enforcement Training Scheme, as a means of strengthening the internal security of the EU and Member States’ capacity to combat crime. The JHA agencies welcome the opportunity to achieve better cooperation on the development and delivery of EU law enforcement training and recognise the role that they have – both individually and as a group – in supporting the implementation of the European Law Enforcement Training Scheme and in developing a European law enforcement culture, based on fundamental rights that deal with people, particularly victims of crime, including hate crime, in a respectful, sensitive, professional and non-discriminatory manner. Combining efforts to nurture such a culture and to strengthen the skills of police officers to create a culture of trust is important, not only to facilitate combating crime, but also to encourage the reporting of crime and prosecution.

The panel discussion which will examine the merits of the Training Scheme and highlight different perspectives from those involved in providing training can be followed live at the European Parliament website here from 16:00. Speakers will include representatives from the European Commission, the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (Frontex), European Police College (CEPOL) and the Fundamental Rights agency (FRA). A representative from the Spanish Ministry of Interior will also participate.

This event was organised under the umbrella of the JHA agencies’ contact group. Representatives from the JHA agencies meet regularly throughout the year to identify and act on opportunities for cooperation on Justice and Home Affairs policies of the Union. All agencies in the contact group actively engage in training activities for law enforcement officers, either through organising training (independently or jointly with other agencies) or through contributing expert trainers. In 2013, the contact group is chaired by the European Police College (CEPOL).

EU agencies participating in the contact group are:

• European Union's Judicial Cooperation Unit (Eurojust)
• European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (Frontex)
• European Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA)
• European Asylum Support Office (EASO)
• European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)
• European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)
• European Police College (CEPOL)
• European Police Office (Europol)
• European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)