NewsCEPOL report identifies key training needs on EU law enforcement cooperation, information exchange and interoperability
Police and law enforcement authorities across Europe increasingly need to work together, share information quickly, and rely on IT systems that function smoothly across borders in order to tackle crime and security threats that do not stop at the borders.
To support this goal, the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) has just released a new Operational Training Needs Analysis (OTNA) on Law Enforcement Cooperation, Information Exchange and Interoperability which identifies the most pressing training needs for EU law enforcement officials. The analysis is based on data collected between December 2024 and February 2025, primarily through an online questionnaire.
The OTNA received contributions from 23 EU Member States, Switzerland (a non-EU country with long-standing institutionalised cooperation with CEPOL under a formal working arrangement) and one EU body. Police authorities dominantly contributed to the OTNA, while customs, border police, judicial authorities, and other services also provided information. The analysis highlights eight priorities for EU-level training interventions in the coming years:
Law enforcement cooperation training priorities:
- Cross-border Operational Cooperation and Information Exchange
- Single Point of Contact (SPOC)
- European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) mechanism
- Joint Investigation Teams (JITs)
Information exchange and interoperability training priorities:
- Interoperability (components and tools)
- Schengen Information System (SIS)
- Use of Entry/Exit System (EES) for law enforcement
- Use of European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) for law enforcement
Training needs across these priority areas were generally rated as urgent, with urgency levels around 70% for law enforcement cooperation, just over 70% for information exchange, and nearly 68% for interoperability. These figures indicate that, in accordance with CEPOL’s OTNA methodology, training in all these areas is considered urgent and should ideally be delivered within a year to ensure operational effectiveness.
Training in law enforcement cooperation may be needed by almost 24 800 professionals, mainly criminal investigators and analysts. Practitioner-level training is most sought, with broad need for awareness-level and notable demand for advanced practitioner-level training.
In contrast, training needs for information exchange and interoperability may reach almost 70 700 professionals EU-wide, focusing mainly on awareness-level training for end users, while interoperability needs are more evenly distributed among investigators, end users, and analysts.
Amongst the priority main topics of law enforcement cooperation, regional training could be considered for geographically focused capacity-building, particularly where cross-border cooperation and shared operational challenges require a coordinated approach.
The findings of the OTNA on law enforcement cooperation, information exchange, and interoperability uncover a pressing need for capacity-building efforts, highlight the diverse professional profiles requiring training, and suggest regional considerations that shape how law enforcement cooperation unfolds in practice.
View the full OTNA report here.
