NewsPreparing for the future: CEPOL supports drivers and coordinators as EMPACT enters a new cycle
As the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) prepares to launch its next operational cycle (2026-2029), a dedicated workshop was held last week in Budapest bringing together EMPACT Drivers and Coordinators of Common Horizontal Strategic Goals (CHSG) representing EU Agencies, institutions and EU networks. Co-designed with Europol and developed with the support of Commission services - DG HOME, the General secretariat of the Council and in consultation with Drivers, this annual workshop holds significant importance for CEPOL and stands among its most prominent activities.
Now in its fourth edition, this was the first workshop specifically designed to prepare participants for the upcoming operational cycle. It aimed to support the Drivers of the EMPACT Priorities and the Coordinators of the CHSG in their roles within the 2026–2029 EMPACT cycle. The workshop brought together Coordinators and Drivers from both the current and the upcoming cycle, fostering continuity and forward planning.
The workshop was delivered in the context of the professionalisation of EMPACT Core Actors, in line with the outcomes of the Independent Evaluation of the current EMPACT cycle and the respective recommendations of the EMPACT Roadmap.
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Delivered as part of CEPOL’s training portfolio, the workshop built on the orientation for the upcoming EMPACT cycle by equipping Drivers and Coordinators with practical, up-to-date guidance on their roles and responsibilities. Particular focus was placed on leadership in the development and implementation of Operational Action Plans (OAPs), as well as effective coordination aligned with EMPACT’s Strategic Goals.
It also offered key stakeholders of the EMPACT mechanism a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge, share experiences and strengthen their cooperation.
The outcomes of this workshop will be shared in September at the next meeting of the Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI) within the Council of the European Union.
About EMPACT 2026-2029
The conclusions by the Council on the enhancement of EMPACT adopted last June provide guidance on how to improve this instrument, highlighting key areas to focus on during the next cycle:
- the most threatening criminal networks and individuals,
- the fastest growing crimes in the online sphere (cyberattacks, online child sexual exploitation and online fraud schemes),
- drug trafficking,
- migrant smuggling and trafficking of human beings,
- firearms and explosives crime,
- environmental crimes,
- economic and financial crimes (VAT fraud, excise and customs fraud, and intellectual property crime, counterfeiting of goods and currencies).
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EU institutions, agencies and Member States work together to tackle organised and serious international crime through a permanent and key instrument: the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT)
. CEPOL plays a crucial role in the EMPACT mechanism through the provision of specialised training and the identification of training needs within each common security threat. Every year, our Agency provides a comprehensive training package for each common EU crime priority consisting of onsite, online and exchange training activities. CEPOL is responsible for the coordination of the EMPACT common horizontal strategic goal 6 “Capacity building through training, networking and innovation”.
