The Police Equal Performance (PEP) Conference
PEP is a regional strategy for Central and South Eastern Europe aiming the improvement of the performance of police forces by applying best practises in policing and to enhance the operational cooperation between EU Member States and Western Balkan Police forces. PEP focuses on the area of fighting crime in particular organised crime and cross-border wide-spread crime. PEP should foster the application of the principle of convergence beyond the EU and contribute to the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region.
One of the specific objectives of this conference was to develop a better understanding for the Austrian initiative as well as the identification of the needs and requirements for enhanced police cooperation with the Western Balkan countries.
Mr. PEPPER underlined the importance for having an equal legal base in order to reach equal Police performance. The PCC SEE is the only regional common legal base to combat organised crime and wide-spread crime. The PCC SEE Secretariats role in the implementation process is to advise the Contracting Parties, to inform the International Partners on the state of play of the implementation process and to avoid any overlaps and duplication of efforts. An enhanced coordination of the different activities and initiatives in the SEE region is of utmost importance and follows the policy of the PCC SEE Secretariat need to share information. He also presented briefly examples on the operational approach of the activities of the PCC SEE Secretariat in the SEE region (PCC SEE Manual, JIT project and Cross-border surveillance exercises).
The PCC SEE Secretariat, together with other stakeholders like RCC, SECI Centre, OSCE, will be invited to contribute to the PEP project.