The PCC SEE implementation process has grown to reconcile two important strategic rationales – (1) Contracting Parties with an EU perspective have utilized this multilateral instrument to achieve closer cooperation, align their standards and practices with those of their EU colleagues, and tackle security threats based on EU standards during the pre-accession phase; and (2) EU Member States parties to the PCC SEE have enhanced cross-border cooperation with non-EU Contracting Parties based on a common legal framework. 

With the support of international partners and the donor community, the PCC SEE Secretariat supports the Contracting Parties in their joint designing and setting of conditions for strategic and operational cooperation. The growing set of decisions and conclusions adopted through the decision-making mechanism (see “PCC SEE Acquis”) consolidate the Contracting Parties’ ability and desire to unanimously seek solutions and commit to the PCC SEE implementation process. They continue to engage in the building of sufficient capacities, harmonized standards, procedures and methods to perform cross-border cooperation in line with EU good practices, and to explore ways to advance their cooperation under the PCC SEE umbrella.

The activities of the PCC SEE Secretariat range from:

 -   organizing meetings of the PCC SEE decision-making bodies and experts in order to identify priorities and needs, develop common solutions and standards to facilitate an EU-like cross-border cooperation among Contracting Parties;
-   supporting the Contracting Parties in the use of operational PCC SEE provisions during real operations with the aim of enhancing the practical application of these provisions;
-   monitoring and evaluating the progress in the PCC SEE implementation process, in order to streamline the efforts of the Contracting Parties, identify challenges, draw up recommendations, highlight best practices, and seek synergies with other regional actors;
-   representing and promoting the PCC SEE at various events of relevant institutions at regional, EU or international level.

The PCC SEE implementation process is focussing on specific and strategically-oriented activities ensuring the practical application of various PCC SEE provisions in 4 PCC SEE core clusters of the “PCC SEE Plus” strategic alignment, with specific action plans to guide the process and act as a strategic filter for all PCC SEE activities:

 1) Data Protection The aim is to support the Contracting Parties in establishing an adequate data protection framework under the scope of the PCC SEE.

 2) Information Exchange The aim is to facilitate information exchange based on the PCC SEE in the context of and complimentary to the already established and well-functioning frameworks and platforms.

 3) Operational Cooperation The aim is to facilitate the practical use of the PCC SEE provisions as well as to reach a degree of their institutionalisation among the Contracting Parties’ national law enforcement authorities. Attention is focussed on enhancing the practical use of PCC SEE provisions such as the exchange of officers and special investigation techniques, creating the necessary conditions to allow for the use of all PCC SEE provisions including the conclusion of necessary bi- or multilateral implementing agreements, and establishing synergies of PCC SEE expert networks with their EU counterparts, EU agencies and other international partners.

 4) Automated Exchange of Data The aim is to implement the EU Prüm-inspired framework for automated exchange of DNA, dactyloscopic and vehicle registration data for the PCC SEE region, following the signing of the Agreement between the Parties to the Police Cooperation Convention for Southeast Europe on the Automated Exchange of DNA Data, Dactyloscopic Data and Vehicle Registration Data and its Implementing Agreement. The two documents were signed by Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia in Vienna on 13 September 2018. The application of this new legal framework for the PCC SEE region aims to begin already before all Contracting Parties have become EU Member States, while simultaneously contribute to the  EU accession efforts of the non-EU Contracting Parties. Therefore, attention will be given to the building of necessary capacities in the Contracting Parties in need to allow for a timely automated exchange in the three data fields in practice.

 




Chaired by Slovenia from 01 January to 30 June 2024 / Next Chairmanship (1 July - 31 December 2024) by Albania