Internal Security Fund: instrument for financial support for police cooperation, preventing and combating crime, and crisis management 2014-2020
The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted the report by Salvatore IACOLINO (PPE, IT) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing, as part of the Internal Security Fund, the instrument for financial support for police cooperation, preventing and combating crime, and crisis management.
The committee recommended that Parliament’s position adopted in first reading following the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows:
Purpose and scope: Members stressed that synergies, consistency and complementarity shall be sought with other relevant financial instruments of the Union, such as the Civil Protection Mechanism, Horizon 2020, the Health for Growth Programme, the solidarity fund and external aid instruments.
Objectives: amongst other things, the instrument shall contribute to crime prevention, and reinforcing coordination and cooperation between law enforcement authorities and other national authorities of Member States, including with EUROPOL or other relevant EU bodies, and with relevant third-countries and international organisations.
The achievement of the specific objectives shall be evaluated using common indicators, as set out in Annex II and programme-specific indicators included in national programmes.
The Instrument shall contribute to promoting and developing the following operational objectives:
· training schemes, including regarding technical and professional skills and knowledge of obligations relating to respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms;
· measures, safeguards, mechanisms and best practices for early identification, protection and support of witnesses and victims of crime, including victims of terrorism, and in particular for child witnesses and victims, especially those who are unaccompanied or otherwise in need of guardianship.
Within these objectives, the Instrument shall also support actions in relation to and in third countries, and in particular the following: (i) actions improving police cooperation and coordination between law enforcement authorities, (ii) the exchange of experience and good practice; (iii) contingency planning and interoperability; (iv) exchange, training and education of staff and experts of relevant authorities, including language training; (v) threat assessments.
Members stated that actions funded under this instrument shall be implemented in full compliance with fundamental rights and human dignity, and in particular, with the provisions of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, European data protection rules and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR).
Eligible actions under National Programmes: the Instrument shall support actions in Member States, inter alia: actions improving police cooperation and coordination between law enforcement authorities, including with and between relevant EU bodies, in particular EUROPOL and Eurojust; projects promoting public-private partnerships; maintenance of Union and national IT systems contributing to the achievement of the objectives of the Regulation.
Global resources and implementation: Members wanted to privilege national actions and specified that the global resources shall be used as follows:
· EUR 662 million for the national programmes of Member States;
· EUR 342 million for Union actions, emergency assistance and technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission.
EUR 662 million shall be allocated to the Member States as follows: (a) 30% in proportion of the size of their total population; (b) 10% in proportion to the size of their territory; (c) 15% in proportion to the number of passengers and 10% to the tons of cargo processed through their international air and sea ports; (d) 35% in inverse proportion to their Gross Domestic Product (purchasing power standard per inhabitant).