Police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters: framework programme AGIS for 2003-2007

PURPOSE: to present the first annual report (2003) on the implementation of the AGIS programme.

CONTENT: this document constitutes the first annual report on the implementation of the programme that aims to promote police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters. The high number of proposals received shows clearly the interest that the programme has among its potential beneficiaries. The demand was indeed much greater than the budget available.

The report reveals that the two most important fields of intervention are: a) the cooperation between law enforcement authorities (36.1% of the number of projects received and 48.2% of those co-financed)

and b) crime prevention together with the fight of specific forms of crime (43.5% and 37.5%, respectively).

Moreover, it highlights that conferences and seminars are by far the most important type of action and they account for almost half (46.4%) of the total number of projects co-financed. With 26.8%, the second most relevant group concerns research, studies and the establishment of networks. Training and exchange programmes, which are by nature more difficult to implement than the above mentioned actions, contribute to a fifth (20.5%) of the number of projects co-financed.

Furthermore, a high proportion of the applications received presented administrative and/or substantive failings by comparison with the requirements set out in the call. The decision was then taken, in the interests of equality amongst all candidates and recognising that this first year of the programme was a ‘learning period’ for candidates, to examine all proposals which presented similar failings.

As 2003 was the first year of implementation of the AGIS Programme, it can be considered as an experimental year in the sense that certain procedures were subsequently improved and subject to clarification.

Despite the difficulties encountered, the AGIS Programme fulfilled its role in 2003 of providing financial resources to meet the Member States’ needs in terms of the full implementation of the legal instruments proposed and adopted by the EU (European Arrest Warrant, legislation against the terrorism, victim’s assistance, trafficking of human beings, etc.), as well as the instrument that enhances and encourages transnational actions of national organizations in a European perspective.

Lastly, given that the new financial perspectives will apply in 2007, the Commission has proposed that the AGIS programme be replaced from 2007 by the new Framework Programme on Security and Safeguarding Liberties (Please refer to procedure reference 2005/0035(CNS)).