Schengen Cooperation and Combating Cross-border and Organised Crime, including Trafficking and Itinerant Criminal Groups

Programme Summary

Why is the programme needed?  As an EU Member State, the Czech Republic shall respect the priorities defined in the EU’s work programme for the justice and home affairs sector for 2010-14 (“The Stockholm Programme). The EU-programme focuses on “the right tools for the job” meaning that the police needs to improve its technological infrastructure and equipment so that they can rapidly exchange information electronically with other countries for example through special databases. The Czech Republic is a landlocked country surrounded by other Schengen-states. The country is an important tourist destination, especially its capital Prague. The Czech Republic sees the need for “smart borders”, i.e. increased use of technology to ensure efficient control of the external borders while facilitating travel of legitimate passengers. The Czech Republic is increasingly focusing on the importance of the police as a public service institution.  What will the programme achieve and who are the beneficiaries?  The Programme will strengthen the capacity and the competence of the Czech Police to fight cross-border crime. This will mainly be done through the purchase of equipment, training as well as study tours. In addition, the Programme shall improve the relationship between the police and the Roma community.How will it be achieved?  •    Expand the existing programme of automated electronic control of travellers at five international airports in the country, including Prague. Additional e-gates will be installed at Prague airport and manual readers will be purchased for airports will less international traffic. The electronic control of passengers shall facilitate travel while respecting the need for security.  •    The setting-up of a National Control Authority, which will be the central institution in the Czech Republic, will make it possible to exchange information on sensitive personal data, such as fingerprints, stored in biometric travel documents.   •    Study visits for at least 50 police officers to Europol, Interpol and to countries with which the Czech police have a large number of joint cases.  •    In order to improve planning and reduce response time, the police shall purchase mobile devices which can help visualize a crime or rescue scenes by the use of geospatial information.  •    A study of current strategies, policies etc. of the Czech police on “policing minorities”. The study shall give recommendations for improvement.  •    Training of police officers, senior police managers and police specialists (30) on how to improve the relationship with the Roma community. How will bilateral relations be strengthened?  There will to be an exchange of experience with the Norwegian police on the establishment of “smart borders”, i.e. automated electronic control of travellers at international airports, on the functioning international and European operational police cooperation and most likely also on the prevention of crime, especially crime committed by young people. There will also be a joint project between the Czech police and international organisations such as the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). What are the partnership opportunities?  There will be no partnership opportunities except for those described above.Who can apply for funding under this programme? There will be no calls for proposals.