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

Programme Summary

Why we support Schengen cooperation and combating cross-border crime in Romania According to Europol ‘the South East hub’, to which Romania belongs, has seen the greatest expansion in organised crime in recent years. When Romania becomes a full member of Schengen area, the country will be responsible for guarding the second longest external land border on behalf of all the Schengen states. The Romanian police could then be faced with increased challenges from illegal immigrants and their facilitators, from smugglers of goods etc. Romania is defined as a source-country for trafficking in human beings. Romanian citizens are trafficked to other European states and abused as prostitutes, forced labour and as beggars. Romanians of Roma ethnic origin are particularly vulnerable to becoming victims of trafficking. At least 15 % of the funding aims to improve the situation for the Roma population. This will particularly be done by strengthening the capacity of the authorities in assisting victims of trafficking and by improving the relationship between the law enforcement agencies and the Roma community. According to a report by the Council of Europe (2012), the principle of presumption of innocence is not always respected when Roma individuals are put on trial. These problems are increased by the failure of the justice systems to respond adequately to complaints by Roma of racial discrimination and other abuses. What the key priorities are and what we will achieve • Strengthening of police cooperation between Romania and Norway o • 300 police officers in Norway and Romania will participate in workshops on prevention and investigation of crime committed by itinerant criminal groups • Improve police cooperation between Romania and its closest neighbours (Hungary, Moldova and Ukraine) in combating illegal migration, human smuggling and economic crime • Improve the relationship between the police and the Roma communities and other vulnerable groups o 40 police officers will be trained on countering hate crime o 300 police officer will be trained to prevent and counter victimisation in the Roma communities o A survey asking member of the ethnic Roma community what crime problems they face. The information shall help the police plan their work, improve their assistance to crime victims, and also make it easier to prepare crime prevention campaigns o Romania will strengthen its cooperation with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which has expertise and experience on how to improve the relationship between the law enforcement services and the Roma community • The Romanian police will be better equipped (cars, a patrol boat,ICT-equipment) and better trained to prevent, investigate and prosecute crime • Experts from the Council of Europe work with Romania to implement recommendations to the country on how to improve its capacity fighting human traffickingWho will benefit The police, customs and the prosecutors will be the main beneficiaries of the programme. Victims of trafficking and Roma will also benefit.