EU supports law enforcement to fight corruption and prevent non-ethical and corruptive behavior in their own ranks

Law enforcement Agencies at all levels in BiH learned how to prevent corruption and respond to non-ethical and corruptive behavior within their own ranks under the EU-funded project “Strengthening L...

Law enforcement Agencies at all levels in BiH learned how to prevent corruption and respond to non-ethical and corruptive behavior within their own ranks under the EU-funded project “Strengthening Law Enforcement”

Certificates for completion of “Improving Training Methodologies and Materials” education programme have been presented today to 36 officials of the law enforcement agencies and police academies at the ceremony hosted in the EU Info Centre in Sarajevo.

One-year education featured eight modules with the focus on advanced curriculum development techniques, teaching adults and police ethics. Knowledge acquired will help revision of the curriculum in line with the CEPOL model and innovation of the current teaching methods. Furthermore, it will help raising awareness of the need for prevention of corruption and how to respond to non-ethical and corruptive behavior.

Head of Cooperation in the EU Delegation to BiH Melvin Asin underlined the EU commitment to assist BiH to further advance police service and strengthen the rule of law. “This project seeks not only to support the law enforcement in tackling terrorism, organised crime and corruption, but also to improve coordination and cooperation among the police services in BiH. The project is challenging and requires continuous commitment, but also a strong ownership, close cooperation and coordination, primarily from the beneficiary side at all levels in BiH,” said Asin.

The training has been delivered by the Austrian Ministry of Interior experts who applied ‘train-the-trainers’ approach. “This approach allows us to spread the knowledge more efficiently among colleagues and cadets“, said one of the certified police educators Aida Herco of the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of BiH, emphasising that the ‘importance of continuous education and training for modern day police cannot be stressed enough.’

Conclusion of the education programme is a very important Project milestone. Resident Twinning Adviser Friedrich Hofbauer noted the long-term benefit of education for the current and future law enforcement personnel in BiH. Education is one of the essential preconditions for better police service. The Project has established the team of 36 educators certified to both apply and to transfer the knowledge, and we are now looking forward to seeing it in practice,” concluded Hofbauer.

The ceremony was organised as part of the twining project “Strengthening Law Enforcement” funded by the EU in the amount of 4.5 million euro from the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance.  With the aim to further advance police service and strengthen cooperation, coordination and efficiency in the fight against organized crime, terrorism and corruption in BiH this project is led by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Interior and the Agency for European Integration and Economic Development (AEI) in cooperation with the Ministries of Interior of Croatia and Slovenia. It isimplemented from 2016-2018.