The European Parliament adopted by 451 votes to 85, with 34 abstentions, a legislative resolution 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.
Parliament adopted its position at first reading following the ordinary legislative procedure. The amendments adopted in plenary are the result of an agreement negotiated between the European Parliament and the Council. They modify the proposal as follows:
Purpose and scope: synergies, consistency and complementarity should 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 should 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 should be evaluated using common indicators, as set out in Annex II and programme-specific indicators included in national programmes.
The Instrument should 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 should 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.
Fundamental rights: actions funded under this instrument should 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 should 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.
In general, Member States should ensure that their national programmes include actions addressing all the specific objectives of the Instrument and that the allocation of resources between the objectives is proportionate to the challenges and needs and ensures that the objectives can be met. Where a national programme does not address one of the specific objectives or the allocation is below the minimum percentages set in this Regulation, the Member State concerned should provide a justification within the programme.
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).
Indicators: in order to measure the achievements of the Fund, common indicators should be established in relation to each specific objective of the Instrument. A new Annex has been introduced in this respect (outlining in particular actions taken to strengthen the coordination and cooperation between law enforcement authorities of the Member States and with third countries or the number of projects financed by the instrument in order to improve the exchange of information between law enforcement authorities).