Justice & Home Affairs – Agency for Economic Cooperation and Development

European Union Support to the Rule of Law in Montenegro (EUROL 4)

Objective: The overall objective of EUROL 4 is to support Montenegro’s preparation for EU accession by assisting it in aligning with and effectively implementing the relevant EU acquis and EU standards in the fields of justice and security, in line with the new enlargement methodology. The specific objectives aim to support Montenegro in strengthening the efficiency and performance of the judiciary, enhancing the capacities of institutions to combat high-level corruption and serious and organised crime, and producing a convincing track record on more complex types of organised crime, including money laundering and tobacco smuggling, as well as the confiscation of proceeds of crime. The action also follows up on the recommendations of the 2022 Peer Review on high-level corruption, organised crime, and money laundering, and offer strategic support for achieving and evaluating the final benchmarks for Chapters 23 and 24. Results: Strengthened professional skills and capacities to fight serious and organised crime and high-level corruption. Implementation of key judicial reforms, resulting in a strengthened independence of the judiciary and autonomy of the prosecution, as well as improved impartiality, accountability, efficiency, and professionalism. Improvement of the use of anti-corruption preventive measures and internal control mechanisms within the police. Strengthened capacity of judicial and law enforcement institutions to meet the criteria of the negotiation process under Chapters 23 and 24 (especially the final benchmarks).

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EMPACT FII – AED – LVG 1 – Task Force Western Balkans

Katharina

Objective: The main goals of the action are the identification and arrests of the key facilitators and HVTs, disruption of OCGs and hubs by conducting common investigations and joint operational activities (e.g. CADs) in all concerned countries with the support of Europol. Results: Identification of HVTs and OCGs As a result of the combined meeting (OA 2.1 with OA 2.3), the EMSC coordinates the establishment of the list with High Value Targets. In this meeting, the final list needs to be agreed upon as well as the operational plans how to get those HVTs (linked to OTF) Gathering of operational intelligence

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European Union Support to the Rule of Law in Montenegro (EUROL 3)

Katharina

Project description Objectives: The overall objective of the Action is to support the Montenegrin authorities to support Montenegro in achieving concrete results in judicial reform and in the fight against corruption and organized crime. This overall objective will on the one hand be reached by strengthening the overall efficiency and performance of the judiciary and enhance the capacities of the institutions to fight against corruption and organized crime. On the other hand, by strengthening judicial response to organized crime and corruption, through capacity building activities with a focus on certain aspects of adjudication of organized crime and corruption cases as well as support on case and trial management and identifying procedural bottlenecks that impede swift adjudication of cases and providing support on improving length and efficiency of court procedures. Results: Improved efficiency and performance of the judiciary Improved Judicial Cooperation delivered and in place Improved performance of the Institutions involved in meeting standards under Chapters 23 & 24 and IPA assistance Improved track record in fighting organized crime and corruption

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EMPACT Migrant Smuggling 2022

Katharina

Objective: The objective of the TFWB (Task Force Western Balkan) is to steer the common activities at the Joint operational office Vienna (JOO) jointly with Europol/EMSC, with the main aim to analyse, detect, identify, fight, prosecute and disrupt all relevant modi operandi used by Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) networks on the Western Balkans facilitating illegal immigration and human smuggling. Results: Interpretation and translation Several operational meetings with EU MSs and 3rd parties (BE, BG, CZ, DE, EL, ES, FR, HR, HU, IT, NL, PL, RO, SI, SK, UK; AL, BA, CH, ME, MK, RS, XK*) Request towards EMSC to install an International Coordination Centre during the Common Action Day Meeting reports / summary of conclusions will be disseminated among MSs, 3rd countries and Europol.

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EMPACT Task Force Western Balkans

Katharina

Project description Objectives: The Task Force was installed by the Ministers of Interior of the Balkan Route in 2018. Members of the Task Force are AL, BA, CH, ME, MK, RS, UK, BG, CZ, EL, ES, HR, HU, IT, PL, SE, SI, SK, DE and AT. Moreover, the Joint Operational Office in Vienna manages the activities of the Task Force in close cooperation with Europol’s EMSC, FRONTEX as well as EUROJUST. The Mission and objectives of this task force are targeting OCGs, High Value Targets and key facilitators residing, being active in the Western Balkans and to work out effective strategies to prevent such a migration crisis that was experienced in 2015 as well as working out a flexible mechanism to react on the new routes in the Western Balkan region. A special focus is given to those migrant categories that are stranded in Turkey. The Low Value Grant of the Operational Action Plan 2021 focused on the facilitation of illegal immigration. Results: Fill intelligence gaps Develop disruptive strategies (Social Media Monitoring) Identify High Value Targets and run OTFs Operational Planning for EMPACT Actions Days 2022 and JADs in FII

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Consolidation of the justice system in Albania (EURALIUS V)

Katharina

Objective: The overall objective is to support the Albanian institutions to implement the justice reform by strengthening the independence, transparency, efficiency, accountability and public trust in the Albanian justice system in line with the EU acquis and best practices. Results: The organisational, analytical, policy making and legislative capacities of the MoJ are improved and the legislative framework in the area of justice with a view of bringing it closer to EU standards and best practices are developed. The organisational and managerial structure is set up and the capacities of the governance bodies of the judicial and prosecutorial system are built respective their competences as well as a real career development system for judges and prosecutors based on merits and transparent proceedings in line with European standards and best practices is established. The organisational and managerial structure of the court/prosecution system is set up/aligned in accordance with the law and their structural and procedural independence, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness, including assisting the work of the Specialized Anti-corruption Courts and the Special AntiCorruption and Organized Crime Structure is strengthened. The IT systems in principal judicial and prosecutorial institutions are extended and maintained in order to improve the efficiency, transparency and management of courts, prosecution offices and other bodies within the justice system. The capacity of the SoM and other training institutions responsible for training of (judicial) civil servants at courts and prosecution offices, lawyers, notaries and bailiffs is increased as well the managerial capacities and democratic and transparent procedures of chambers of free legal professions strengthened.

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