In 2001 CEPOL was set up as a network, by bringing together the national training institutes for senior police officers in the Member States including the applicant countries.

The aim of CEPOL is to help train the senior police officers of the Member States by optimising cooperation between CEPOL’s various components. It shall support and develop a European approach to the main problems facing Member States in the fight against crime, crime prevention, and the maintenance of law and order and public security, in particular the cross-border dimensions of those problems.

CEPOL’s objectives are as follows:

• to increase knowledge of the national police systems and structures of other Member States and of cross-border police cooperation within the European Union;
• to improve knowledge of international and Union instruments, in particular those which already exist in different sectors of the European Union for cooperation in law enforcement and combating crime;
• to provide appropriate training with regard to respect for democratic safeguards, with particular reference to the rights of defence.

Tasks in order to achieve the objectives

CEPOL undertakes the following actions:

• provide training sessions, based on common standards, for senior police officers;
• contribute to the preparation of harmonised programmes for the training of middle-ranking police officers, middle ranking police officers in the field and police officers in the field with regard to cross-border cooperation between police forces in Europe, and help set up appropriate advanced training programmes as well as develop and provide training for trainers;
• provide specialist training for police officers playing a key role in combating cross-border crime, with a particular focus on organised crime;
• disseminate best practice and research findings;
• develop and provide training to prepare police forces of the European Union for participation in non-military crisis management;
• develop and provide training for police authorities from the candidate countries, including training for police officers with a key role;
• facilitate relevant exchanges and secondments of police officers in the context of training;
• develop an electronic network to provide back-up for CEPOL in the performance of its duties, ensuring that the necessary security measures are put in place;
• enable the senior police officers of the Member States to acquire relevant language skills.

In 2006 CEPOL was established as an Agency of the European Union. CEPOL continues to function as a network, linking national training institutes whose tasks include the training of senior police officers of the Member States, which shall cooperate closely to that end.

CEPOL has legal personality. The Secretariat is located in Bramshill /UK. Director is the Hungarian Ferenc Banfi. CEPOL is financed from the general budget of the European Union. Working language is English. The decision making body is the Governing Board. As a rule it meets four times the year. Decisions are prepared in four committees and in different working groups. All Member States have established national contact points that ensure effective cooperation between CEPOL and the training institutes.

Contact Address:
CEPOL Secretariat
CEPOL House, Bramshill
Hook, Hamshire
RG27 OJW
United Kingdom
Tel.: +44 1256 60 2668
Fax: +44 1256 69 2514
E-Mail: secretariat@cepol.europa.eu
Web: www.cepol.europa.eu