15 European Crime Prevention Network
| Committee's assessment
| Politically important |
| Committee's decision | Cleared from scrutiny
|
| Document details | Commission Report: Evaluation report on the European Union Crime Prevention Network
|
| Legal base | —
|
| Department | Home Office
|
| Document number | (34517), 17432/12, COM(12) 717
|
Summary and Committee's conclusions
15.1 The Commission report sets out the findings
of an independent external evaluation of the European Union Crime
Prevention Network ("EUCPN"), as well as a number of
options for its future development.
15.2 The purpose of the EUCPN is to develop and maintain
a broad range of contacts with crime prevention bodies, local
authorities and partnerships, civil society, research institutions
and non-governmental organisations across the EU in order to support
the crime prevention activities of policymakers and practitioners
at EU, national and local level. Member States are responsible
for financing the EUCPN, but national contributions are small,
with the bulk of funding coming from an EU grant (?845,000 for
the period 2011-14). Our earlier Reports, listed at the end of
this chapter, describe the origins and activities of the EUCPN
since it was first established in 2001.
15.3 The options proposed in the Commission report
to strengthen the EUCPN would have implications for the EU budget,
as they envisage a doubling of its resources from ?300,000 per
year in 2012 (when the report was published) to ?600,000 a year
from 2014-16. This extra funding would support two additional
staff in the EUCPN Secretariat and further website development
and maintenance.
15.4 The Council Decision establishing the EUCPN
is one of around 130 police and criminal justice measures adopted
before the Lisbon Treaty took effect on 1 December 2009. As such,
it is subject to the provisions contained in Article 10 of Protocol
36 to the EU Treaties which allow the UK to opt out en masse
of pre-Lisbon police and criminal justice measures. When we last
considered the Commission report, in February 2013, the Government
had made clear that it intended to exercise this block opt-out,
but had not at that stage, sought the approval of Parliament to
do so. Following a debate and vote in both Houses in July 2013,
the Government formally notified the EU institutions of the UK's
decision to opt out en masse of pre-Lisbon police and criminal
justice measures, including the EUCPN. It also indicated that
it would seek to rejoin 35 measures subject to the UK's block
opt-out.[43]
15.5 We held the Commission report under scrutiny
for two reasons. First, we wished to ascertain whether the Government
intended to seek to rejoin the Council Decision establishing the
EUCPN. Second, we asked the Government for further information
on the outcome of a bid for funding for the EUCPN covering the
period 2014-16.
15.6 We note that the EUCPN has not sought or
obtained any increase in funding for the period 1 July 2014 to
30 June 2016. We also note that the UK will no longer participate
in the EUCPN once the UK's block opt-out takes effect on 1 December
2014. As we have no outstanding questions, we clear the Commission
report from scrutiny.
Full details of the documents:
Commission Report: Evaluation report on the European Union
Crime Prevention Network: (34517), 17432/12, COM(12)
717.
The Minister's letter of 15 October 2014
15.7 The Minister for Modern Slavery and Organised
Crime (Karen Bradley) informs us of the outcome of the EUCPN funding
bid:
"The EUCPN Secretariat has now confirmed
that, following consultation with Member States, a funding bid
was made to the Prevention of and Fight Against Crime fund (ISEC)
(financed by the EU budget) that would maintain the financial
status quo for the period 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2016, with no
additional money for the Network above what was received during
the previous budgetary cycle."
15.8 She confirms that the Government does not propose
to seek to rejoin Council Decision 2009/902/JHA establishing the
EUCPN, adding:
"As a result, the UK will not be part of
the EUCPN after 1 December this year. However, I can confirm that,
irrespective of this decision, the UK can and will continue to
cooperate with EU partners on cross-border law enforcement matters,
including in respect of the sharing of information and best practice
where appropriate, as this does not have to take place via the
EUCPN."
Previous Committee Reports
Thirty-first Report HC 86-xxxi (2012-13), chapter
6 (6 February 2013); Twenty-seventh Report HC 86-xxvii (2012-13),
chapter 4 (16 January 2013).
43 An initial list of 35 measures was published in
July 2013 in Command Paper 8671. A revised list was published
in July 2014 in Command Paper 8897. Back
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