National workshop for raising awareness about EMPACT in Albania
The Project Countering Serious Crime in the Western Balkans in close cooperation with the Albanian State Police organized a national workshop for raising awareness about the EU Policy Cycle – EMPACT (European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats), on the 11th of May, in Tirana, Albania. This workshop brought together representatives of the Albanian State Police, including the Single Point of Contacts for each Empact priority that Albania has signed up for, National Bureau of Investigation, and Customs to exchange their experiences and expectations with experts of Europol (EMPACT Support Team), the Spanish and the Italian police.
The workshop’s goal was to get the national participants well acquainted with the different stages of EMPACT and its financial and technical opportunities to enhance the country’s active participation in the EMPACT cycle. To that aim, the audience had the opportunity to learn about the Albanian and EU priorities for the fight against serious and organised crime, the importance of having a national EMPACT coordinator, and the EMPACT related funding opportunities available to the Western Balkan countries. Finally, the participants were able to present and discuss about their existing experience in participation in EMPACT activities, including as a Leader of an Operational action, and draw lessons learnt for the future.
EMPACT is a security initiative driven by EU Member States to identify, prioritize and address threats posed by organized and serious international crime. The project CSC WB strives to support the proactive participation of relevant Western Balkan institutions in the entire cycle of EMPACT activities – from planning to implementation.
