PA Secure – Protection from land-based emergencies, accidents and cross-border crime

PA Secure – Protection from land-based emergencies, accidents and cross-border crime

The new structure of the EUSBSR Action Plan provides incorporation of elements of the former policy area ‘Crime’ into the policy area ‘Secure’. This profound change implies embedding the whole activity of policy area ‘Secure’on the societal security paradigm that covers prevention, preparedness, response to all sorts of threats, regardless whether their origin is natural disaster, made-man disasters or intentional, organised action of human beings. By applying this concept, policy area ‘Secure’ promotes a comprehensive and coherent approach to reduce trans-boundary vulnerabilities and to build common capacities for societal security in the Baltic Sea region. This holistic approach allows addressing broad spectre of challenges, from civil protection to prevention of criminal exploitation and trafficking in human beings, as well as combating organized and serious crime.

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  save human lives as well as protect physical and psychological integrity of human beings;
  
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  protect public and individual properties against destruction, serious damages or illicit transfer;
  
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  preserve vital public functions by protecting critical infrastructure.
  

All activities will be organized along two lines: addressing the human dimension of security and establishing efficient institutional mechanisms to tackle emergencies. These two threads will be duly reflected in four section of policy area ‘Secure’:

1. 
   strengthening capacity to respond and to recover from major emergencies and accidents: better risk assessment and crisis management;
   
2. 
   build up resilience and prevention towards emergencies and threats at the local level;
   
3. 
   enhancing effective cooperation in protecting human beings against criminal threats, including trafficking in human beings from all forms of exploitation
   
4. 
   prevent and detect serious crime through developing efficient framework for law enforcement strategic and operational cooperation.
   

The core issue for this policy area is civil protection cooperation in a macro-regional and cross-border context where: a) countries are linked to each other through geographic proximity, similar threats, functional interdependencies or other mechanisms; b) assistance capacity and host nation support capacity is needed; or c) joint approaches and cross-border learning processes would clearly bring added value.

Work in this policy area is to be transparent, open, and build on existing achievements of civil protection cooperation in the Baltic Sea region. In that spirit, the CBSS Civil Protection Expert Network provides expert knowledge. The international Steering Group of the policy area is open ‘to other partners, including representatives of third countries, willing to contribute to the work of the Steering Group’. In addition, the coordinators of this policy area will seek cooperation with those of other policy areas and horizontal actions, notably policy area ‘Safe’ which has many common issues that can be explored as well as policy areas ‘Bioeconomy’ and ‘Health’, and horizontal actions ‘Climate’, ‘Spatial Planning’, ‘Neighbours’ and ‘Capacity’. Other connections will also be made to exchange ideas and best practices between projects from different policy areas.

Develop methodologies for enhanced cooperation between different local, regional and national agencies with a role in emergency operations relating to major hazards and emergencies, and on how to increase synergies with the Union Civil Protection Mechanism. Cooperation methodologies should be defined broadly and include public awareness actions, contingency planning, disaster scenarios, communication systems and tools, including early warning systems, use of technology, joint exercises and training.

A thorough knowledge and understanding of national and international (including EU) systems and funding possibilities is critical for civil protection actors and other stakeholders in the Baltic Sea region. This is a necessary precondition for the joint organisation of activities that encourage knowledge transfer and information sharing through formal and informal education and training as well as the development of joint procedures and standards. It has the potential to encourage initiatives focusing on new areas and ways of cooperation such as between authorities with different competencies and jurisdictions and public-private partnerships.

Many communities in the Baltic Sea region face similar risks. Therefore, raising awareness and enhancing prevention is of outmost importance. In many cases however the best new practices are learned through transnational cooperation. The Baltic Sea region has several transnational networks of cities, regions and other local actors that would be natural networks for developing transnational awareness raising, prevention strategies, urban safety and safe community approaches.

The focus will be put on trafficking in human beings for all forms of exploitation. Other forms of severe, harmful and persistent crimes against human rights that exert a deep impact on society will also be addressed. Particular challenges relate to the protection of vulnerable groups facing new economic, social and cultural realities when they cross borders and need to settle in a new social environment. Cooperation among relevant authorities and other stakeholders both nationally and across borders is necessary to ensure the protection of people in mobility.

Trafficking in human beings is a serious form of crime and a grave violation of human rights. It is essential to address each aspect of this crime in order to efficiently prevent it and establish a sustainable foundation for the well-being of citizens and fair social relationships across the whole region. To this end the CBSS Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings (TF-THB; its mandate runs till the end of 2017) provides an intergovernmental platform for macro-regional cooperation as the central information hub on counter-trafficking activities in the BSR. Eight of the eleven CBSS Member States are EU Member States and the activities are implemented in the sprit of the EU Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims as well as the EU Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings (2012-2016). Through joint collaborative projects the CBSS TF-THB aims to strengthen, build upon and improve current policies, operative, preventive and protective work in the region. The CBSS Expert Group for Cooperation on Children at Risk (EGCC, its mandate runs till the end of 2017) is the complimentary refrnce point in the BSR for trafficking in children.

Municipalities are in the prime position to implement a variety of measures targeted to combat THB and limit its consequences. Local governments, their social services and NGO’s are key actors in the chain of assistance to victims of all forms of trafficking in human beings. Developing comprehensive anti-trafficking policies at the municipal level and strengthening capacity of local stakeholders are priorities in this area.

Cooperation among authorities, civil society and advocates – both nationally and across borders – plays a crucial role in protecting individuals and groups moving across borders from harm, if it is embedded in mutual understanding of the legal frameworks and social situations of each country involved. Sharing information and experiences should reinforce establishing and enforcing laws as well as administrative practices that are in line with the EU and international human rights.

The BSR is exposed to various serious cross-border crime threats due to intensive trade and economic relations connecting all countries, high level of mobility of persons as well as dense network of transport and communication links. Another important feature of the region is the long external borders, which is a significant source of criminal threats, in particular related to drugs trafficking, smuggling excise goods and to facilitating smuggling of human beings. To respond effectively to crime threats, it is necessary to meet challenges linked to exchange of information and data between law enforcement agencies as well as to detect modus operandi of criminal networks operating in the region. To this end, capacity for joint risk analysis and operational cooperation will be developed as well as common professional culture will be promoted.

To tackle organised and serious cross border crime, in particular with drugs trafficking, organised property crime, trafficking in human beings, money laundering and fraud, which are also priorities of the EU Policy Cycle to tackle organised and serious international crime, requires consistent long-term strategy and consequent joint implementation of approved measures. Any progress in this area can be achieved only within macro-regional cooperation framework. The Regional Strategy 2015-2016 has been recently adopted by the BSTF in Oslo, and its effective implementation will contribute to improvement of security related aspects of the BSR standing.

The functioning of the Schengen area poses significant challenges associated with ensuring an adequate level of security. There are several specific criminal threats linked with abolishing control on internal border, e.g. mobile criminal groups, hit and run criminality and illegal immigration, which have to be addressed firmly and effectively. There is a need for regional approaches and new platforms of cooperation, especially in border regions, in order to combat the criminality and organised criminal groups attracted to the region. To set efficient and well-functioning law enforcement cooperation mechanism, measures should be applied which will increase mutual trust and understanding between the border agencies and their officials at all levels as well as will streamline operative day to day cross border co-operation between border and crime fighting agencies. Due to significant differences between legal systems of the countries, there is a demand to embed further development of operational cooperation on research and academic studies which may provide practitioners with well-tailored solutions for existing obstacles and limitations for cross-border combating crime.