CEPOL Head of Operations participates in second edition of NGEU Law Enforcement Forum

On 31 March, 2022 Ms Mailis Pukonen, CEPOL Head of Operations, visited Europol HQ to participate in the second edition of the Next Generation EU (NGEU) Law Enforcement Forum. This high-level event was organised jointly by Europol and the Italian Ministry of Interior in the context of the allocation of the Recovery Fund – Next Generation Europe (NGEU), an instrument designed to stimulate economic and social recovery after COVID-19.

The CEPOL Head of Operations also participated in the first Next Generation EU Law Enforcement Forum, held in Rome on 21-22 September 2021, which concluded that any threat to the European Recovery Funds equates to hindering the financial well-being of the Union. Building upon the outcomes of the first Forum, the second edition focused on operational aspects, mainly prevention and enforcement, while maintaining and stepping up cooperation among Member States and relevant EU bodies and Agencies. Particular attention was given to the “green transition” and the “digital transformation” elements, two key areas of the NGEU plan.

As the Next Generation EU funds are allocated gradually to the Member States, there is a growing threat to the legal economy of infiltration efforts by organised criminal groups. Law enforcement structures have a key role to play in ensuring the safety of transactions and a swift coordinated reaction to such threats at EU level. Consequently, to protect the financial well-being of the Union, EU Institutions, Agencies and Bodies need to continue cooperating closely and providing support to the Member States.

Participating at the panel discussion dedicated to the role of EU Institutions, Agencies and Bodies, the CEPOL Head of Operations underlined the importance of law enforcement training, as a crosscutting element of success, and highlighted CEPOL’s pertinent activities offered to EU law enforcement officials.

‘This year, we are planning to implement a total of 29 onsite activities covering various aspects related to the Next Generation EU framework, such as digital skills, financial investigations, environmental crime and anti-corruption. Additionally, our online training offer includes a wide variety of relevant e-Learning activities and self-paced learning resources, such as webinars, online courses, modules, e-lessons and cyberbites’,

noted Ms Pukonen during the meeting. She also expressed CEPOL’s willingness to support NGEU within the scope of its mandate and available resources.