Commissioner Brunner visits CEPOL’s new headquarters in Budapest

Today, EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, paid a visit to the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) at its new headquarters in Budapest.

During the visit, Commissioner Brunner met with CEPOL’s executive management team to discuss the agency’s strategic direction and its contribution to EU security priorities. He also addressed the representatives from the CEPOL National Units, expressing appreciation for their continuous efforts to deliver high-quality training that strengthens law enforcement cooperation across Europe and beyond.

Commissioner Brunner said:

In today’s threat landscape, joint law enforcement training is irreplaceable to support EU law enforcement to keep pace with security challenges. As new threats are currently evolving, so must our response. CEPOL plays a key role in ensuring that we learn from best practices across borders and that those who protect us are well-trained.

The meetings focused on the objectives of ProtectEU, which is at the heart of the EU’s common security policy. It underlines the importance of fostering a common EU law enforcement culture grounded in shared values and joint training, aimed at strengthening effective operational law enforcement cooperation, including cross-border investigations, actions under the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), information exchange and interoperability. The visit also emphasised the need to expand the reach of training to an increasing number of law enforcement officials to benefit from high-quality instruction across Member States.

In the context of the ProtectEU Strategy, Commissioner Brunner underlined the importance of strengthening partnerships with third countries and recognised CEPOL’s efforts in this area. The agency currently implements five EU-funded international cooperation projects with Neighbourhood countries, reinforcing the Union’s internal security through collaboration, capacity-building, and knowledge exchange.