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International Partnerships
News announcement31 May 2022ParisDirectorate-General for International Partnerships

Team Europe strengthens cooperation with Latin American and Caribbean partners to combat Transnational Organised Crime

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The European Union is deepening its cooperation with Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) partners to address shared challenges in the area of fight against transnational organised crime through a dedicated Team Europe Initiative on Justice and Security in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ahead of her visit to Panamá and Ecuador in June, Commissioner Urpilainen said: “Today, we are launching a Team Europe Initiative on Justice and Security in Latin America and the Caribbean. Fighting transnational organised crime is a global imperative. As Team Europe we are joining forces with our partners to strengthen the rule of law, justice and security systems. In a human-rights based approach, we are reinforcing the foundations for more resilient institutions, building on our past successful cooperation. Creating an enabling, stable environment that fosters growth is at the core of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy”

The objective of the Team Europe Initiative on Justice and Security in Latin America and the Caribbean is to build an effective partnership between criminal justice institutions in both regions, at political and operational levels. The initiative will strengthen institutional cooperation across the EU, its Member States and Latin American and Caribbean countries through increasing exchanges between both regions’ justice and security institutions. It will also support in the fight against environmental crime as well as the protection of indigenous communities against organised crime.

The European Union, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland Portugal and Spain, as well as EU Specialised Agencies EUROPOL, EUROJUST, CEPOL, FRONTEX and EMCDDA, are taking part in the Team Europe Initiative, combining European policies, expertise and programmes towards jointly agreed objectives.

The European Union and Member States combined financial support for the initiative will amount to at least €144 million in grant funding. The support will also include technical assistance from EU member states to security and justice-related institutions. As part of this package, the European Commission almost doubles its support to the Europe Latin America Programme of Assistance against Transnational Organised Crime, El PacCTO, to €52 million until 2027, up from €27 million under the previous Multiannual Financial Framework.  

The Team Europe Initiative on Justice and Security in Latin America and the Caribbean was launched at the high-level meeting of EU and LAC criminal justice institutions hosted on 30-31 May in Paris by the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The meeting gathered EU and Latin American and Caribbean interior ministers, general prosecutors, Supreme Court Presidents and Magistrates, directors of the Police, Penitentiary Administration or otherwise competent in the fight against organised crime, as part of a strengthened dialogue between the EU and Latin America and Caribbean partners on security matters, judicial and penitentiary issues. 

Details

Publication date
31 May 2022
Author
Directorate-General for International Partnerships
Location
Paris