Since 2005 the Slovene police force has had its representative also in the police force, organized within the Council of the European Union. Besides the Slovene representative Janez Rupar (otherwise employed in the Security and Protection Bureau) and the head and some administrative assistants, this police unit consists of five other police experts from other countries.

In accordance with the so-called Action Plan these experts team up with two political advisers and develop crisis management procedures in the European Union and also new concepts of command and surveillance of police operations, assess critical situations, assist in establishing missions, and prepare plans for various scenarios and various mission types. Furthermore, they coordinate the resources, develop legislative framework and financing, and also assess the proposed solutions by applying an adequate assessment policy.

The work of the police unit in the Council is divided into individual subfields or so-called "desks" within which three people usually operate: a political adviser and two police experts.

For example Janez Rupar is in charge of:

• The African mission in Sudan (AMIS - African mission in Sudan),
• The European mission in Iraq (EUJUST LEX),
• Cooperation with the African Union,
• Observation of the situation and possible missions in Kosovo, Indonesia and Moldavia,
• Implementation and supplementation of the police action plan,
• Coordination of the work with the third pillar (judiciary and police force),
• Communication with the European Police College (CEPOL),
• Reporting in missions and contingent changes,
• Coordination of procedures by the operational planning (OPLAN).

The activities are, according to Rupert, divided into individual work phases. In the preparatory phase they monitor current discussions and prepare various written materials for the Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (CIVCOM) and the Political and Security Committee (PSC), and other competent authorities. When a decision has been made to form a mission, they must prepare preparatory documents, and after the head of mission has been selected, they collaborate in the preparation of the necessary documentation and coordinate the work of the mission management and the member states. Throughout the mission they collaborate with its management in all significant activities (in reporting, rotations, medal awards, etc.) and regularly report to CIVCOM. Coordinating activities with the mission management and other interested agents (e.g. European Commission) is necessary also in the final phase when the mission is coming to an end.

Numerous meetings and, on average, a ten hour workday give, in the words of Janez Rupar, quite a fitting description of the work in the police unit of the Council of the EU.

Prepared by:
Janez Rupar in collaboration with the Uniformed Police Directorate GPU