The Director General of the Police, Senad Jušić, attended the European Police Chiefs Convention (EPCC) in The Hague, the Netherlands, on 26 and 27 September 2023.
The meeting of police chiefs from the EU and Schengen member states, customs chiefs, representatives of Europol, the European Commission and other EU agencies was hosted, in addition to Europol, by Spain, which currently holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union. The police chiefs and other high-level guests discussed crime and policing in the digital age, the role of crime in destabilising society, and the challenges that irregular migration poses to the Schengen area.
The Director General of the Police stressed that the Slovenian police devote significant technical and human resources to the fight against organised smuggling of migrants. This is why the Slovenian police have also set up a number of dedicated working groups focusing on migrant smuggling investigation. The information we obtain is systematically evaluated and analysed in cooperation with Europol and countries in the region to get a better overview of the situation. "It is this close cooperation that is key to improving the effectiveness of our work and to our collective success in mitigating irregular migration," he added.
On the margins of the conference, Mr Jušić also held a series of bilateral meetings. He met with the Executive Director of Europol, Catherine De Bolle, who congratulated him on his appointment, and they agreed that the cooperation between the Slovenian police and Europol at all levels is very good, effective and, as such, an example of good police cooperation. The Director General also assured the Executive Director that Europol is a key partner for Slovenia in the area of internal security.
Mr Jušić met with the Director of the Public Security Bureau of North Macedonia, Mr Saso Tasevski, and discussed a number of joint projects that have been implemented and are planned, which demonstrate the successful cooperation between the police forces of the two countries. They discussed the Brdo Process initiative to establish contact points for the exchange of information on the detection and investigation of migrant smuggling offences, as well as the successful joint patrols on the territory of North Macedonia, in which 458 Slovenian police officers have participated over seven years.
The Director General also met with Nikola Terzić, Acting Director of the Police Administration of Montenegro. Their talks focused on deepening cooperation in the fight against transnational organised crime, in particular with regard to Montenegrin organised crime groups involved in international drug trafficking. Mr Jušić assured his counterpart that the Slovenian police were open to cooperation in all areas, as we hope that our joint efforts in the field of coordination and exchange of information between the law enforcement authorities of both countries will strengthen security in the region.
During the event, the Director General of the Police also met with Slovenians serving with Europol and toured the premises where the Slovenian liaison officers work. He also visited Europol's Operational Centre.
