Bulgaria plays regional card ahead of EU test

Belgian MEP Gerard Deprez (ALDE), who is also chairman of the Parliament's civil liberties, justice and home affairs (LIBE) committee, said Bulgaria had never been the subject of critical debate in LIBE. Quoted by the Bulgarian interior ministry website immediately after the meeting, Deprez says the country's problems stem not from European politicians, but rather from public opinion, where there is an established view that the country needs European funds but is unable to manage them. 

However, Deprez also advised the Bulgarian authorities to curb organised crime, which developed during the country's difficult transition to a market economy. 

Pierre Reuland, Interpol's special representative to the EU, said Bulgaria had been a member of Interpol for the last thirty years, and "a very active member" too. "It provides a very important contribution to the Interpol database, for example, by informing about stolen documents," he went on, adding that Bulgaria is also an active user of Interpol's database. 

He described the high-number of arrests in Bulgaria of people sought by Interpol as a "great success". But Bulgaria is situated in a key location and reinforcement of border control is needed, he added, explaining that Interpol is working on such a project at present. 

Reuland stressed the fact that SEPCA - the South Eastern Police Chiefs' Association - is based in Sofia means that it has a major role to play, particularly as it cooperates with similar regional organisations, including from the Benelux countries, the Baltic countries, SECI (Regional Centre for Combating Transborder Crime, based in Bucharest) and ILEA (International Law Enforcement Academy, Budapest) "Direct contact between police forces is of primary importance," he added. 

Reuland also called on Bulgaria to be actively involved in the latest Interpol project, an Anticorruption Academy, which he described as "a centre of excellence, open to all countries". It is set to be opened in Vienna this year. "Corruption does not only exist in Africa. We also have this phenomemnon in Europe," he told EurActiv. 

Jonathan Faull, director general of the European Commission’s justice, freedom and security directorate-general, said the subject of the conference, organised by the Bulgarian MEP "could hardly be more important". "We are fortunate that the EU exists, as it gives us the legal system but also non-legislative ways to promote cooperation of police and law enforcement authorities," he added, encouraging Bulgaria to take full advantage of its membership status to develop a reliable law enforcement capacity. 

Steve Harvey, from Europol’s Serious Crime Department, presented recent examples of successful cooperation with Bulgaria and Romania, in particular in combating people trafficking. The first joint investigation team was established between the United Kingdom and Romania, and helped curb a network of exploitation of over 1,000 children as beggars. He displayed photos of luxury houses in villages where the average income is less than 100 euros a month, explaining that these were the houses of the mafia, which exploited the children. 

"As money from this traffic goes to Romania, now the task is to get into the houses and confiscate the assets," he said. 

Hugo Brady, a  justice and home affairs researcher at the Centre for European Reform  in London, said that although some countries have their own problems, the institutions also need to adjust. "How can Europol and Eurojust work together," he asked, pointing at deficiencies in cooperation between these European projects. He said he had the answer: "Locate them in the same building." "I am sure one day there will be an EU department for homeland security," Brady also said.