SPOC Secretariat Structure

To support the SEE countries, the Initiative for the fight against organized crime of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe recognized the need for coordination on multiple levels simultaneously to combat organized crime. The Initiative was launched in October 2002 and it operates under the auspices of Working Table III/Sub-Table Justice and Home Affairs.

The SPOC Secretariat is located in the Parliament building in Bucharest and acts as the operational and implementation unit of the initiative.

It has been operational since late 2003, once the Headquarters agreement between the Government of Romania and the Office of the Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe was signed and has recently been completely re-staffed The acting Head of the SPOC Secretariat, a Romanian diplomat, is supported by a German lawyer, a Romanian lawyer, a Macedonian lawyer and a Romanian executive assistant.

With the inception of the traineeship programme in 2006, the programme has been continued and extended and now includes a Romanian Legal Advisor, who started it in May 2007. In the near future it will be extended to young lawyers from the region. Apart from the aspect of giving young professionals insight knowledge into the workings of international organizations and relations, the program has proven useful with regards to research being carried out for the Secretariat, as well as for its partners.

Under the Headquarters Agreement between the Office of the Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Easter Europe and the Government of Romania the SPOC Secretariat enjoys full legal personality and the status of a diplomatic mission. The agreement entered into force on the 12 of July 2005 with the publication in the Official Gazette.

 

SPOC Secretariat Objectives

The Secretariat facilitates the transfer of knowledge and experience-sharing between the countries of the region and international organizations, the EU, the US and other donor countries on legal reform measures and best practices enhancing the fight against organized crime.

It provides legal advice and assistance on the strengthening of existing mechanisms and the development on new mechanisms advancing regional cooperation in combating organized crime such as the SECI Center and the South Eastern Europe Prosecutors Advisory Group (SEEPAG).

It provides advice to donors on the development of legal reform projects with a regional character, seeking to increase the impact of donor funds, avoid overlapping and improve coordination among donors.   

The SPOC Secretariat’s main objectives for 2007 are as follows:

1. Political, educational and public awareness raising
2. Deepening the dialogue with the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council on the design of future regional programmes against organized crime and for intensifying coordinated engagement in SEE
3. Assisting the transformation and upgrade of the SECI Center in Bucharest
4. Legal support to the activities of the SECI Centre Task Forces (Illegal Drug Trafficking, Stolen vehicle, Financial and computer crimes, Anti- terrorism etc.)
5. Monitoring and assisting the implementation of the UN Palermo Convention in SEE countries
6. Creation of an organised crime prosecutor’s network within the framework of SEEPAG
7. Organising of a witness protection conference and improvement of respective legislation
8. Initiating and overseeing different projects studies in the field of criminal law and exchange of information

There is also a special need to promote the Bucharest-based South Eastern European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) Regional Center for Combating Transborder Crime, to which the SPOC Secretariat has an observer status and to assist in further development, according to EU standards. The Center should ideally conclude an agreement with EUROPOL to more efficiently assist in the fight against organized crime in this part of Europe. By the end of the year the legal department of the new SECI Center permanent structure will ideally absorb the functions of the SPOC Secretariat.

The work of the Secretariat in 2007 should result in a better understanding that the EU must support the region in its combat against organized crime networks in SEE .