European Commission launches 5.5 million euro Police Assistance Mission

TIRANA, Sep 13 – The third stage of the European Community’s Police Assistance Mission to Albania (PAMECA III) was launched last week by Pierre Mirel, the European Commission’s Director responsible for Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo Issues.
From 2008 to 2011 the 5.5 million euro project will seek to improve and develop the capacities of the Albanian State Police (ASP) in key areas such as Organized Crime and Terrorism, Integrated Border Management, Public Order and Security, Human, Financial and Assets Management, and Strategic Advice. The Mission will further help ASP to deliver contemporary, effective and citizen focused policing in order to improve the quality of life for Albanian citizens. Finally, the Mission will focus on democratic oversight and civilian control of ASP activities.
PAMECA III follows previous assistance worth a total of 10.8 million Euros under the acronyms of PAMECA I and PAMECA II. These projects were instrumental in designing the broad legal framework and setting up the structures of the Albanian State Police which the new PAMECA mission will help to develop.
“As Albania makes progress towards its European future, it is important that the Albanian authorities take full ownership of the concepts, methods and best practices proposed by the Mission and adapt them to the Albanian reality such that their full impact will be felt not only in the near future but for a long time to come”, said Mr Mirel during the launch conference.
The project will be implemented under the leadership of a consortium made up of Northern Ireland Public Sector Enterprises in partnership with the United Kingdom Home Office and the Austrian Ministry of the Interior. Overall, 12 long term experts from a number of EU Member States will assist the Albanian authorities in the course of the next 3 years.