OISIN II Programme

1) OBJECTIVE

To ensure the continuity of the OISIN programme which ended on 19 December 2000.

2) ACT

Council Decision of 28 June 2001 establishing a second phase of the programme of incentives, exchanges, training and cooperation for law enforcement authorities (Oisin II) [Official Journal L 186, 07.07.2001].

3) SUMMARY

The present Decision seeks to renew the OISIN programme for the period from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2002. The aim of the programme is to encourage greater insight into the working methods of Member States' law enforcement authorities and the constraints by which they may be bound. Applicant countries may take part in projects in order to familiarise themselves with established practice in the Union.

"Law enforcement authorities" means the public bodies in the Member States which are responsible under national law for preventing, detecting and combating criminal offences. At least three countries must be involved for a project to be submitted.

The programme may finance specific projects of particular interest in terms of the programme's priorities or complementary measures such as seminars, measures to disseminate information and meetings of experts.

The programme covers the following types of action:

• training,
• exchanges and studies,
• studies and research,
• meetings and seminars;
• dissemination of the results obtained within the framework of the programme.

The Commission is responsible for the management and implementation of the programme, in co-operation with the Member States. It will prepare an annual work programme comprising specific objectives and a list of priority actions.

The Commission is responsible for evaluating and selecting programmes on the basis of criteria such as European dimension, scope for participation by the applicant countries, complementarity with other cooperation projects and the quality of the project in terms of its conception and presentation of expected results.

The Commission will be assisted by a committee, entitled "Oisin", consisting of representatives of the Member States. The Commission will chair the committee and may invite representatives from the applicant countries to information meetings after the committee's meetings.

Each year the Commission will undertake an evaluation of the actions carried out. It will also submit a report each year to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of the programme. The first report will be submitted by 31 July 2002.

This Decision entered into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal.

Last updated: 07.07.2001