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SELEC

THE CONVENTION OF THE SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN
LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER (SELEC)


On December 9th, 2009, the SELEC Convention was signed by the representatives of the 13 member states: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey.

The SECI Center will transform into SELEC - Southeast European Law Enforcement Center - once the document signed in Bucharest is ratified by the member countries.
The SELEC Expert Working Group aimed to negotiate and to develop the new Convention of the Southeast European Law Enforcement Center (SELEC), in order to be in line with the Council Conclusion of 4th December 2006 on the further development of the SECI Center and the SECI Center Assessment of August 2004.

The Secretariat of the SECI Center was tasked by the Joint Cooperation Committee with providing the main administration backup to the Expert Working Group, e.g. preparing the necessary documents for the meeting (agenda, invitation and files) and follow up (minutes, final conclusions, dissemination of work results). The Secretariat also introduced an alternative structure of the Draft Convention for consideration of the Group. The Secretariat was coordinated by the Legal and Internal Department within the SECI Center.

Context:
A Draft Convention was produced in 2006 for the European Commission Assistance Project to the SECI Regional Center for Combating Trans-border Crime in response to the needs and preferences expressed by the SECI Center Management and other stakeholders consulted and in furtherance of the findings of the SECI Center Assessment conducted by the European Commission in 2004. This Draft Convention was the main output of a project implemented under a contract awarded by the European Commission to the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).

The Commission supported the Expert Working Group Meetings on new SECI Convention (EUROPEAID/119860/C/SV/multi).
TAIEX - The Institution Building Unit of Directorate General Enlargement of the European Commission provided assistance for two meetings of the Expert Working Group.
An European Union Support Group composed of Austria, Finland, Germany, Romania, the Commission, the General Secretariat of the Council, Europol and SECI Center was set up to assist the SELEC Expert Working Group. The Support Group gave an expert input on some stages during the development of the SECI Center Legal Structure.

United States of America provided experienced prosecutors as resident legal advisors to the Expert Working Group. The United States of America also directly funded this project based on the Protocol no D14 /September 2007 between the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative Regional Center for Combating Trans-Border Crime and the Government of the United States of America.

Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe - Initiative to Fight Organized Crime - SPOC Secretariat provided assistance and support to SELEC Expert Working Group.
The members of the JCC approved the integration of the SPOC Secretariat into the SECI Center, Legal and Internal Department, at the 26th JCC Meeting, in November 2007. Aftermath, the SPOC Secretariat's function continued in this structure.

The SELEC Expert Working Group had 13 meetings during April 2007 - July 2009.
There were Coordinators: Ms. Snejana Nenova (Bulgaria) from April 2007 to December 2007; Mr. Samo Drobez (Slovenia) from January 2008 until present.
The SECI Center Management actively participated in the meetings and shared the lessons learned from the SECI Center practice.

Time Frame:

  1. 16-20 April 2007/ Bucharest: 1st Working Group Meeting: Election of the Coordinator of the Expert Working Group; Discussion and answering of the EU SECI Support Group landmark questions and drafting of the Preamble and the Title I of the Convention.
  2. 25-28 June 2007/ Bucharest: 2nd Working Group Meeting: Discussions about the Titles I on Establishment and Tasks and Title II on Legal Status and Organisation.
  3. 10-14 September 2007/ Bucharest: 3rd Working Group Meeting: Discussions about the Titles II on Legal Status and Organisation and Title V on Financial Provisions.
  4. 19-23 November 2007/ Bucharest: 4th Working Group Meeting: Discussions about the Titles VI on Participation, Title VII on Liability and Title VIII on Final Provisions.
  5. 14-18 January 2008/Bucharest: 5th Working Group Meeting: Election of the new Coordinator of the Expert Working Group; Discussions about the Title III on Information System and about the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities.
  6. 3-7 March 2008/ Bucharest: 6th Working Group Meeting: Discussions about the Title IV on Data Protection and about the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities.
  7. 14-18 April 2008/ Constanta: 7th Working Group Meeting: Discussions on Title III about Information System and Title IV on Data Protection.
  8. 9-13 June 2008/ Constanta: 8th Working Group Meeting: Discussions on the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities.
  9. 22-26 September 2008/ Bucharest: 9th Working Group Meeting: Discussions about the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities and second reading of the draft text of the Convention.
  10. 3-7 November 2008/ Bucharest: 10th Working Group Meeting: Discussions on the draft text of the Convention - second reading.
  11. 9-13 February 2009/ Bucharest: 11th Working Group Meeting: Discussions on the draft text of the Convention - second reading.
  12. 30 March - 3 April 2009/ Bucharest 12th Working Group Meeting: Final reading and negotiation of the draft text of the Convention.
  13. 6-10 July 2009/ Jupiter: 13th Working Group Meeting: The text of the Convention was agreed and finalized together with experts of the European Commission and Europol in cooperation with Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, based on the comments set forth in the May 27, 2009 Letter, addressed to SECI Center by the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
  14. 6–10 July 2009/ Jupiter: 13th Working Group Meeting: The text of the Convention was agreed and finalized together with experts of the European Commission and Europol in cooperation with Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, based on the comments set forth in the May 27, 2009 Letter, addressed to SECI Center by the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
    The Convention of the Southeast European Law Enforcement Center (SELEC) was approved by the JCC on the occasion of 31st Extraordinary Meeting held on September 10, 2009, in Thessaloniki/ Greece. JCC empowered the same SELEC Expert Working Group to continue the negotiations in order to finalize the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities.

  15. 2–6 November 2009/ Constanta: 14th Working Group Meeting: Discussions on the draft text of the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities - second reading.

    One more meeting will be organized for the final and proof reading of the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities, most probably at the beginning of 2010.

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