Comments about SECI Center
| SECI Center Bukarest - a success story As SECI founded by efforts from every side the Regional Center for Combating Transborder Crime nobody was really aware that it might be a real success story for the whole region. I remember the activities of Richard Schifter - in this time special envoy of the Department of State of the US Government for the region - and all other friends to create this center. The reason was quite clear: beside the overall existing necessity to fight transborder crime it was also to get rid of this common opinion that South East Europe is full of criminality. We got a lot of support. By the State President of Romania Constantinescu, by the governments of the region but also by the European Union and Member States to establish the center on the basis of a common treaty. It was not easy to elaborate but it was possible. There was really regional cooperation working and in reality it was a first effective instrument based on this. I am still quite happy that I was part of this exercise, which showed clearly that the region is able to be self responsible. My congratulations and please continue to enlarge the work as it was done for the last ten years. SECI-Center is a contribution for more peace, security an stability and of course more Europe in the region. |
 Dr. Erhard Busek Coordinator of SECI Former Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe |
 Dr. Ferenc Banfi Former Chairman of JCC Former Deputy Director of SECI Center |
I have participated in the creation of the SECI Center since this initiative was proposed. At that time people envisioned multinational cooperation in transborder crime-prevention as writing letters (information requests) among similar foreign administrations. From its very beginning, SECI Center has demonstrated its potentials through successful operations in drug, stolen-vehicles and cigarette smuggling prevention. Due to the high results of the organization the international cooperation between law enforcement agencies in the region has become widely spread. During the last ten years the multinational law enforcement cooperation, initiated through the Center, has proven to be one of the most successful practices initiated in the region. |
| I am personally very proud that took part in SECI center's creation. Apart from Center's undisputable success in the area of tackling organized crime, it fostered setting up a network of professionals within the Southern Europe which continued to cooperate when back in their home law enforcement agencies, thus increasing Center's effectiveness. SECI Center was created in a quite different environment that the one we observe now. But interestingly enough, the risks and challenges our societies face today are such that proved the visionary mission of the Center. In the global world, organized crime and terrorism continue to pose threats which are impossible to tackle by a single country no matter how powerful and resourceful it is. SECI Center's regional spirit, character and approach though made it very versatile, useful and effective tool. |
 Galentin Georgiev Bulgaria Former Chairman of JCC |
 Yalcin CAKICI Turkey Former Director of SECI Center |
SECI Center is the concrete shape of determination for combating transborder crime in South Eastern Europe. It is not more than 10 years that Center came on the scene as a core establishment. Successful coordination in combating crimes, sound operations through task forces and effectiveness in the region, provided a rightful international reputation to the Center. As the first full term Director in 2002-04, we achieved quite successful developments on the way of institutionalization. Finalizing an Assessment Report is the milestone on the way of integration with the EU institutions. Several expert meetings have been carried out on the Data Protection issue hindering information sharing among the member states. I am confident of SECI Center family members success in the course of their devoting mission on the relay race. |
| SECI Centre represents the determination and enthusiasm of the Southeast European countries for combating trans-border crime, by strengthening the cooperation between and among customs and police authorities. Joint approach in intensifying efforts to exchange information in the areas of common interest within SECI Task groups and by liaison officers, has highly contributed to more efficient police and customs actions against trans-border crime in SECI member countries. It was my privilege and honor to be the JCC Vice Chairperson of the SECI Centre and still is, to be involved actively, mainly as JCC Member, in the process of its further development. I would like to emphasize that we, the Republic of Croatia, Customs Directorate and Police Directorate strongly support work done by SECI Centre and would continue to do so in the future. |  Ivana Javor Croatia Former Vice Chairperson of JCC |
 Dr. János Nagy Hungary Former Chairman of JCC |
It has been an honour for the Hungarian Customs administration to take part actively in the work done under the auspices of SECI Center since 1st July 2000, to fill in important posts as the JCC Chairmanship between 2007-2008 thus contributing to the fight against cross-border crimes in South-Eastern Europe. In most cases SECI offers the single link between law enforcement agencies of EU and non-EU countries, resulting in the exponential increase of requests for criminal assistance during the 10 years of SECI. Hungary puts special emphasis on organizing and participating in Operations such as Hurricane and Shadow, on taking part in the work of the Task Force for Container Security, furthermore on conducting joint investigations like Operation Cotton which was given a shared bi-annual award of SECI in the second term of 2008. |
As former chairman of the JCC, I recall the decisions made during the 1st High Representatives Conference held on November 29th 2006, in Bucharest, which brought together outstanding personalities, politicians, diplomats and high ranking officials of the participating states in the SECI Center. This conference was due to place a new cornerstone in this structure launching the principles which would delineate its future role. It proposed:
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 George Kounadis Greece Former Chairman of JCC |
 Snejana Nenova Bulgary Former Head of Legal/Internal Department of SECI Center |
A lot have been said about SECI Center and its actions on preventing transborder crimes. Still, there are important things people often overlook, things; I want to bring to your attention. Serving as a Head of the Legal and Internal Department for two terms I gained experienced which proved to be crucial for the enhancement of my knowledge and skills. I am pretty sure that's true for all people who have worked or are still working on the tenth floor of the Romanian Parliament. Through its numerous multinational crime-prevention operations, SECI has helped people get experienced by building a set of tools they could use in their countries' administrations after the end of their terms in the Center. I am sure that such an aspect of SECI's contributions to the region will become more and more visible after each successive anniversary-celebration the Center will have. |
| We celebrate the tenth year of the establishment of SECI Center in 2009. Looking back to the last 10 years, we may conclude that the early millennium was the start of a new era, which brought a new understanding and perception for combating trans-border crimes and security. In this new era, new conception "free but secure" trade comprehension became more dominant. In the light of new concept and developments, we witness that customs and police departments and in general terms law enforcement agencies have involved in the revision of their administrative structures, their reorganization, the increase of their administrative and technical capacities and the improvement of national, regional and international cooperation. In this period, we may also state that multi-agency cooperation became much more important. it is obvious that SECI Center is a multi-agency cooperation platform through which the experiences of the member states are shared, the general and expertise trainings are delivered, the information and intelligence is exchanged, bilateral-trilateral and multilateral operations are carried out. National Focal Points assigned in each member states, have established an efficient communication network between themselves with the help of training activities, task forces meetings and operational activities. As of now, a trustworthy environment and structure is enabled between SECI Center and SECI member states and among national focal points.SECI Center proved with its ten year activity resume that it played and surely will play a major role in holding the stability and improving the wealth in the region. |  Mehmet GÜZEL Turkey Vice Chairperson of JCC Deputy Director General of Customs Enforcement |
