Combating Crime

TERMS OF REFERENCE OF
THE WORKING GROUP ON COOPERATION IN COMBATING CRIME,IN PARTICULAR IN ITS ORGANIZED FORMS

1. The Working Group is established in accordance with the Article 6 of the Agreement among the Governments of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Participating States on Cooperation in Combating Crime, in particular in its Organized Forms.

2. The Working Group shall examine the ways of implementing and promoting cooperation on the basis of the above Agreement and the Additional Protocols to it.

3. The Working Group shall, inter alia, submit recommendations on the need to:

a) conclude additional Protocols to this Agreement;
b) conclude new International Agreements;
c) establish common institutions of cooperation in the sphere of combating crime;
d) organize experts meetings and workshops;
e) organize training and specialization seminars for the competent personnel;
f) plan coordinated actions against trans-national criminal networks;
g) facilitate the use of scientific and technological methods and means for criminological and forensic researches and carry out joint scientific studies;
h) strengthen cross border cooperation among the competent authorities of the BSEC Participating States in the areas provided in Article 1 of the above
Agreement and the Additional Protocols to it;
i) determine and identify ad hoc contact points to deal with specific issues within the framework of the Agreement.

4. The above recommendations shall be submitted to the Meeting of the Ministers of Interior for approval and if necessary for a relative mandate to be issued. The draft resolutions, decisions and recommendations proposed by the Working group are adopted by the BSEC Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

5. The Working Group shall coordinate the activity of the Network of the Liaison Officers, established under the Additional Protocol to the Agreement among the Governments of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Participating States on Cooperation in Combating Crime, in particular in its Organized Forms.

It shall also:

a) consider the annual report for the activities Network of the Liaison Officers;
b) make an assessment of the activity of the Network, to be approved by the BSEC Ministers of Interior and the BSEC Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs;
c) propose measures for bolstering the cooperation within the Network;

6. The country-coordinator of the Working Group shall present an annual report on the implementation of the Additional Protocol on Combating Terrorism to the Agreement among the Governments of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Participating States on Cooperation in Combating Crime, in particular in its Organized Forms, and report to the BSEC Ministers of
Interior and the BSEC Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

7. The Working Group shall convene regularly and at least once a year at a reasonable time prior to and in conjunction with the Meeting of the Ministers of Interior.