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Cabinet of Ministers confirms implementation rules of the programme “International Police Cooperation and Combating Crime”
On February 11th 2020 the Cabinet of Ministers announced implementation rules of the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism 2014 – 2021 programme “International Police Cooperation and Combating Crime”. With this announcement an important step has been taken as project evaluations can start. These rules also include the goal, available funding, goals, implementation rules of activities and other technical questions and are in force starting from the following day.
Main aims of the programme “International Police Cooperation and Combating Crime” are to better fight and prevention of economic crimes and to help protection of children suffering from or experiencing violence by increasing cooperation between institutions, ensuring child-friendly treatment and implementing Barnahus model. The total allocated funding of the program is 17 647 059 euros out of which 85% or 15 000 000 euros are financed as EEA Financial Mechanism Grants and 15% or 2 647 059 euros as national co-financing. Programme is implemented until December 31st 2024.
Within the programme, these outcomes are achieved:
- Cooperation between law enforcement agencies in preventing and combating economic crimes is promoted, a unified IT system is established, law enforcement officers are trained to use it.
- Improved infrastructure for prevention and combating of economic crimes at the border crossing point “Terehova”, trained officials of the State Revenue Service Customs Board, State Border Guard, Food and Veterinary Service and improved training infrastructure of the Customs Cynology Service by established dog training laboratory.
- An online complaints platform is set up, public awareness campaigns are created to educate the public on the creation of a virtual alert system and the protection of whistleblowers. The qualification of the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) employees in preventing and combating corruption is strengthened.
- Trained State Police ENAP officials to speed up and improve the quality of economic crime investigations, improved technical infrastructure, analysis and improvement of the existing regulatory framework in cooperation with the OECD, installation of analytical tool/software. The capacity of the State Police Criminalistics Department is strengthened by introducing new modern expertise methods, updating the infrastructure and purchasing equipment in the areas of cybercrime and financial expertise.
- To improve the knowledge of employees in the fight against money laundering in Latvia, the knowledge of the employees of the Financial Intelligence Service and the Financial and Capital Market Commission in the field of money laundering is improved.
- The Barnahus model has been introduced in Latvia by adapting the premises and preparing proposals for the base of regulatory enactments that will regulate the operation of Barnahus. Employees of the institutions involved in the provision of the service are trained and awareness-raising campaigns are implemented
