Decision 2007/125 - For the period 2007 to 2013, as part of General Programme on Security and Safeguarding Liberties, the Specific Programme Prevention of and Fight against Crime - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 58/7

The Union's objective of providing citizens with a high level of safety within an area of freedom, security and justice shall be achieved, as provided for in the fourth indent of Article 2, and in Article 29 of the Treaty on European Union, by preventing and combating crime, organised or otherwise.

To protect the freedom and security of our citizens and society from criminal activities, the Union should take the necessary measures to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute all forms of crime efficiently and effectively, most particularly in cases with a trans-border element.

Building on the conclusions of the Tampere European Council of October 1999, the European Council has reaffirmed the priority of developing the area of freedom, security and justice — and particularly of protecting citizens from various criminal activities through the prevention of and fight against crime — by The Hague Programme of November 2004 (2), the declarations on terrorism of September 2001 and March 2004 and the European Drugs strategy in December 2004.

To provide expertise in developing various aspects of crime prevention at European Union level and support crime prevention activities at local and national level, the European Crime Prevention Network was established by the Council Decision 2001/427/JHA (3) of 28 May 2001.

The framework programme established by Council Decision 2002/630/JHA of 22 July 2002 establishing a framework programme on police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters (AGIS) (4) has contributed considerably to strengthening cooperation between police and other law enforcement agencies and the judiciary in the Member States and to improving mutual understanding and mutual trust between their police, judicial, legal and administrative systems.

It is necessary and appropriate to extend the possibilities for the funding of measures aiming at the prevention of and the fight against crime, and to review the modalities in the interest of efficacy, cost-efficiency and transparency.

The framework programme aims at facilitating effective support and protection to interests of witnesses of crime. The programme also underlines the importance of the protection of victims of crimes. To point out the priority of the support of victims the Specific Programme ‘Criminal Justice’ emphasis the social and legal assistance to victims.

Commission actions and transnational projects remain important to achieve closer and better cooperation and coordination among Member States. In addition, it is useful and appropriate to support projects within Member States to the extent that they can provide useful experience and know-how for further actions at Union level.

As crime crosses borders, it is appropriate to allow third countries and international organisations to participate in transnational projects.

Complementarity needs to be ensured regarding other Union and Community programmes, such as the Seventh Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities, the European Union Solidarity Fund, the Civil Protection Financial Instrument and the...