Police trained in EU-issues needed for better law enforcement, says Simon Busuttil

Busuttil was speaking during a high-level conference organised by the European Commission in Brussels on the "Future of a European Police Culture". He is the EPP's spokesperson on Justice and Home Affairs.

He said that all too often, law enforcement officers, whether police or border guards lacked sufficient European knowledge and experience and this often thwarted citizen's rights and expectations of Europe.

"All too often immigration police still mistake Slovenia for Slovakia and Malta with Cyprus". Busuttil said to illustrate his point. "Others are ill-trained to deal with Schengen issues and with immigration controls when they face European citizens coming from different EU countries."

 Busuttil expressed support for the initiative of the European Commission to establish a European Training Scheme for police in Europe and urged it to be extended also to other law enforcement agencies.

He said that whereas the Frontex agency was investing a lot in training of border guards, the European police training college, CEPOL was still mired in controversy and financial irregularities such that the European Parliament wants it to be incorporated into the European police agency, Europol.

Busuttil also called for the Commission to establish an Erasmus-style exchange programme for law enforcement officers on the same lines that are already available for university students. An exchange programme, he said, would go a long way in enabling law enforcement officers to learn more about Europe, European law and EU citizenship.

He said that he was also introducing this idea into the ongoing review of the law that established the Frontex agency, which is currently being discussed in the European Parliament.

The high-level conference, entitled: "The European Police Culture: What Future?" was organised by the European Commission DG Home Affair and was also addressed by the Director General Stefano Manservisi.