§ Mr. SwayneTo ask the Prime Minister what is the purpose of the European Police College; and what will be studied there. [95078]
§ The Prime MinisterTackling Europe's organised crime problem effectively means that we have to ensure that police officers are properly trained and encouraged to co-operate with forces in other countries. We see the role of the European Police College, which will start off as a network of existing national training institutes, as fulfilling these functions by supporting the establishment of a common approach to tackling transnational organised crime, and by drawing together work already being carried out by individual Member States on training police officers to tackle organised crime effectively. We envisage that, over time, those trained by the college will form a Europe-wide body of expertise about European policing and cross border operations. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, together with colleagues in other Member States, will take forward the work on establishing the College.