BULGARIA: EU MISSIONS PONDER ANTI-OC TRAINING CENTER

UNCLAS SOFIA 000166

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ACE (HODGKINSON),INL (CARROLL) AND DOJ/ICITAP
(TREVILIAN, THOMAS, DUCOT) AND DOJ/OPDAT (ALEXANDRE, EHRENSTAMM,
ACKER)

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASCH PREL KCRM KJUS BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA: EU MISSIONS PONDER ANTI-OC TRAINING CENTER

REF: A)SECSTATE 193421

B)SOFIA 01661


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In reftel B, Post expressed its strong support
for establishment of a South Eastern European Regional Organized
Crime Training Center (SEEROCTC) at the Bulgarian Police Academy.
Post has subsequently met with representatives from four Embassies
-- UK, Netherlands, Spain and Germany -- and the European Commission
Representation in Bulgaria, to brief them on the project and solicit
support to improve Bulgaria's counter-organized crime performance.
All reacted positively to SEROCTC, sharing post's view that the
center can be a strong step toward a more effective and unified
approach to fighting organized crime throughout South East Europe.
END SUMMARY


2. (SBU) Thomas Peebles, OPDAT RLA, Ivan Abrams, ABA/CEELI Criminal
Law Specialist, and Don Lizotte, USDOJ/ICITAP Senior Law Enforcement
Advisor, presented the SEEROCTC concept to representatives of the
five missions: a center at the Bulgarian Police Academy which will
use a standardized curriculum of the world's best practices and a
"train-the-trainers" approach to develop a self-sustaining group of
regional anti-OC trainers. They requested that the representatives
of the four Embassies and EC Delegation explore within their
institutions the possibility of joining with the Government of
Bulgaria (GOB) and possibly the United States, if we receive the
funding, in providing initial support to help "jump start" the
center.


3. (SBU) Post emphasized that the GOB is moving ahead with the
project. It is providing the Police Academy facilities and intends
to tap into EU funds to sustain the center. Thus, neither the
United States and nor any other foreign donor will be asked to spend
funds on "bricks and mortar." Rather, international contributors
would have an opportunity to provide expertise and be involved in
establishing the working structure of the center.


4. (SBU) The EU representatives gave positive responses and
promised to pursue the possibility for support within their
institutions. The First Secretary of the EC Commission, for
example, labeled the project "ambitious and constructive," and said
it deserved support because it would address key concerns of the EU
included in its monitoring report of last November, which Bulgaria
must address by the end of March. Representatives from the four
Embassies expressed similarly positive opinions, though they
naturally had many detailed questions they would raise with the
Bulgarian authorities.


5. (SBU) COMMENT: The favorable opinions from representatives of
the five missions suggest that post may be able to capitalize upon
broad support for a self-sustaining institution dedicated to
countering organized crime on a regional basis. Post anticipates
feedback meetings in the next 30-45 days. Each of the missions
recognizes that overlapping institutions and proposals (SECI, TADOC)
are out there and will need to sort through that, as well as the
merits of SEEROCTC's specific case. END COMMENT

KARAGIANNIS