News
CEP at High-Level Forum on Future of EU Criminal Justice
CEP President Annie Devos and CEP Secretary General Jana Spero Kamenjarin are attending the High-Level Forum on the Future of EU Criminal Justice. This event is organised by the European Commission and the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 4-5 March 2025 in Brussels. The aim of The Forum is to develop a common vision for actions of legislative and non-legislative character for the next five years.
The Forum was opened by Mr. Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection and Mr. Adam Bodnar, Minister of Justice of Poland. Introductory remarks were delivered by Mr. Javier Zarzalejos, Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.
Before the discussion among the participants, the topic of challenges for the future of EU Criminal Justice was set by presentation of Professor Katalin Ligeti from University of Luxembourg who highlighted key challenges, such as serious cross-border crime, digitalization of criminal justice, penal populism and prison overpopulation.
Ms Laura Codruța Kövesi, European Chief Prosecutor, stressed that talking about the future of EU Criminal Justice “is not business as usual” and that it is time to act – states must be more efficient, and we need more harmonisation.
The practical point of view was also presented by Mr. Michael Schmid, President of Eurojust; Mr. Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, Deputy Executive Director of Europol and Ms Sue Preenen, Prosecutor General from The Netherlands.
During The Forum, the discussion among participants is divided into
- (1)The Future of EU Substantive Criminal Law on day one,
- (2) The Future of Judicial Cooperation and Mutual Recognition and
- (3) The Future of Procedural Safeguards on day two.
At The Forum, CEP is a voice of practitioners regarding the Framework Decisions 947 and 829 (Framework Decisions on Probation and Alternative Sanctions and on the European Supervision Order), stressing the need for improvement of the operation of the Framework Decisions. Good practices and differences among the states are visible from the regular meetings of practitioners that are organised by CEP on this topic. The need for additional improvement is reinforced by the fact that new EU Projects are developed as a result of CEP meetings- for example, Empowerment of the Framework Decisions 947 and 829 through EU Probation Services (EMPRO), a two-year EU-funded Project that started in February 2025.
Related News
Keep up to date with the latest developments, stories, and updates on probation from across Europe and beyond. Find relevant news and insights shaping the field today.
New
CEP
CEP and Catalan justice leaders reaffirm longstanding cooperation
29/09/2026
Representatives of the Confederation of European Probation (CEP) met with senior officials from the Catalan Department of Justice and Democratic Quality in Barcelona on 28 September 2026, alongside the opening of the sixth International Training School on Core Correctional Skills. The meeting offered an opportunity to recognise a longstanding partnership and discuss its continued development.
Updated
Mental Health
DEADLINE EXTENDED: Call for Pilot Implementation of the European Mental Health Training Curriculum
29/09/2026
Good news for CEP members! Following requests from our members, CEP has extended the deadline to apply for the pilot implementation of the European Mental Health Training Curriculum for Probation Officers.
Recap
ITSCCS, Technology
6th International Training School opens in Barcelona with a focus on digital probation
28/09/2026
How can probation professionals use new technologies in their interactions while building trust, showing empathy and supporting change? This question is at the heart of the sixth International Training School on Core Correctional Skills, which opened in Barcelona on 28 September 2026.
Recap
Probation in Europe
CEP at 42nd PC-CP Working Group Meeting
23/09/2026
The Council for Penological Co-operation (PC-CP) Working Group held its 42nd meeting from 15–17 September 2026 in Strasbourg. CEP was represented by Secretary General Jana Špero Kamenjarin.
New
Probation in Europe
New Division episode: Bernd Kammermeier on Supervision of Conduct
23/09/2026
The 22nd episode of Division_Y features Bernd Kammermeier from Rostock, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Bernd is a unionist, practitioner and academic expert on supervision of conduct (Führungsaufsicht) in Germany. His recent PhD thesis examines the development and legal framework of this important instrument.
Recap
CEP
CEP at Kick-off Meeting for the 2026 Operating and Action Grants
22/09/2026
On 16 and 17 October, the Project and Policy Officers of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST) organised the Kick-off Meeting for the 2026 Operating and Action Grants. Opened with a video message from Commissioner McGrath, the meeting covered a range of topics related to project management, including reporting requirements and horizontal priorities such as gender mainstreaming, EU values, and the EU survey. Last but not least, participants were presented with the future developments of AgoraEU and the Justice Programmes under the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) starting in 2028.
Subscribe to our bi-monthly email newsletter!
- Keep up to date with important probation developments and insights.