Projects
ERA project
Prison population rates within the EU still differentiate greatly from Member State to Member State, with the highest numbers still registered in the majority of newer Member States that joined after 2004. There is also a varying picture when it comes to the application of non-custodial sanctions and measures throughout the EU’s Member States, with there being a clear need to increase awareness about such alternative measures and their application amongst relevant practitioners in many Member States.
This clearly shows that more must be done to demonstrate the effectiveness of relevant EU instruments to reduce prison populations, use pre-trial detention as a measure of last resort and to consider the use of non-custodial sanctions and measures as an alternative. Moreover, a specific need for continuous training for magistrates at all stages of their career on all the mutual recognition instruments covered by this project has been identified, with there especially being a lack of knowledge and experience among practitioners as regards Framework Decisions 2008/947/JHA on probation and alternative sanctions and 2009/829/JHA on the European Supervision Order (ESO), which is an obstacle to a more frequent application of these instruments.
The project offers a comprehensive overview of EU instruments of mutual legal assistance and mutual legal recognition in the field of deprivation or restriction of liberty, placing them within the wider context of the applicable Council of Europe recommendations and the relevant ECtHR and CJEU judgments, with the aim of facilitating better cross-border cooperation among Member States and raising awareness of alternatives to detention.
CEP is an Associated partner in this project.
Partner organisations
Our knowledge of Framework Decisions
The European Union and the Council of Europe have become increasingly important players in the development of probation in Europe. CEP is not only the voice of probation in Europe, it also wants to stimulate and support initiatives of international cooperation on probation and on the implementation of EU regulations. Below you will find all the information about the implementation of Framework Decisions 2009/829/JHA and 2008/947/JHA.
Related News
Check out the latest news and updates on this project’s focus area.
New
Education and Training
Launch of 40 e-Capsules: Training on EU Law for Justice Professionals
29/06/2026
The European Judicial Training Team of the European Commission is pleased to announce the launch of 40 e-capsules (each available in all EU languages) within civil law, criminal law and fundamental rights.
New
CEP
Delegation from Azerbaijan visits CEP Office in Utrecht
25/06/2026
On 23 June, a delegation from Azerbaijan visited the CEP office in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The delegation included representatives of the Probation Service, Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan, a judge of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan and representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Netherlands. The visit to the CEP office was part of a broader learning programme with Reclassering Nederland.
New
CEP
Newsletter June 2026 out now
25/06/2026
CEP’s latest newsletter is out now! It includes:
- Recap of the Workshop on Caseload and Workload
- Save the date: Workshop on Technology and Alternatives to Detention
- New publications and outputs from Expert Groups
- Call for a new Expert Group on Overcrowding and Net-Widening
- Call for participation in DG training
- and much more!
New
CEP, Directors General Meetings
CEP Call for Applications – Training Opportunity for Directors GeneralÂ
24/06/2026
CEP is seeking 7 applications for an upcoming training programme, CEP Leadership Excellence Training, designed for a small group of Directors General or Deputy Directors General representing CEP member organisations. This training will take place on 19-21 October 2026, Zagreb, Croatia.
Probation Journal
Framework Decisions
Exploratory Study on the possible Lisbonisation of ex-third pillar acquis in the area of mutual recognition in criminal matters published
23/06/2026
Commissioned by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST) and undertaken by ICF SA in December 2023, the study, published in April 2026, assesses the mutual recognition of criminal decisions and cross-border cooperation on criminal matters. Â
New
Probation in Europe, Probation outside Europe
New Division episode: Aditya Weriansyah about Probation, Prison and the work of NGOs in Criminal Justice in Indonesia
23/06/2026
The 21st episode of Division_Y features Aditya Weriansyah from Jakarta, Indonesia.
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