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
Mental Health
CEP publishes European Mental Health Training Curriculum for Probation Staff and launches Pilot Implementation Initiative
19/05/2026
In this article, you can explore the newly published European Mental Health Training Curriculum for Probation Officers, learn about the call for a national pilot implementation, and find details about the upcoming webinar on 21 May presenting the curriculum modules.
New
Mental Health
European Mental Health Week: strengthening probation practice through mental health
13/05/2026
This week, during Mental Health Awareness Week, the Confederation of European Probation is highlighting the importance of mental health in probation practice across Europe.
New
Probation in Europe, Research
Free Research Resource: KrimDok
12/05/2026
Looking for reliable criminological literature? KrimDok is a free online database developed by the University of Tübingen and supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
The database contains nearly 400,000 references to books, journal articles, reports, and other publications covering criminology and related fields such as criminal justice, psychology, sociology, education, and law. It draws on a specialist criminology library established in 1969, with a collection of around 150,000 titles, and includes indexed articles from more than 200 academic journals.
Reading corner
Violent Extremism
New newsletter available: EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation
11/05/2026
The latest edition of the EU Knowledge Hub newsletter brings together policy, research, and practice to address evolving radicalisation threats across Europe.
New
Gender-based violence
New European Master’s Programme on Perpetrator Intervention Launched
07/05/2026
The European Network for the Work with Perpetrators of Domestic Violence (WWP EN), in collaboration with Blanquerna – Universitat Ramon Llull (Barcelona), has launched a pioneering new programme:
Lifelong Learning Master’s Degree in Intervention Strategies with Perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence: Social, Clinical, and Legal Perspectives
This initiative represents the first international lifelong learning Master’s programme specifically focused on perpetrator intervention, offering a unique opportunity for professionals working to address and prevent gender-based violence across Europe and beyond.
New
Education and Training
CEP Expert Network on Education and Training Publishes Technical Recommendations on Mentoring in Probation Training
06/05/2026
The Confederation of European Probation (CEP) is pleased to present the Technical Recommendations on Mentoring in the Context of Probation Training, developed through the work of the CEP Expert Network on Education and Training.
This publication is the result of extensive collaborative exchange among 30 experts from 15 European jurisdictions, who convened in March 2025 in Agen, France, at the École Nationale d’Administration Pénitentiaire (ENAP). Bringing together probation directors, middle managers, practitioners, and representatives from training institutions, the network worked collectively to identify shared challenges, exchange practices, and formulate practical recommendations to strengthen mentoring within probation services across Europe.
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