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Projects

Probation Observatory Network and Training (PONT) 

In order to enhance the use of the Council of Europe Framework Decision 2008/947/JHA and Framework Decision 2009/829/JHA (FDs, in short), the European Commission through DG Justice Grants decided to fund the project Probation Observatory. Network and Training (PONT), initiated by the University of Bucharest, in partnership with University Loyola Andalucía, University of Latvia, Ministry of Justice Bremen and the Confederation of European Probation (CEP).The objectives of the project for the next two years are to offer training to the competent authorities on the two FDs and to create a sustainable network of experts in this field.

Literature and Training

To this end, the project team will conduct a thorough literature review, covering academic papers, grey literature and previous training content. At the same time, based on questionnaires and interviews, they will run a training gap analysis aiming at identifying the training needs of the competent authorities and probation staff in relation to the FDs.

Based on the training gap analysis and the literature review, they will elaborate a comprehensive training platform and deliver training to at least 60 representatives of the competent authorities and probation staff from at least twelve jurisdictions.

As the training will be conducted in a training of trainers fashion, it is expected that the trainees will become resources (trainers and experts) for their own jurisdictions and the surrounding areas.

Please visit the PONT website for more information about the project.

E-manual

One of the main project deliverables is an online e-manual on the implementation of the Framework Decisions 829 and 947. The manual can be downloaded here.

Final Conference

On Friday 12th February 2021 the final conference of the project took place online. More than 100 participants from various European jurisdictions came together to listen to presentations from experts and to learn about the project results and deliverables.

There were also small group sessions in which people could actively engage in discussions and give input on solutions and proposals concerning (the use of) Framework Decisions 829 and 947.

The event’s presentations can be downloaded below.

Presentation CrossBES project

Presentation Adriano Martufi

Presentation Stefano Montaldo

PONT final conference agenda

PONT project results

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

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
screenshot website krimdock

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
expert network on education and training - agen 2025

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.

Probation Journal

Research

What is the societal value of probation?

04/05/2026

During the CEP 15th General Assembly and International Conference on Gender-Based Violence in Probation (from 14 to 16 October 2025 in Vienna, Austria), the Dutch research group Modelling Societal Impact received the CEP Probation Research Award for their work on the societal impact of the Dutch probation services. The research has since been completed. There are multiple reports published (in Dutch) and a short videocast with English subtitles. For anyone interested, see below an oversight of the published research and relevant links to the publications and videocast.

This research may help other European countries demonstrate the added value of probation for their national context. If you would like to learn more about this, please contact: a.a.nemeth@saxion.nl (dr.ir. Attila Németh) or a.visser@saxion.nl (Anouk Visser, MSc.)

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