The Expert Workshop held on September 10–11, 2025, in Brussels, Belgium, brought together senior managers, probation practitioners, criminal justice professionals such as lawyers and prosecutors from across Europe as well as representatives of the European Commission, Academy of European Law and European Judicial Network to discuss the advancements in the implementation of Framework Decisions 2008/947/JHA and 2009/829/JHA. Hosted at the Houses of Justice, the CEP Expert Workshop served as a dynamic platform for mutual learning, collaboration, and strategic planning.
The programme covered a broad spectrum of expertise and experience taking into account national, cross-border experience combining practitioner-level insights and operational tools with systemic recommendations and institutional coordination. Gerry McNally and Mirka Jakesova (CEP) presented shared findings from the 9th Round of Mutual Evaluation and preliminary findings of CEP survey. Chiara Fiorillo from the DG Justice and Consumers shared updates and priorities from the European Commission. Presentations from the Netherlands, Latvia, and Romania illustrated diverse experiences with implementing the Framework Decisions, including successes and challenges while Irish representatives showcased their solution-oriented approaches. The updates from EJN as well as updates on ERA and EMRPO projects were shared by Natalia Ratajczak, Ramin Farinpour and Daniel Danglades.
Experts from Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Latvia, and Spain explored trust-building across jurisdictions, emphasizing cultural, legal, and operational nuances in the interactive roundtable. Solution-oriented approach was addressed in the group sessions with participants drafting the action plan on successful implementation of Framework Decisions within their respective organisations. Last but not least, CEP presented newly updated flyer and guide for Framework Decisions.
The workshop underscored the importance of mutual trust, shared learning, and coordinated implementation of EU justice policies. Participants left with renewed commitment and actionable insights to enhance cross-border probation and judicial cooperation.
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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.
Interventions Alliance has published a new evaluation of a Hub coordinated on behalf of police forces in the south of England, focused on tackling violence against women and children through a whole family approach. The Hub supports victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse and works across policing, health and social services.
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Today, 25 November, marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls. It is a global reminder, recognised by UNESCO and the wider international community, of the urgent need to prevent violence, support those affected by it, and strengthen collective action. The day also opens the 16 Days of Activism, a worldwide campaign that calls for sustained engagement to end all forms of violence against women and girls.
From 18-20 November 2025, 15th Plenary Meeting of the Council for Penological Co-operation took part in Council of Europe, Strasbourg. CEP was represented by President Annie Devos, Vice-Presidents Danijela Mrhar Prelic (PC-CP member) and Daniel Danglades and Secretary General Jana Spero Kamenjarin.
The CEP Expert Group on Mental Health met on 19 November 2025 to continue its work on developing a European mental health training curriculum for probation officers. Since last year, the group has been working intensively and meticulously to produce a solid first version of the curriculum.
CEP has released the first cross-European study examining stress, burnout, and morale among probation staff. The report was produced by Professor Charlie Brooker, Professor Karen Tocque, Professor Ioan Durnescu and Liliana Lupsica, whose combined expertise in public health, criminology, and organisational analysis provides an important contribution to our understanding of well-being in probation work.
