Privacy statements — EUAM Ukraine

Opinion

EU and Canadian experts deliver community policing training in Lutsk & Ternopil

February 7, 2017

Fourteen police officers from the Ternopil and Volyn regions completed on Friday 3 March a two-week community ...

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Дослідження

New Deputy Head of Mission takes up post

February 12, 2017

EUAM this week welcomed a new Deputy Head of Mission to join the team in Kyiv. Ms Joëlle Vachter is a French colonel with an educational background ...

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EU and Canadian experts deliver community policing training in Lutsk & Ternopil

February 7, 2017

Fourteen police officers from the Ternopil and Volyn regions completed on Friday 3 March a two-week community ...

More video

Who we are and what we do in Ukraine

The European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine is a non-executive mission of the European Union that formally began operations from its headquarters in Kyiv on 1 December 2014.

The goal is to achieve a civilian security sector that is efficient, accountable, and enjoys the trust of the public.

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Our priorities

Our mission is to support Ukrainian authorities achieve reform of the civilian security sector through strategic advice and hands-on support. The mandate includes three areas of operations: Strategic advice on civilian security sector reform to develop civilian security sector strategies Support the implementation of reforms hands-on advice, training, projects Cooperation and coordination to ensure that reform efforts are coordinated with Ukrainian and international actors EUAM’s five priorities: Human-resource management Human-resource management helps ensure that the right people are deployed in the right way in order to achieve reform. Civilian security sector agencies are introducing a range of legislative and technical reform measures, but it is the staff of those agencies who actually carry the responsibility for implementing such measures. Criminal investigation Criminal Investigation is strengthening the ability to fight organised crime and corruption. Every state needs strong criminal investigation capabilities in order to preserve the rule of law and protect its citizens against crime. Investigating crime in a transparent and professional way also strengthens the entire democratic process and builds public trust. Public order State authorities ensure public order by maintaining peace and the right to assemble in accordance with international human-rights standards. Citizens have a democratic right to demonstrate and express dissatisfaction with the government, but in peaceful way and within the bounds of the law. Community Policing A cornerstone of a democratic society is that citizens have a right to say how they would like to be policed. Community policing involves building trust within communities through direct interaction and dialogue. Delineation of competencies Delineation of competencies refers to the division of labour and the responsibilities of civilian security sector agencies. With several agencies it is important to clarify who does what, to ensure coordination between different agencies in order to avoid overlap and confusion — in essence, a strategic approach which in Ukraine is lacking at present. What will the five priorities achieve? A civilian security sector that is efficient, accountable, and enjoys the trust of the public. Cross-cutting Issues EUAM has identified five priority areas in supporting reform of the civilian security sector in Ukraine. These five priorities impact each of EUAM’s partner agencies in different ways. However, the Mission has also identified what we call «cross-cutting issues» because they play a part in each of the five priorities and are relevant for all agencies of the civilian security sector. Those three cross-cutting issues are: Human rights and gender Prioritising of human rights and gender is a critical part of any reform process, and certainly reform of law-enforcement and rule-of-law agencies. Good governance Good governance is concerned with reform in areas such as public administration, public oversight, public finance, and decentralization. Anti-corruption Everybody recognises that corruption is an endemic problem in Ukraine, and perhaps the greatest obstacle on the path to reform.

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Field Offices

Since its establishment in 2014, EUAM has been committed to all regions of Ukraine. This has mainly taken place through mobile teams that have moved around and carried out various support projects across the country. In May 2016, the Mission deepened its regional commitment by creating two Field Offices, one in Lviv and one in Kharkiv. In March 2018, a third Field Office was created in Odesa. This has helped EUAM to deliver on its mandate across the whole country. EUAM staff – 20 in Lviv, 20 in Kharkiv and 20 in Odesa – have established close working relationships with local Ukrainian authorities in both regions so that the Mission can tailor its advice and assistance according to local needs. Field offices staff have supported local authorities such as the police, including the police academies and training centres, prosecutor’s office, and anti-corruption agencies. Local experience in reform of the civilian security sector informs strategic decision-making at central level, and at the same time, central-level reforms must be rolled out in the regions. Ukraine is a large country, therefore effective coordination between Kyiv and the regions is key to reform efforts, and something that EUAM is assisting with. EUAM has already made some impact in Ukraine’s regions. For example, the model police station project carried out in Sambir, Lviv region, helped to reduce response times to emergency calls and increase the level of trust in the local police. The Field Offices will also be supporting the European Union’s SPRU (Support to Police Reform in Ukraine) project, which was launched in April 2017 and aims to increase the effectiveness and public trust in the police, particularly in the areas of public order and community policing. The priority areas for EUAM’s Field Offices mirror those of the Mission in general: community policing, criminal investigation, delineation of competencies, human-resource management, and public order; as well as the cross-cutting issues of good governance, anti-corruption, and human rights. The regional presences are staffed by advisors/trainers in community policing, criminal investigation, public order, and rule of law; while Kyiv-based staff then provides any additional support needed.

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Progress in reform

Advice and support for civilian security sector reform lies at the heart of EUAM’s mandate. The mission’s advisors provide strategic advice, and hands-on support, to Ukrainian law-enforcement and rule of law agencies – with a focus on police reform, fighting corruption, and reform of the prosecution system. Since the beginning of 2016, EUAM has added operational, projects, and training activities to its mandate in order to assist with the implementation of reforms. There are numerous challenges that hinder reform of the civilian security sector, such as unwillingness and resistance to change, gaps in legislation, insufficient funding, unsatisfactory professional standards, a lack of coordination between agencies, and the prevalence of corruption. Despite this, the Ukrainian government has taken some positive steps towards reform, and clearly outlined its reform priorities in areas such as anti-corruption, the police, and the judicial system. Low levels of public trust in the political, law-enforcement and judicial systems is evidence that much more needs to be done before the expectations of the Ukrainian public are met. EUAM’s achievements are really the achievements of EUAM’s Ukrainian partners. Therefore, progress that our Ukrainian partners have achieved with EUAM support includes the following: Legislative support – over 40 draft laws developed with EUAM assistance EUAM helped draft 25 strategic documents, such as: Law on National Security MoIA Strategy 2020 National Police Development Strategy to 2020 Witness protection programme SSU Reform Concept and Action Plan Introduction of the community policing approach, and implementation of nationwide training programme, in National Police (NPU) work Introduction of the dialogue policing concept in public order Successful management of mass events, such as those in Odesa in early 2018, based on the ‘graduated approach’ to public order, with EUAM experts working alongside UA partners Introduction of a ‘Community Safety Strategy’ in Kharkiv, a EUAM initiative and a first for Ukraine The restructuring of NPU criminal investigations departments by merging investigators and operatives, in line with best European practices Launch of quick-response teams and ‘Sambir police model’ in 2015, aimed at increasing public trust and responsiveness of police force by decreasing police response time to citizens’ requests; rollout of the project in 123 police stations in 5 regions (Lviv, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi and Volyn) in 2016 Advice on strengthening NPU capacity to fight serious and organised crime in Ukraine by developing and introducing a Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA) programme in Ukraine Support for the newly established MoIA administrative service centres, such as assistance in drafting their strategy and action plan, and delivery of trainings on management skills, communication and anti-corruption The delivery of equipment to partners worth EUR 3.2 million, the refurbishment of interview rooms for NABU and reception halls for the prosecution service

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