The European Confederation of Police (EuroCOP) is the
umbrella organization
An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and iden ...
umbrella organisation for 30 police unions and staff organisations in Europe. Representing the interests of over 230,000 police officers in 25 European countries, it was founded in 2002 at a conference in
Roskilde
Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 53,354 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...
,
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
, emerging from the
Union Internationale des Syndicats de Police (UISP), which had existed since 1953. It was created in order to enable further organizations, particularly ones from the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, to join. The union's headquarters is in
Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
.
EuroCOP represents its members in European matters and at
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
institutions. For example, the union has an observer status at the
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...
. Its goals include enhancing the efficiency of police work under democratic control, the creation of norms for the qualifications of police employees, the preservation of the civil status of police officers, and the prevention of the
privatization
Privatization (rendered privatisation in British English) can mean several different things, most commonly referring to moving something from the public sector into the private sector. It is also sometimes used as a synonym for deregulation w ...
of police duties. One example of a current mission of EuroCOP has been to push the
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
government to follow its election promise to completely
de-militarize the
Guardia Civil
The Civil Guard (; ) is one of the two national law enforcement agencies of Spain. As a national gendarmerie, it is military in nature and is responsible for civil policing under the authority of both the Ministry of the Interior and the Minis ...
.
EuroCOP is part of the ETUC and ETUF making it one of the 10 union federations in Europe and the only one representing European police officers as an individual sector.
It is a member of the Council of Europe being part of the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) of the Council of Europe. EuroCOP is a member of ICPRA.
It is registered as a lobbyist.
In 2016 then EuroCOP president Àngels Bosch Campreciós met President Juncker and in 2018 she met Commissioner Julian King
The organization should not be confused with the idea of "Euro-Cops",
EUROPOL
Europol, officially the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, is the law enforcement agency of the European Union (EU). Established in 1998, it is based in The Hague, Netherlands, and serves as the central hub for coordinating c ...
police officers, whose jurisdiction would reach into all of Europe.
Background
The European Confederation of Police (EuroCOP) is the umbrella organisation for 30 police unions and staff organisations in Europe, which includes more than 230,000 police officers from 25 countries. EuroCOP was founded in a conference in 2002 in Roskilde, Denmark as a revision to the precious Union Internationale des Syndicats de Police (UISP), which had existed since 1953. The organization was created to allow police organizations from the United Kingdom to join. EuroCOP are members of the European Union Institutions, which allows the union to have a say in the council of Europe. The goal is to enhance the police work under democratic control, to prevent private investor of police duties, and to create norms for the police employees.
No. 83/2012 European Confederation of Police (EUROCOP) v. Ireland
EuroCOP filled a complaint against Ireland on 7 June 2012, dealing with the fact that police representative associations in Ireland do not have full trade union rights, including the right to join an umbrella organisation. An umbrella organization is an association of institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. The EuroCOP requested that Ireland grants complete full trade union rights for the police representations in Ireland. Meaning, that the police representative associations are kept out of the overall national negotiations that ICTU conduct on behalf of their members, such as those on salaries in the public service.
EuroCop Presidents
* 2002-2003 Hermann Lutz
* 2003-2011 Heinz Kieffer
* 2012-2015 Anna Nelberg Dennis.
* 2015-2020 Àngels Bosch Campreciós.
* 2020-2022 Calum Steele
* 2022- Jonne Rinne
Member organizations
*
Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors
The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI; ) is the statutory staff association for Gardaà (police officers) of the ranks of Sergeant, Station Sergeant and Inspector in Ireland. Irish law prohibits members of the Garda Siochana ...
(
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
)
*
Association Syndicale Autonome des Personnels de la Police d'Etat de Monaco (
Monaco
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...
)
*
British Transport Police Federation (
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
)
*
Confederazione Sindacale Autonoma di Polizia (Italy; observer)
*
ELA / ERTZAINTZA (
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
)
*
Federación de Sindicatos de PolicÃa (Spain)
*
Garda Representative Association (Republic of Ireland)
*
Landssamband Lögreglumanna (
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
)
*
Latvijas Iekšlietu darbinieku arodbiedrība
Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
(
Latvia
Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
; associate member)
*
Natzionalen Poltzeyski Syndicat (
Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
; observer)
*
Odborovy zväz Policie vsr (
Slovakia
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
)
*
Österreichische Polizeigewerkschaft (
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
; observer)
*
Panhellenic Federation of Police (
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
)
*
Police Federation for Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland)
*
Policijski Sindikat Slovenije (
Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
)
*
Norwegian Police Federation
The Norwegian Police Federation () is the trade union which organizes employees from all levels within the police force. The federation is a member of the Confederation of Unions for Professionals, Norway and the European Confederation of Police ...
(
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
)
*
Politiforbundet i Danmark (
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
)
*
Scottish Police Federation
The Scottish Police Federation (SPF) is an organisation representing Scottish police officers. It has approximately 18,500 members across the Police Service of Scotland. It campaigns on issues that affect pay and conditions though police officer ...
(Scotland)
*
Sindicatul Democratic al Poliţiştilor SIDEPOL (
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
)
*
SIULP (
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
)
*
SLFP-Police/VSOA-Politie (
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
)
*
SNPS/NSPV (Belgium)
*
SPC-CCOO Catalunya (Spain)
*
Suomen Poliisijärjestöjen Liitto SPJL (
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
)
*
Polisförbundet (
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
)
*
Syndicat National de la Police Grand-Ducale Luxembourg (
Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
)
*
Verband Schweizerischer Polizeibeamter (
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
)
*
Nezávislý odborový svaz Policie České republiky (NOSP) (
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
)
*
Sindicato Nacional da Policia (SINAPOL) (
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
)
*
Niezalezny Samorzadny Zwiazek Zawodowy Policjantów (NSZZP) (
Poland; observer)
*
Lietuvos VRS Respublikiné Profesiné Sajvisited (LPTU) (
Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
)
*
Vereniging van Middelbare en Hogere Politieambtenaren (VMHP) (
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
)
References
External links
Official website{{Authority control
European Trade Union Confederation
Law enforcement in Europe
2002 establishments in Europe
Trade unions established in 2002