May 12, 2026

First SEPCA General Assembly under FBiH Presidency

First SEPCA General Assembly under FBiH Presidency

On May 12, 2026, in Sarajevo, the First SEPCA General Assembly was held during the Presidency of the Federal Police Administration of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), co-hosted and financed by the Criminal Intelligence Service of Austria (BK) through the Internal Security Fund 2021-2027.

The event brought together Police Directors from the SEPCA member states along with the representatives of international partner organizations and institutions, including INTERPOL, BK and Croatia.

The General Assembly was opened by the Director of the Federal Police Administration and President of the SEPCA Association for 2026, Chief General Inspector of Police Igor Marić, together with the Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of FBiH, Mr. Ramo ISAK. They highlighted SEPCA’s key role in strengthening regional cooperation, emphasizing that trust, information exchange, and joint action are essential in addressing increasingly complex and transnational security threats.

The 2026 Assembly focused heavily on addressing transnational challenges, including cybercrime, illegal migration, human trafficking, and organized crime networks. Discussions highlighted the importance of coordinated law enforcement and judicial action, strengthened use of Joint Investigation Teams (JITs), and enhanced cooperation with Europol and the EU’s EMPACT cycle.

Participants also underlined the emerging cyber threats such as ransomware, cryptocurrency misuse, and online child exploitation, underlining the role of the SEPCA Cybercrime Network in regional coordination.

SEPCA’s partners reaffirmed its vital role in the European security architecture, stressing that regional cooperation and information sharing remain essential to effectively address cross-border threats.

The BK announced further support for SEPCA through the Internal Security Fund during the Bulgarian SEPCA Presidency 2027 and the Moldovan SEPCA Presidency 2028. This support will strengthen SEPCA’s capacities in priority areas, including cybercrime, drug trafficking, illegal migration, and human trafficking, while further enhancing regional cooperation and cohesion.