Confederation of European Probation

EU Legislative Interests

EU Framework Decisions: CEP, through its activities and communication channels, strongly promotes and supports the implementation of the relevant EU instruments, develops country-specific information (Probation in Europe), exchanges knowledge on practical examples, identifies possible ways for improvements and provides for practical recommendations, supports for training and raises awareness. Alternatives to (Pre-trial) Detention: CEP works with its members, partners and the EC to support implementation of alternatives to (pre-trial) detention and further advocate for probation services to take on a more important role in ensuring that through the supervision, guidance and assistance, the individual rights of those concerned and the community safety considerations are properly balanced. CEP delivers a specific activities and addresses the topic across its work programme. Violent Extremism: Violent extremism and radicalization in the EU are paramount concerns for EC and CEP. CEP pursues co-operation with other bodies in counter terrorism including the EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation (former RAN) for better co-ordination and joint-working, bringing in probation bodies and practitioners. CEP organises specific activities and works with partners to raise awareness and disseminate knowledge about best practices via its website, newsletters & media. Education & Training: CEP is active in the field of Education & Training for probation staff, both initial (basic) training as continuous training updates and possibilities to learn skills during the working period. CEP has set up a Europe wide active network of education professionals to exchange experience and best practices between countries and bodies in the field of education and training; to share knowledge updates in relation to legislative developments, intervention Guidelines from the European Commission and the Council of Europe and other research findings; to have an information data base and central resource point on innovation and good practices presented at CEP expert network and other meetings on the CEP website. Gender-based Violence: CEP aims to increase awareness of gender-based violence in probation and address gender inequality, especially towards women and girls, focusing on sexual abuse and domestic violence. CEP promotes the exchange of knowledge and good practices, disseminates information on the Istanbul convention, the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (CETS No.210). Mental Health: The prevalence of various mental health issues among probationers is considerably higher than in the community. CEP aims to share experience and good practices between CEP members, experts on mental health in probation, in order to improve programs, interventions and ways of working with people under probations suffering mental health problems. Technology: In probation, as in other fields, a variety of technologies including AI, electronic monitoring or risk management tools as well as services facilitated by technologies including videoconferencing became integral to modernizing probation and criminal justice practices. These innovations have enhanced efficiency, assisted in continued support and supervision in complex and challenging cases, and offered more capacity for one-on-one client work. CEP, through its activities inc. the work of EGs on Technologies and Electronic Monitoring, provides guidance and mechanisms to promote the safe use and implementation of new technologies in probation while keeping the primary objectives of probation at the forefront.

Communication Activities

CEP addresses the topics mentioned above by organizing expert group and network meetings and a variety of events (online, f2f, hybrid) in order to reach the relevant audiences in the best way possible and give them the chance to exchange experience and learn from each other; by publishing articles and research reports on the CEP website and in the newsletter; by making its knowledgebase on probation and all its aspects the largest one in Europe, available for probation staff all over Europe; and by using its social media channels and YouTube to reach a wide audience of practitioners, experts and other relevant target groups (policy makers, judges, prosecutors and other key criminal justice players). CEP with its members regularly takes part in the public consultations (e.g. Victims’ Rights Directive, Judicial Training Strategy), surveys (e.g. standardized EU survey on justice, rights and values), campaigns (e.g. Victim Rights) etc.

Interests Represented

Does not represent commercial interests

Member Of

CEP works closely together with other network organizations like European Organisation of Prison and Correctional Services (EuroPris), European Forum for Restorative Justice (EFRJ); the European Forum for Urban Security (EFUS), the Academy of European Law (ERA), European Judicial Network (EJN), the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) and EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation (former RAN), Victim Support Europe (VSE), Penal Reform International (PRI) and Work With Perpetrators (WWP EN). The affiliation agreement with international organisations, e.g. UNODC, UNAFEI, APPA, IPPF, ICPA etc. CEP regularly attends the annual conferences for the European Society of Criminology and Conference for the Directors in Prison and Probation organized by the Council of Europe.

Organisation Members

The list of CEP's full members can be found on its website: https://www.cep-probation.org/members/ Also CEP has individual members and these are 32 in total - the number of natural persons stated above.

Additional Information

CEP obtained a 4 year Framework Partnership Agreement with the European Commission (period 2022-2025). Currently, CEP has a 3-year FPA with the EC DGJUST in place for the period of 2026-2028 and for that reason CEP is able to ask for an annual Operating Grant funding. For 2025 the request for funding has been granted and CEP received the pre-financing amount. The final payment depends on the height of the eligible costs of the realization of CEP eligible activities in the course of the year. For 2026 the request for funding has been granted and CEP received the pre-financing amount.