Spain and Portugal to hone their cross-border police cooperation mechanisms

Grande-Marlaska and Carneiro agreed that the existing police collaboration between the two countries is already excellent, and that this translates into intense cooperation in investigations, cross-border projects and joint training programmes.

At the meeting, the two ministers agreed to further hone cross-border police coordination mechanisms structured through the five ACPCs shared by the two countries. Spain wants the Caya/Elvas centre, which they visited on Monday, to become a centre of reference, with uninterrupted operation. This centre is the one that processes the largest volume of cases, given that it is located on the main Madrid-Lisbon communication route and has already become a regular point of transfer of detainees and prisoners between the two countries.

Grande-Marlaska thanked his Portuguese counterpart for the initiative to meet on Monday, "which has allowed us to reflect on bilateral Spanish-Portuguese police cooperation, which is already excellent, and has helped us to promote the continuity and improvement of the already intense and effective cooperation relations in security matters between our two countries".

At the meeting, the Minister for Home Affairs was accompanied by the Director General for International Relations and Foreigners, Elena Garzón. For his part, the Portuguese Minister for Home Affairs was accompanied by the national coordinator of the CCPAs of the Republican National Guard, Colonel Simao Pedro Costa.

Cooperation Centres

Prior to the meeting, the Minister for Home Affairs held a working meeting with the acting Government Delegate in Extremadura, Francisco Mendoza; the Chief of Police of Extremadura, Commissioner Alfredo Garrido, and the General of the Guardia Civil José Luis Gómez, in command of the police force in this autonomous region, with whom he analysed the police deployment in the territory.

Extremadura now has 4,050 National Police and Civil Guard personnel, the highest figure in the last ten years, thanks to the 7.9% increase in the number of personnel promoted by the Ministry for Home Affairs in the last four years. The territory is already very close to the all-time high of 4,147 personnel recorded in 2011.

The Minister for Home Affairs also reviewed the state of Spanish-Portuguese police cooperation with the community's police commanders. Spain and Portugal share five CCPAs, which serve as a channel for the exchange of information and support for police operations concerning matters of border and customs control in border areas. Also in operation, aside from the one in Caya/Elvas visited on Monday, are the centres in Tui/Valença do Minho, Qujintanilha/Alcañices, Vilar Formoso/Fuentes de Oñoro and Castro Marim/Ayamonte.

On the Spanish side, the National Police, the Guardia Civil and the Customs and Excise Department of the Tax Agency provide services at these centres. On the Portuguese side, the National Republican Guard, the Public Security Police and the Aliens and Border Service operate in these centres.

Non official translation