EL BLOG DE LA FIIAPP. Cooperación Española

The EU-funded Project “Facility supporting Serbia in achieving the objectives of Chapter 24: Justice, Freedom and Security” supports the Republic of Serbia in the enhancement of the capacities to combat serious and organised crime and in the seizure and confiscation of assets. To achieve this objective, the cooperation is focused on the strengthening of the professional and operational skills and capacities to combat serious and organised crime.

In the scope of this Project, Serbian public prosecutors and Serbian judges identified the need to establish a common guideline with clear rules to build up a successful case in complex investigations, which are predominantly based on circumstantial evidence.

To illustrate, and in accordance with a prevailing understanding, evidence in criminal proceedings may be direct or circumstantial. Direct evidence is considered as proof of a fact presented in a direct manner, such as the testimony of an eyewitness. Circumstantial evidence is indirect evidence that does not, in and of itself, prove a given fact. Rather, it gives rise to a logical inference that the fact exists. For example, an individual’s “spending habits” may prompt further investigation into the provenance and destination of the property in question. This line of reasoning leads to the conclusion that the investigation should focus on the family relationships, relatives, business relationships, or other general interests of an individual whose personal and professional income, when considered in conjunction with the financial transactions and profit from his or her business, do not justify the observed unusual financial activity. A hypothesis may be regarded as a conclusion when it is deemed to be sufficiently substantiated and aligned with the evidence presented.

So, one of the most significant concerns of Serbian practitioners when assessing criminal cases, is that even if there is an understanding on the importance of circumstantial evidence, it considered essential to raise awareness on the principles of circumstantial evidence and on how to use it effectively.

As a result of this need, the Project has supported Serbian practitioners in the development of the “Guideline on comparative analysis of the necessary evidence required for a successful proceeding in organised crime, money laundering and assets recovery. Special focus on the importance of circumstantial evidence”. At the heart of the Manual is an emphasis on the use of circumstantial evidence, taking into consideration that serious and organised crime usually operates in the shadows. The Guideline encourages judicial practitioners to consider indirect evidence not as secondary, but as central to build a robust case. It provides a practical framework for how practitioners can better present, analyse, and link these pieces of evidence to form a convincing narrative.

With this in mind, the Manual aims to raise the awareness of Serbian Judges, Public Prosecutors, and Police Investigators on using circumstantial evidence in cases involving financial crimes, particularly money laundering. The Manual was drafted during a year by a team coordinated by the senior judge and Key Expert for Judicial and Prosecutorial Matters, Ms. Marta Pizarro Mayo, who brought together Serbian and EU expertise, in a coordinated work developed by relevant representatives from the Spanish and Serbian Judiciary and the Spanish and Serbian Public Prosecution.

 The Manual is designed to serve as a practical, “hands-on tool” for daily use by practitioners, rather than as an academic document. It incorporates case law from the European Court of Human Rights, the Court of Justice of the EU, and the Supreme Courts of EU Member States, with the objective of aligning Serbian practice with European standards.

The presentation of the Guideline took place in the first week of October 2024, and was successfully hosted at the four Appellate Courts of Kragujevac, Niš, Novi Sad and Belgrade. The presentation was attended by numerous judges and prosecutors from the Serbian Appellate regions, who expressed great interest in the Manual.

During the presentation of the Manual, the President of the Belgrade Appellate Court, Mr. Duško Milenković emphasised that it is “an important guide on how to resolve dilemmas on all important issues that arise before judges and prosecutors in the course of proceedings related to circumstantial evidence”. He also highlighted the fact that the Manual “makes a positive contribution to the reinforcement of instruments of international legal cooperation with neighbouring countries and in particular with EU countries, as Serbian judges and prosecutors will be able to identify all possible obstacles that the country we has in judicial cooperation, and to find concrete solutions to those obstacles, in order to initiate possible changes in the Republic of Serbia for cooperation to flow in a more streamlined manner”.

The Manual was presented in two formats: physical and digital. The digital version incorporates accurate links to the original resolutions, legislation, and international treaties, thus providing a dynamic and useful tool for practitioners from the Republic of Serbia and beyond.

Deputy Court President from Niš Court of Appeal, Mr. Zoran Popović, highlighted in the presentattion that the Manual “will contribute to the wider application of circumstantial evidence in judicial practice in the Republic of Serbia”

The Judicial Academy of the Republic of Serbia has assumed responsibility for the dissemination of the Manual to all Serbian criminal judges and public prosecutors. Furthermore, the Academy is coordinating additional training activities based on the utilisation of the Manual..

During the presentation of the Manual, the President of the Kagrujevac Appellate Court, Mr. Aleksandar Blanuša, also stated “the positive contribution of the Guideline to strengthening the instruments of international legal cooperation with neighboring countries, and especially with the EU countries, for the successful fight against both organised crime and all other forms of crime”.

In conclusion, and quoting Mr. Miljko Radisavljević, Public Prosecutor from the Supreme Public Prosecution of Serbia, “the Guideline, though not a strategic document, harbour an ambitious idea to make a significant contri­bution to changing the current situation, judging by the list of authors engaged, their approach, experi­ence, used sources, persuasiveness of their argumentation, this goal will undoubtedly be achieved. The document is not only intended for practitioners, but should serve as an indispensable tool in their daily work, a guide for resolving doubts and open questions, but also a document that needs to improve their knowledge, skills, stimulate their creativity and help them to solve the challenges we face in processing money laundering, corruption, serious and organised crime with new ideas, energy and even courage”.

Why does it matter?

The production and maritime drug trafficking of cocaine continue to reach record highs. While the supply of this illicit substance has intensified, seizures by law enforcement authorities have also increased worldwide. Colombia, one of the top cocaine producing countries, is registering record levels of cocaine seizures.

According to data from InSight Crime, an investigative and journalistic organisation specialising in organised crime, Colombia recorded the highest seizure figures in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2023, confiscating 739.5 tons of cocaine hydrochloride.

Ecuador ranked second, with more than 195 tons seized, followed by Panama and Brazil, which seized 95.7 tons and 72.3 tons, respectively. Brazil remains the most important transit point on the Atlantic coast of Latin America, seizing more cocaine than Argentina, Guyana, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela combined. These countries lie along key drug trafficking routes connecting producer countries with Europe and the United States, including the main cocaine road across the Atlantic.

Drug trafficking is violence

Drug trafficking groups compete for strategic maritime corridors. Ecuador surpassed all violence indicators in 2023, while Costa Rica’s homicide rate increased by 41%, amid an ongoing struggle to control cocaine flows through ports and coastal infrastructure.

By contrast, in countries such as Bolivia and Peru—also among the top cocaine producing countries due to extensive coca cultivation—authorities seized more cocaine in 2023 than in 2022, yet homicide rates remained comparatively low. This highlights how the impact of maritime drug trafficking varies depending on institutional capacity and territorial control.

New maritime drug trafficking routes

During 2024, a maritime drug trafficking route—particularly for cocaine hydrochloride—has become the main expansion corridor for transnational criminal organisations seeking passage from producer countries, mainly Colombia and Peru, to Europe.

This evolving drug trafficking route crosses Southern Cone countries by air, land (Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil and Venezuela) and river (via the Paraná waterway involving Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina), before crossing the South Atlantic from ports in Brazil and Argentina toward African countries in the Gulf of Guinea and North Africa, including Morocco, Nigeria, Liberia and Senegal.

Within this context, European, Latin American and African criminal organisations operate in a coordinated manner at low operational and logistical cost. The presence of European networks in Latin America is increasing, while Latin American criminal groups expand into Africa to facilitate logistics, storage and transport for the transit of illicit goods to Europe. This low-profile expansion strengthens transnational criminal cooperation and consolidates the percentage of cocaine to the US via maritime routes and Europe as final destinations.

In this reality of constant innovation—where maritime drug trafficking routes seek to evade land, sea and air controls, and criminal alliances span multiple continents the European SEACOP project develops targeted strategies to identify international maritime smuggling networks, disrupt their consolidation, and prevent cocaine shipments from reaching their final destination.

Maritime intelligence, seizures and cooperation: keys to success

One of SEACOP’s most effective and sustainable strategies is based on building lasting capacity in partner countries across three core areas: maritime and river intelligence, seizure techniques, and the creation of international cooperation networks.

During the first half of the year, intelligence training activities were conducted in several participating countries. In the second half, training has focused on seizure techniques, alongside the definition of two transnational intelligence strategies involving Latin American and African partners, including Senegal.

As a result of this combined training and networking effort, two operational frameworks have been established with the support of specialists from the Spanish National Police: the Special Response Groups (GRES)—GRES South Atlantic and GRES Ports—covering the southern and northern maritime and river drug trafficking routes.

Special Response Groups

The GRES SUR operation was launched last May in Paraguay with the participation of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Meanwhile, GRES Ports will be launched in mid-October in Colombia with the participation of Peru, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic, also involving key regional partners such as Panama and Costa Rica.

In its first months of operation, GRES SUR carried out actions in strategic maritime and recreational ports, including Santos, Montevideo, Río de la Plata, Dakar and Asunción, resulting in significant seizures of cocaine and drug-related assets.

Maritime containers, cargo vessels and recreational boats were inspected, leading to cocaine seizures in Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Drugs were also seized from a vessel departing from Senegal bound for Argentina, and ten individuals allegedly involved in this maritime drug trafficking network were arrested.

These results were made possible through coordinated maritime–river intelligence sharing and joint operations. The Operational Coordination Centres in Argentina and Senegal played a crucial role in preventing information leaks and ensuring effective international coordination.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are the sole responsibility of the person who wrote them.

This content has been updated to reflect the current context and to highlight the continued implementation and relevance of the SEACOP project, which remains active in strengthening international cooperation against maritime drug trafficking.

• The project, funded by the European Union and coordinated by FIIAPP and the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, has strengthened the training of Spanish consular staff in Morocco, Senegal, Cape Verde, Tunisia, Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Promoting safe, orderly and regular migration. To this end, the Migrasafe project has worked closely with the staff of Spanish consulates in various African countries to train their staff on current legislation on migration. The aim is to enable them to provide accurate and up-to-date information to migrants. Training has also been provided to immigration liaison officers from the European Union.

Led by Spain, Migrasafe has the participation of Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland and the support of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Migration and Home Affairs (DGHOME), which co-finances the project.

The different sessions and activities organized by Migrasafe have focused on the different European directives that promote safe, orderly and regular migration. Access to information on legal migration has also been promoted among civil society organizations, which act as informal sources of information to potential migrants.

Throughout the implementation of the project, which started in 2022, the following have been carried out:

• 29 sessions for consular staff, registering 143 participants from 26 Embassies.
• 15 sessions for immigration liaison officers (ILOs), registering 68 participants from 19 Embassies.
• 18 sessions for African national authorities, with 96 attendees from 42 ministerial bodies.

Public policies are the instruments through which public institutions respond to demands and address public challenges in multiple domains. They provide the framework for all actions by which a state seeks to respond to collective needs and reflect – or should reflect – the values of a society.

They are fundamental not only for setting goals and objectives for the collective well-being of a set of citizens, but also for allocating the human, financial and technological resources to implement them and thus enforce the rights set out in constitutions or bills of rights.

We get to know our development workers

However, we rarely put a face to the people who work to enact these public policies. We are not talking about the political class, but about our development workers, an essential link in the chain. These are the public servants who cooperate with other countries to exchange knowledge, improve the institutional framework and the functioning of public systems. A form of cooperation that always includes a return of knowledge, a two-way exchange that also feeds our capacities to promote public systems for people and the planet.

Through the #PublicExpertise for the World video series, we get to know our public development workers who cooperate in a wide range of fields: security, justice, employment, social cohesion or climate. Every year we mobilise more than 600 professionals in over 120 countries. A vocation for public service, flexibility and adaptability, active listening and fluency in other languages. These are the main requirements that civil servants have to meet to participate in international cooperation missions. Now we discover what inspired them to cooperate, what are the greatest achievements of the projects in which they have participated, what tools they have developed in the face of difficulties, what world they dream of? An inspiring format that brings us a close-up portrait that highlights the importance of this type of cooperation.

Access here to all the videos of Public Expertise for the world and get to know the story of Rosa María Marín (prosecutor), Adriana Tostón (commander of the Guardia Civil), Pedro Parra (employment official) or Elsa Marta (National Police).

Find out here how institutional cooperation works and what challenges we are tackling this year.

In the last days of December we tend to look back on all that we have achieved during the year. It is a time for reflection, but it is also a time for new resolutions and dreams. At FIIAPP we are well aware of this and our drive to continue building and improving public systems for people and the planet does not cease. Moreover, this year has been very special because we have completed 25 years of cooperation, sharing knowledge and experiences in more than 120 countries.

There are many achievements and they do not fit in a post of X or in a video. Not even in this blog. However, these 34 achievements are a sample of the tireless and enthusiastic work of our public sector professionals in cooperation.

With the firm conviction that public policies can and must improve people’s lives, they are committed to working with FIIAPP on a wide range of issues: justice, peace, development, environment, security, social policies, rights, digitalisation…

Our public administrations are full of talent and commitment.

These achievements are yours, they are ours.

Digitalisation

Ukraine: new IT curriculum for early childhood, primary and secondary education to prepare 4 million students for a post-conflict digital future.

Somalia, Kenya and Djibouti: civil service training for the digital transformation of the administration.

Latin America and the Caribbean: Latin America and the European Union strengthen their Digital Alliance to ensure data protection and digital rights in both regions.

Paraguay: strengthening statistical capacity by integrating information on health, civil registry and migration, among others.

Green agenda

Latin America and the Caribbean: accompanying decarbonisation strategies and strengthening the capacities of climate services.

Cuba: updating energy policy by orienting it towards green energy (thermal districts, climate finance and agro-ecological value chains).

Guatemala and Dominican Republic: support for circular economy strategies and strengthening forest fire management.

Amazonia: launch of the Amazonian Network for Integrated Fire Management (RAMIF).

Lebanon: creation of the “Green Police” app for reporting environmental crimes.

Justice

Dominican Republic: positioned as a benchmark in the digitisation of justice in the Caribbean.

MERCOSUR: creation of an international protection order for victims of gender-based violence.

Peru and Bolivia: strengthening the capacities of police and justice institutions to curb organised crime by creating joint security and justice investigation teams.

Trade

Uruguay: support for sustainable certifications to guarantee exports in line with the EU regulation on deforestation.

Continental Africa: creation of a free trade area with a focus on young people, making the tools and opportunities offered by this treaty available to them.

Youth

Tunisia: development of municipal programmes on youth and sport.

Morocco: implementation of the youth card and support for a future youth law in the country.

Fight against terrorism and organised crime

Sahel: creation of 13 rapid action groups to ensure security in areas at high risk of organised crime. This presence has enabled the reopening of markets, schools and health centres.

Senegal, Ghana and Kenya: 300 security officers trained to protect public spaces from potential terrorist attacks.

Lebanon: publication of the first report on the state of human rights in the country, with the support of our project Community Policing.

Migrations

8 African countries: Training in European legislation on regular migration for public officials responsible for migration management, civil society organisations and European embassies. In addition, we have developed e-learning platforms for European and African civil servants responsible for migration management and for civil society organisations.

Border management

Latin America and the Caribbean: creation of the Athens Network in 6 countries in the region to exchange information and control document fraud.

Colombia and Ecuador: implementation of the “One Stop Control” system to speed up the passage of people.

MERCOSUR and the Andean Community: implementation of border regulations and information exchange mechanisms to stop organised crime. Creation of a border management diploma course for officials from six pilot borders.

Fight against trafficking

Nigeria: creation of a national database for the investigation of trafficking networks and the protection of victims.

Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica: equipping Interpol offices with state-of-the-art technology to provide a network for information and investigation of human trafficking and smuggling crimes.

Local government

Angola: implementation of participatory governance mechanisms, open governments and citizen laboratories.

Mexico: development of a fiscal model for social cohesion, strengthening revenue collection and the quality and transparency of spending.

Drugs

Latin America and the Caribbean: reinforcement of drug observatories and institutional coordination against the laundering of assets derived from drug trafficking.

Chile: new approaches to drug policies such as socio-labour for young people with drug problems or mental health monitoring in juvenile homes.

Central Asia: implementation of treatment and care aimed at the specific needs of women with drug use problems, both in the community and in prisons.

Public Expertise

Spanish cooperation: public technical cooperation is included in Spain in the new Law on Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Global Solidarity. This year we have mobilised more than 620 public professionals from more than 180 European institutions.

25th anniversary: we celebrate our 25th anniversary consolidating the commitment to cooperation of Spanish Public Talent. We also commemorated the 25th anniversary of the twinning programme, led in Spain by the FIIAPP.

European cooperation: we have managed to get the European Public Service Ministries to share a roadmap with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Objective: to position public sector international cooperation as a driver of development.

Carbon footprint reduction, crop production or job promotion are some of the benefits of agrivoltaic energy, a sustainable alternative for solar farm land. It is an increasingly common trend that offers a second life to abandoned soils dedicated exclusively to the exploitation of solar energy. However, these spaces have good growing conditions, as the solar panels protect them from the sun and adverse weather conditions.

Cuba and agrivoltaic energy: social, economic and environmental benefits

From a social point of view, the implementation of this new technology boosts job creation in the agricultural and energy sector, which helps reduce unemployment and improves people’s quality of life. In addition, through increased food production, it improves access to fresh and healthy food for the population, promotes environmental education and awareness of the importance of sustainability and the conservation of natural resources. Agri-violence promotes community participation in food and energy production, which contributes to strengthening social ties and fostering collaboration between communities.

Economically, it supports increased food and energy production, thereby reducing dependence on imports and improving food and energy security. Furthermore, agri-voltaics generates additional income for farmers by enabling them to produce both food and energy on the same piece of land, helping to improve the local and national economy as well as reducing production costs. Internationally, it is a very attractive technology for attracting foreign investment in this sector and promoting the development of sustainable and efficient technologies.

From an environmental point of view, by using the same land for food and energy production, it reduces the need to deforest new areas for the installation of solar panels, contributing to soil conservation by reducing erosion and water evaporation on the land. In effect, it promotes biodiversity by creating an environment conducive to the growth of different crops and plants, as well as beneficial insects and pollinators. On the other hand, the generation of clean energy through solar panels reduces greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to mitigating climate change.

FIIAPP committed to renewable energy in Cuba: exchanging experiences among professionals

In the framework of the EU-Cuba expert-exchange project to promote renewable energy sources and energy efficiency in Cuba, led by FIIAPP and financed by the European Union, the University of Sancti Spíritus “José Martí Pérez” (UNISS) and the sister project Renewable Energy Sources for Local Development (FRE-local) have been supported to increase their knowledge and capacities related to this technology, with the ultimate goal of creating agricultural power plants in Cuba and strengthening local development in the country through renewable energies, thus increasing the country’s competitiveness in the global market.

The exchange of experiences between specialists from peer institutions is the basis of the work developed in the FIIAPP, which aims to improve public systems for people and the planet.

The implementation of agrivoltaics in Cuba could be of great importance for the country, as it would allow for a more efficient use of available resources to produce food and energy. It would also help reduce Cuba’s dependence on fossil fuels to generate electricity, which would contribute to improving the country’s energy security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This would be especially important in a country like Cuba, which faces significant economic and environmental challenges.

Therefore, in the framework of the Project in Cuba, UNISS professors have visited Italy and France, where they got to know different agroforestry plants, in collaboration with the Italian Association for Sustainable Agriculture (AIAS) and Learning Action for Nature and Development (LAND).

At the end of November, two experts from the Italian agency Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l’energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile (ENEA) and the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT) will travel to Cuba to carry out a workshop on the design and operation of agroforestry systems to support local sustainable development in rural areas.

Dr. Julio Pedraza Garciga, Professor at the Centro de Estudios de Energía y Procesos Industriales of the University of Sancti Spíritus “José Martí Pérez” (UNISS) in Cuba.

Dr. C. Kolima Peña Calzada, Professor at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Sancti Spíritus “José Martí Pérez” (UNISS) in Cuba.

Carolina González Quinteros, Technician of the EU-Cuba expert-exchange project to promote renewable energy sources and energy efficiency in Cuba, FIIAPP.