Border protection is a crucial activity for the protection of countries against terrorist threats, smuggling of goods that can threaten the lives of citizens, and illegal immigration. Combating terrorism and cross-border crime is a major challenge, both globally and at European level. Today, more than ever, institutional cooperation between the various national border protection structures is necessary in the European Union and neighboring countries by developing structures that can collaborate with each other through information exchanges, operational activities and joint training.
In the coming years, the nearly 550 kilometers of international border that delimits the territories of Romania and the Republic of Serbia will continue to be a national border, continuously preparing us to become a border of the Schengen space, thus protecting the entire space of the European Union.
The Timișoara Border Police Territorial Inspectorate, in Romanian-Serbian cross-border partnership with the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Serbia, the Drobeta-Turnu-Severin Border Police Training School, the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police and the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Gendarmerie are running from with the month of October 2023 the project of strategic importance entitled "Safer climate in the Romanian-Serbian border area."
The project will streamline joint operational activities for the purpose of preventing and combating cross-border crimes in the Romania-Serbia border area, improving working conditions for police officers with duties in managing the security of border areas by rehabilitating the premises of border police units.
In Romania, the structures of the Territorial Inspectorate of the Timișoara Border Police will be rehabilitated and modernized, rehabilitating and expanding the Vârciorova Conference Center Headquarters, which will be used for staff training, and a pontoon will be built in Old Moldova docking of ships used in patrolling the Danube.
The Serbian partners within the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Serbia will equip themselves with specific equipment to ensure the security of the borders by purchasing some pillars equipped with modern surveillance equipment, finding ourselves after 5 months of implementation in the phase of carrying out feasibility studies, design, execution and installation of such security equipment.
With an implementation duration of 36 months, between 03.10.2023 and 03.10.2026, the project of strategic importance for the Romanian-Serbian cross-border region, RORS00004: "Safer climate in the Romanian-Serbian border area," has a financial value of 13,799 .413.65 euros, being co-financed by the European Union with 85% of its value, namely 11,729,501.58 euros, the beneficiaries contributing to the project budget with 2,069,912.07 euros.
In order to create an increased level of citizens' trust in the border authorities, by creating a modern, flexible and efficient institutional image, according to European standards, the Territorial Inspectorate of the Timișoara Border Police organized a project presentation conference on April 17, 2024 "Safer Climate Within The Romanian-Serbian Border Area" (original title), to which representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from Romania, as the governmental structure coordinating border protection activities, the Romanian Police, the Romanian Gendarmerie, of the Ministry of the Interior and the Border Police of the Republic of Serbia.
On behalf of the Romania-Serbia Interreg IPA Program, representatives of the European Commission, the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration from Romania as the Managing Authority, the Ministry of European Integration from the Republic of Serbia and the Joint Secretariat from the Regional Office for Cross-border cooperation Timișoara.
