POLICE-RELATED ACTIVITIES OF FIELD OPERATIONS SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE During 2016, the Presence continued its support to the Border and Migration Police (BMP) through a series of activities which intended to reinforce the BMP’s current standards and promote trans-border joint activities, including operations and information sharing, in compliance with recognized international best practices. International co-operation and intelligence sharing are of crucial importance given recent geo-political developments. Following the signing of the Hot Pursuit Protocols between Albania and the neighbouring countries (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Montenegro) as well as Kosovo, two simulating exercises (with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Montenegro) were conducted during 2016 to test the operability of these protocols in the field. With the increase of international co-operation between Albania and the neighbouring countries, the Common Police Cooperation Centres (PCC) required a strengthening of the exchange of information and identifying document. Three joint workshops were organized for personnel working in each of the PCCs. Trainees were familiarized with the SIENA system, the Europol tool designed to enable swift, secure and user-friendly communication and exchange of operational and strategic crime-related information and intelligence. The Presence also supported the Green Border Assessment at two sites on the international border with Greece, which highlighted shortfalls that need to be addressed. When the new migratory movement was witnessed from the Middle East through the Balkan-Turkey route, the Presence organized a series of trainings and workshops for border guards, risk analysis and migration specialists on prescreening procedures, identifying foreign terrorist fighters, criminal offences, and recent routes of migratory crisis, in co-operation with INTERPOL and Europol. The activity placed 15 participants in three locations pre-selected in co-operation with the BMP, and focused on the challenges faced in the region related to the influx of migrants. The Presence, in co-ordination with neighbouring OSCE field operations, supported the BMP in the organization of a series of strategic meetings to promote and facilitate international dialogue, co-operation and information exchange. Specific areas for improved co-operation included day-to-day operations at the regional level and surveillance and security at the border. 47