4.5 Mission to Serbia Background The OSCE Mission to Serbia (hereafter the Mission) and its Law Enforcement Department (LED) assist Serbia in the reform of the police service to strengthen effective and democratic policing. As Serbia further integrates into European structures, the police service has continued to advance, increasing its level of professionalism and accountability. The co-operation with Serbia’s Government is based on the strategic framework document, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was revised and signed by the Mission and the Ministry of Interior (MoI) in 2014. The MoU defines the following priority areas: Police Accountability, Police Training and Education; Fight against Organized Crime, and Community Policing. In 2014, the key areas of the Mission’s activities were in line with the main MoI strategic areas defined in the overall MoI Development Strategy 2011-2016. Additionally, the Mission assisted in further developing the Community Policing Strategy, as well as the implementation of the Ministry’s Communication Strategy, the National Strategy for the Fight against Organized Crime and the National Anti-Corruption Strategy. In 2014, the LED comprised nine international and 16 national staff. As announced in the relevant Programme Outline, the Mission’s Police Training Programme was closed by the end of 2014. The ability of the MoI to absorb upcoming changes will depend on systematized training to institutionalize its reform investments. The Mission will support the MoI in systematizing the strengthening of professional competences, focusing on the key areas of partnership in community policing, police accountability, and countering organized crime. Legislative Reform/Criminal Legislation On 15 and 21 January, the Mission participated in two Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Working Groups (WG) set up to promote criminal justice reform. The first WG aims to draft the action plan to reform the criminal sanctions system. The purpose is to identify the necessary steps to implement the Strategy for Further Development of the System of Enforcement of Criminal Sanctions, adopted by the Government on 18 December 2013. The Mission also participated in the first meeting of the WG on the revision of the Criminal Code. Both activities are part of the Mission’s ongoing effort to assist the MoJ in promoting reform of the Serbian legal system and increase its capacity to prevent, detect and fight crime. On 28 January, the Mission organized a round table for 20 police officers and prosecutors on the implementation of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC). The revised CPC, which entered into force in October 2013, places the main responsibility for criminal investigations on the prosecution. Prosecutors from the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office, High Prosecutor's Office, Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office and one judge for preliminary proceedings delivered presentations to police and prosecutors addressing dilemmas identified by the police service on the implementation of the CPC. Throughout 2014, the Mission organized more than 25 round tables to increase co-operation between the police and the prosecution as they adjust to new roles and responsibilities under the CPC. Overall, the process gathered more than 600 criminal investigators, economic crime investigators and 100 prosecutors at the district level. The Mission organized round tables as follows: 90