Focus On
78th COLPOFER General Assembly & 1st COLPOFER - RAILPOL Symposium in Brussels and London, 22-24 October 2024
The 78th COLPOFER General Assembly and the 1st COLPOFER - RAILPOL Symposium were successfully held in Brussels and London on 22-24 October 2024, hosted by SNCB and EUROSTAR Ltd. During the Symposium, the crucial role played by private-public partnership in the current threat scenario was highlighted by eminent speakers from EUROPOL and the European Commission DG-MOVE and DG-HOME. Topics of paramount importance for railway companies and railway police authorities ranging from the terrorist threat evaluation, the illegal migration and railway interventions after rail accidents were jointly addressed from both perspectives, the COLPOFER one and the RAILPOL one.
77th COLPOFER General Assembly in Riga, 30 - 31 May 2024
The 77th COLPOFER General Assembly entitled “Challenges for the railways as a critical infrastructure company in the current geopolitical situation” was held in Riga on 30-31 May 2024, hosted by LDz. Over the meeting the greatest challenges we all are facing in an uncertain geopolitical landscape were addressed by the members and by eminent Latvian institutional guests. The pivotal role of the railways in connecting persons and economies shall be increasingly protected against potential risks posed by recurrent threats, as well as from emerging forms of aggression through a coordinated effort and a multidisciplinary approach involving technological innovations, policy frameworks, collaboration between public and private sectors, as well as ongoing education and training for security professionals and staff.
COLPOFER - RAILPOL Agreement
On 14 December 2022, COLPOFER and RAILPOL undersigned an agreement aimed at underlining their common understanding of emerging security needs, addressing core values and responsabilities related to the role of both player at EU level, as well as outlining guidelines for future cooperation and procedures to quickly adapt to changes in the rail environment. It is a firm belief that increased cooperation between the two associations can bring enormous benefits and advantages to the real and perceived security in the EU, especially if supported by the resources and the guidance of the European Commission. Following the above-mentioned imperative, the organization of common projects have been proposed:
- Workshops/meetings between COLPOFER members and national transport/railway police;
- Joint excercises devoted to (special) police force interventions and actions of railway operators;
- Educational projects on specific topics (antisocial behaviours, terrorist attack, potentially dangerous behaviour detection, etc.);
- Action days (joint operations) with public and private entities on new topics, such as security checks on board and at stations, whose common goal is to increase the perception of passenger safety and security;
- Strategic cooperation or mutual participation in the respective statutory bodies (General Assemblies, Board, etc.).
Colpofer effort in Ukraine's refugees emergency
Following the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, in March 2022 COLPOFER has created a joint Communication Network exchanging relevant information on a regular basis in order to support member companies and partner associations and organisations to tackle the challenges arising from this humanitarian crisis, as well as supporting refugees flows in a safe environment.