From airports to cyber labs: how bilateral exchanges strengthen action against organised crime – apply now for 2026 exchange programme

Law enforcement officials from Eastern Neighbourhood countries are invited to apply before 8 March for the 2026 CEPOL International Cooperation Exchange Programme, giving them a chance to participate in professional exchanges under the TOPCOP and other CEPOL international cooperation projects. 

These exchanges follow the principle that law enforcement cooperation is not always forged in meeting rooms, but rather in the places where daily work unfolds, like control rooms, laboratories, border crossings, or investigative offices.

Inspired by the Erasmus+ model, the programme pairs professionals, allowing them to work side by side. This peer-to-peer approach creates space for open professional dialogue and practical learning across different thematic areas, laying the foundations for effective cooperation against organised crime.

By placing participants directly in operational environments, the programme allows practitioners to observe how counterparts approach investigations and coordinate across services in real working conditions.

Last year saw 12 bilateral exchange visits organised under the TOPCOP project, bringing practitioners from EU Member States and Eastern Neighbourhood countries into each other’s working environments. Rather than following a set agenda, participants observed how cases are handled in practice, and compared investigative approaches.

Across the TOPCOP framework, the 2025 exchanges addressed a wide range of organised crime threats, including migrant smuggling, drug trafficking and cybercrime, with activities covering both operational and technical domains, from border control and investigative coordination to laboratory-based forensic analysis and digital investigations. 

A key outcome of these exchanges is that the impact reaches the institutional level, with participants identifying concrete ways to adapt methods and update internal practices. 

As Anzur Mkrtchyan, from the National Bureau of Expertises of Armenia, noted: “The knowledge and technologies obtained through the programme will directly contribute to strengthening our scientific and methodological capacity and to aligning our forensic system with EU standards.”

While each exchange is time-bound, its effects are not. The professional relationships established and the insights gained continue to shape how participants approach cooperation long after they return to their home institutions.

The TOPCOP project aims to further enhance operational effectiveness and joint efforts between the Eastern Partnership and the EU, strengthening the strategic and operational cooperation across the region to address criminal threats.

Find out more

Press release

Applications for 2026 exchanges