SARAJEVO – The 5th conference of the Bled Process on Stolen Vehicle Crime will take place tomorrow at the premises of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat in Sarajevo. The event is jointly organized by the RCC and the Southeast Europe Police Chiefs Association (SEPCA).

The purpose of the conference is to improve national structures fighting the stolen vehicle crime, coordinate activities according to European standards, amend national legislation, enhance cross-border information exchange, and build and strengthen national network between state authorities and the private sector. This type of crime poses serious threat accross Europe, with annual financial damages amounting to millions of euros, and with European citizens being directly affected through increased insurance policy prices.

The event will be opened by the Norwegian Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jan Braathu, the Head of SEPCA's Organized Crime Department, Edin Vranj, and the Senior RCC Expert on Justice and Home Affairs, Virgil Ivan Cucu.

Conference participants will include relevant national experts from South East Europe (SEE), officials of INTERPOL, EUROPOL, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Southeast European Prosecutors Advisory Group (SEEPAG), Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) Centre, and representatives of donor countries and insurance companies.

This event is an excellent opportunity for the participants to exchange best practices and discuss National Action Plans in SEE countries as well as future steps to be taken to improve national and regional regulations and activities in fighting stolen vehicle crime.

Journalists are invited to attend the opening of the conference on Tuesday, 7 April 2009, at 09.00 hours, at the premises of the Regional Cooperation Council Secretariat, Trg Bosne i Hercegovine 1/V, Sarajevo.