The Ministry of Internal Affairs is the Programme Operator for the "Schengen Cooperation and Combating Cross-border and Organized Crime, including Trafficking and Itinerant Criminal Groups" programme.
The objective of the Programme is to increase citizens' security through improvement of the efficiency of cooperation between law enforcement authorities in the Schengen Member States in fighting organized crime, including trafficking in human beings.
Specific Objectives:
1. Strengthening the cooperation between the law enforcement authorities in Romania and Norway
2. Developing the exchange of information and best practices, through organizing common missions and trainings
3. Achieving common knowledge on the criminal behaviour and establishing efficient methods for fighting crime
4. Reducing the number of crimes committed by the Romanian citizens in the European area
5. Reducing cross border crime and organized crime, dismantling the criminal networks and  efficiently fighting itinerant criminal groups
6. Reducing the traffic of human beings, degrading treatment and exploitation (including the sexual exploitation), begging, prostitution and cross border crimes in which Romanian citizens are involved

Donor programme partner: The Norwegian Police Directorate (POD)
The total allocation of the Programme amounts to € 6,235,294 , of which:
• € 5,300,000  (85%) is financed by the Norway Financial Mechanism
• € 935,294  (15%) national co-financing.
The achievement of General Objective of the Programme shall be based on the implementation of 6 pre-defined projects:
1. "Strengthening police cooperation between Romania and Norway to fight criminal itinerant groups and human trafficking"

Expected outcome:  
• Supporting the operative cooperation through the deployment of Romanian police officers in Norway;
• Enhancing the investigative and information verification and transfer capabilities of the General Inspectorate of Romanian Police - Directorate for Countering Organized Crime and Directorate for Criminal Investigations;
• Good practices and expertise transfer between Norwegian and Romanian Police in the field of criminal itinerant groups and human trafficking for the purpose of begging.

Project promoter: General Inspectorate of Romanian Police.
Budget: € 3,376,667 .
2. "Cooperation in the field of illegal migration and protection of human rights"
Expected outcome:  
• To stimulate, promote and develop horizontal methods and tools necessary for strategically preventing and fighting illegal migration and guaranteeing security, public order and protection of human rights as an activity within the European Union Crime Prevention Network, public-private partnerships, best practices in preventing illegal migration and comparable statistics;
• To promote and develop coordination, cooperation and mutual understanding among law enforcement agencies, other national authorities and related EU entities in respect of the priorities identified by the Regulation (EC) no. 562/2006 of 15 March 2006 establishing a Community Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Border Code);
• To develop and promote best practices for admission of refugees;
• To promote and develop best practices in investigating organized crime networks involved in trafficking migrants.

Project Promoter: General Inspectorate of Border Police.
Budget: € 170,310.
3. "National Perspectives regarding compensatory measures for the victims of human trafficking"
Expected outcome:
• Improved cooperation between Norway and Romania related to fight against human trafficking.
• Ensuring the proper information of the decision makers in order to facilitate  the access to financial compensations for the victims of human trafficking 
• Raised awareness related to human trafficking associated risks for sexual exploitation, forced labour and forced begging.
• Project Promoter: National Agency against Trafficking in Persons.
• Budget: € 250,000.
4. "Integrated approach for prevention of victimization within Roma communities".
Expected outcome:
• Enhancing the knowledge of the relevant national/European actors in the field of victimization within Roma communities
• Increasing the awareness of members of Roma communities on crime victims and preventing victimization within Roma communities.
• Expertise transfer from the Norwegian and other European/international organizations to Romanian Police in the field of preventing and fighting victimization, as concerns hate crimes, within Roma communities.
Project Promoter: General Inspectorate of Romanian Police
Budget: € 791,550.
5. "Fighting cross-border economic criminality at the Schengen border"
Expected outcome:
• Exchange of best practices and improvement of the national and international cooperation with the stakeholders involved in fighting cross-border economic crimes.
• Strengthening the cooperation for fighting cross-border economic crimes by concluding partnerships with other similar institutions in Moldavia.
Project Promoter: General Inspectorate of Romanian Police
Budget: € 800,000.
6. "Strengthening the information cycle management in the fight against organized crime and illegal migration for increasing the European security"
Expected outcome:
• Improving the technical, operational and administrative capacity of the Department in order to strengthen the cooperation with law enforcement authorities in the Schengen Member States, for fighting organized crime and other related crimes, such as illegal migration, cybercrime and human and assets trafficking.
Project Promoter:  Department for Intelligence and Internal Protection
Budget: € 686,260.
Contact: granturi@mai.gov.ro, tel.: 021.303.70.80 int.11010
Address: Ministry of Administration and Interior – Schengen Directorate, Piata Revolutiei nr. 1A, sect. 1, Bucharest, ROMANIA

Programme website http://www.norvegian.mai.gov.ro