From September 22 to 25, 2025, the Chief of the State Border Guard, General Guntis Pujāts, visited the Netherlands to attend the European Police Chiefs Convention (EPCC) in The Hague. The Convention was attended by the heads of law enforcement agencies from EU Member States, as well as representatives from other countries with which Europol has concluded cooperation agreements. The Latvian delegation also included representatives from the State Police and the State Revenue Service.
During the EPCC, issues related to new modus operandi of serious and organized crime in digital and traditional environments were discussed, including "Crime-as-a-Service" and the involvement of minors—both as perpetrators and as users of these services—in these ecosystems, as well as matters in the field of irregular migration. A separate panel discussion was dedicated to the misuse of new financial instruments for moving and laundering illegally obtained funds.
As part of the visit, the delegation met with the Latvian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Solvita Āboltiņa, on Wednesday, September 25, where they exchanged information on current issues.
EU Support and Cooperation
The participation of the Latvian delegation in this high-level convention underscores the EU's commitment to strengthening the cooperation and operational capabilities of EU Member States' law enforcement agencies. Thanks to the EU budget-funded Europol, it is possible to maintain such cooperation platforms, ensuring that Latvian competent authorities receive the latest information and can effectively coordinate activities with partners across Europe.
Europol is a decentralized EU agency responsible for strengthening cooperation among EU Member States' law enforcement agencies to prevent and combat serious crime, terrorism, and organized crime.
