Report

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Dear CEP Member,

General Assembly Report

We are pleased to share with you the report of the General Assembly, which took place in October 2025 in Vienna, Austria.

The document provides an overview of the key discussions, decisions, and outcomes of the meeting.

Please find the report attached.

We hope it offers valuable insights and a clear summary of the event.

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Report GA Vienna Final.pdf

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Minutes of the 15th General Assembly of the Confederation of European

Probation, Vienna, Austria, 15 October 2025

1. Official opening by CEP President and Chair of the General Assembly Ms

Annie DEVOS

Ms Annie DEVOS welcomed all delegates to the 15th CEP General Assembly. She thanked

the Vice-Presidents, Board members, Secretary General, all members of the Austrian

delegation and CEP staff for all their work in organising the General Assembly and the

Conference on Gender-based Violence in Probation.

Ms Annie DEVOS continued by saying that the General Assembly is an excellent

opportunity for the CEP Board to be able to show how CEP is functioning as an

organisation and to report back to their members on the work done during the last three

years.

Ms Annie DEVOS declared the 15th General Assembly officially open.

2. Report of the 14th General Assembly in Dubrovnik, Croatia, 2022

Ms Annie DEVOS went through the report of the 14th CEP General Assembly in Dubrovnik

2022. She asked CEP members present if they had any questions or comments. There

were no points of clarification or amendments made and the report of the 14th CEP

General Assembly was formally adopted by the 15th General Assembly.

3. Election Committee

Ms Annie DEVOS proposed the following Board members: Ms Marta FERRER, Ms Iuliana

CARBUNARU, and Mr Joachim TEIN as members of the General Assembly election

committee and asked the General Assembly to vote on the proposed election committee.

Ms Iuliana CARBUNARU explained the role of the election committee and function at the

GA, which items on the agenda will be voted on, what will be the voting procedure for

each topic and the necessary quorum. Green yes and red no cards will be used for

general voting, ballot papers will be used to vote for Board members.

Conclusion

The General Assembly unanimously approved the proposed members of the election

committee with 29 votes.

4. Report by the Board on the CEP activities during the last three years;

Ms Pia ANDERSON reported on the activities of CEP during the last three years from

2022 to 2025. She focused on the three overarching goals of CEP: “bringing together

those working in probation and criminal justice”, “continuous professionalization of

probation in Europe” and “raising the profile of probation at a national and European

level”.

The first objective of CEP is “to unite the probation sector in Europe, build and

maintain networks in probation and criminal justice”. Under this objective, CEP

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welcomed 36 new members during the last 3 years, and out of these 36 new members 6

full members, 2 associate members, 18 individual members, 8 honorary members. CEP

is a growing organization and today, CEP has 113 members.

CEP has different partnership agreements with different EU network organizations. Under

these partnership agreements several face-to-face and online activities had been

organized. In the context of the partnership with the Criminal Justice Platform Europe

(CEP, EuroPris and European Forum for Restorative Justice) CEP has organized 10

internal meetings, 1 Crossover Training (together with EPTA) and 3 one week Summer

Courses.

CEP has the following Expert Groups:

• Gender-Based Violence Expert Group (as of 2024)

• Foreign National in Prison and Probation Expert Group, together with EuroPris

• Violent Extremism Expert Group

• Technology in Probation Expert Group

• Mental Health Expert Group

• Education and Training Expert Network

• Research Expert Group

• Caseload and Workload Expert Group (as of 2024)

• Communication and Awareness-Raising in Probation Expert Group (as of 2025)

• Electronic Monitoring Expert Group (as of 2025)

CEP has been highly active in organizing professional events and strengthening

collaboration across Europe. Over the last 3 years, it has organized a total of 142 events,

held both online and in 16 different countries. Its Expert Groups and Networks have

addressed 12 key topics, fostering knowledge exchange and professional development

among practitioners. Among the most notable activities were the Criminal Justice

Platform Europe crossover training in 2024, the Core Correctional Skills Trainings held in

2023, 2024, and 2025, and the Electronic Monitoring Conference in 2024. In addition,

CEP accomplished 95 visits to 23 different countries, promoting mutual trust and

international cooperation

CEP also maintained close liaison with European institutions and network organizations,

including the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of

Europe. CEP actively engaged with several Council of Europe committees and platforms

such as the PC-CP, CDCP, and CDPPS, as well as with EU initiatives like the EU Judicial

Training network, the Victims’ Rights Platform, and the E-Capsule project, ensuring

strong representation and coordination at the European level.

Ms Iuliana CARBUNARU continued by presenting CEP Beyond Europe.

When presenting the work of the group CEP Beyond Europe, Ms Iuliana CARBUNARU

acknowledged Mr Steve PITTS for his voluntary work as CEP Ambassador.

CEP signed the following Memorandums of Understanding:

• The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

• The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan

• In preparation – The Ministry of Justice of South Korea

• Implementation – UNAFEI

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The Affiliation Agreement and Action Plan with the American Probation and Parole

Association (APPA) were renewed.

Ms CARBUNARU mentioned the World Congress on Probation and Parole. The last one

took place on 16–18 April 2024 in The Hague, Netherlands. Looking ahead the upcoming

World Congress will be 14–17 April 2026 in Bali, Indonesia.

Ms Pia ANDERSON continued by presenting the CEP Activities and Strategies:

CEP carried out a wide range of activities and strategies over the period. Four new

Expert Groups were launched, and the CEP Beyond Europe initiative was established in

2023. Several key strategic frameworks were developed and updated, including the

Research and Development Strategy, the Communication Strategy, the Financial

Strategy, and the Risk Management System. In addition, CEP adopted a Gender Equality

and Diversity Policy and initiated work on the CEP Strategic Plan 2026–2029. A new

website was launched, and an update of Probation in Europe was completed. CEP also

continued its efforts to support the implementation of EU policies on Framework

Decisions 947/2008 and 829/2009.

Four Action Grant projects were undertaken: Dialogue Trainer – CEP Simulations;

Empowerment of FD 2008/947 and 2009/829 through EU Probation Services (EMPRP);

Detention, Alternatives, Mutual Trust and Mutual Legal Assistance; and one Erasmus +

project: CoPPer Project, focusing on volunteers in probation.

Furthermore, three external audits were conducted, covering caseload and workload

analysis, privacy and information security in line with GDPR standards, and the

assessment of the CEP evaluation system.

Conclusion

No questions were raised. The report was adopted by the General Assembly.

5. Financial report 2022, 2023 and 2024 and Audit Reports

Mr Eric BEZEM presented the financial report 2022, 2023, and 2024 to the General

Assembly.

Expenses

✓ Staff costs initially decreased because of the replacement of the Secretary General.

However, due to the new collective labour agreement in the Netherlands taking effect

in 2024, the salaries of 4 staff members increased.

✓ Staff capacity incurred a slight decrease from 5.45 FTE on 1st January 2022 to 5.12

FTE at the end of 2024 due to a decrease in hours of the Operations & Policy

supporting officer.

✓ Travel and other direct costs fluctuated because of the organisation of the Electronic

Monitoring conference in 2022 and 2024.

✓ In 2020 a risk assessment document was implemented which is used to control

(manage) the risks that might threaten the continuity and/or the wellbeing/success

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of the organization. This document is updated yearly and the height of the maximum

contingency fund reserve needed is currently set at € 838,707.

Income

✓ The income from membership fees only slightly increased (+8%) over the last three

years.

✓ Contribution requested from the European Commission decreased slightly (-5%) over

the last three years because only in 2022 the General Assembly took place which

increased the eligible costs.

✓ Income generated from conferences was significant because of the biannual

EM conference in 2022 and in 2024.

✓ Other income fluctuated over the three years because the Help project was finalized

in 2022, and the CoPPer project started in 2024.

✓ The final net results for 2022, 2023 and 2024 were respectively € 30.088,

€ 63.388 and € 53.343.

✓ Because of this the contingency fund continued to grow from € 602,256 to € 695,415

which is necessary to be able to cover possible future financial setbacks, such as the

failure to obtain the Framework Partnership Agreement or Operating Grant and to

ensure continuity of the work

✓ All other reserves except the reserve for the organisation of the EM conferences grew

because of the positive results in the past 3 years:

✓ Reserves EM conferences € 65.418 € 65.418

✓ Reserve Research € 50.000 € 60.000

✓ Reserve Media and Communication € 37.252 € 47.252

✓ Reserve Conferences and Projects € 32.492 € 40.310

✓ Reserve Probation in Europe € 25.219 € 51.061

✓ The total amount of reserves grew from € 812.637 to € 959.456

It is a requirement for the application of the EU Operating Grant that an auditors’

certificate can be presented. Therefore, Stolwijk accountants audited and approved the

2022, 2023 and 2024 year accounts as well as the Operating Grant cost claims 2022,

2023 and 2024, which were to be submitted and accepted by the EU for final payment.

Mr Eric BEZEM continued by saying that CEP has a strong and stable financial position,

supported by a solid and well-managed financial structure. Through transparent

governance, CEP consistently ensures that its resources are allocated efficiently and in

alignment with its strategic objectives. CEP is in excellent financial health and well

positioned to sustain its mission and growth in the years ahead.

Mr Eric BEZEM acknowledged the work of Ms Martine HERSCHEL for working on the CEP

financial reports for the presented years.

Based on the results presented, which were summarized from the information in the

working papers, the General Assembly was requested to adopt the year accounts 2022-

2023-2024 on behalf of all the members.

Ms Annie DEVOS thanked Mr Eric BEZEM, Ms Martine HERSCHEL and Mr Peter PALSMA

for their work and contribution.

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Conclusion

In accordance with the CEP Statute (Art V.4) the 2022, 2023 and 2024 accounts were

approved unanimously by the General Assembly with 29 votes in favour.

6. Changes to the CEP Statute and Internal Regulations

Ms Jana ŠPERO KAMENJARIN explained to the General Assembly that during this term,

the Board reviewed its procedures and strategies for the coming years with the aim of

securing the sustainability of CEP, minimizing bureaucracy, multiplying results, and

following the recommendations from the 2021 Evaluation Audit on how CEP addresses

cross-cutting issues such as equality, equity, marginalisation, discrimination, and human

rights. She also referred to the 2023 Evaluation Audit, which focused on privacy, GDPR

compliance, and the information security of data publicly available on CEP’s website and

communication channels.

She continued by introducing to the General Assembly the changes to the CEP Statute

and Internal Regulations

CEP Statute

The amendment to the paragraph 7, point d. deals with sustainability and continuity of

CEP and its leadership. The Board proposes the following amendment to the Statute:

Article X

Board and officials

7. a. A board member exercising the position of President/Vice-President in the second

term, may be reappointed as President/Vice-President.

b. A board member is not allowed to serve as President/Vice-President for more than two

terms.

c. A board member who served two consecutive terms can be elected to serve one

consecutive term as Vice-President/President.

d. A board member exercising the position of President in the first term in accordance

with sub a. or c. of this paragraph, may be reappointed to serve one more consecutive

term as President.

Internal Regulations

The CEP Board proposes the following changes to the Internal Regulations.

To align with internal confidentiality policies and in response to the 2023 Evaluation

Audit on privacy, GDPR and information security of the information and data that are

publicly available on its website and in its communication channels the Board proposes

the deletion of the final sentence in the Article 24.

The CEP Board

24. The minutes of CEP Board meetings will be circulated within four (4) weeks of the

Board meeting, with a revision and commenting period of two (2) additional weeks,

then the minutes are subject to adoption by the CEP Board. A summary of the CEP

Board meeting shall be published on the website of the CEP after adoption of the

minutes by the CEP Board.

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Based on the recommendations arising from the 2021 Evaluation Audit on how CEP

addresses cross-cutting equality, equity, marginalization, discrimination, and human

rights issues the Board proposes the following addition within the article on Ethics and

Gender:

Ethics and Gender

57. CEP has the Gender Equality and Diversity Policy for its activities and internal

organization (Board and staff) in place. It includes gender mainstreaming

methods and tools to shape CEP processes and operational workflows, to aim

that the results and effects of CEP´s activities work better to meet gender equality

objectives.

The members were asked to vote on the Statute and Internal Regulations changes.

Conclusion

With 29 votes in favour, no abstentions and no votes against, the changes to the CEP

Statute and Internal Regulations were unanimously accepted by the General Assembly.

Ms Jana ŠPERO KAMENJARIN asked the General Assembly to vote on the following: the

General Assembly resolves to authorize each Board member of C.E.P. as well as the

Secretary-General and each employee of Kienhuis Legal N.V. in Utrecht, to execute the

deed of amendment (appendix III) and to do all and everything the notary might deem

useful or necessary with regard to the foregoing.

Conclusion

The General Assembly agreed unanimously to this authorization, with 29 votes in favour,

no abstentions and no votes against.

7. Membership

Ms Danijela MRHAR PRELIC lined the applications for CEP membership and asked the

General Assembly for the approval of applications for each type of acceptance: new

members (full membership, associate membership and individual membership),

cancelled memberships and honorary members.

New membership was provisionally accepted by the CEP Board from:

Full membership

✓ The Ministry of Justice, State Probation Service of Armenia

✓ The Ministry of Justice of The Republic of Azerbaijan

✓ The Ministry of Justice in Poland

✓ The Probation Service, States of Guernsey

Associate membership

✓ The University of Justice in Poland

Affiliate membership

✓ The International Penal and Penitentiary Foundation (IPPF)

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Individual membership:

✓ Prof. Peter Raynor (United Kingdom)

✓ Prof. Loraine Gelsthorpe (United Kingdom)

✓ Ms. Madalena Oliveira (Portugal)

✓ Mr. Dmytro Yagunov (Ukraine)

✓ Mr. Christian Ghanem (Germany)

✓ Dr. Hannah Graham (United Kingdom)

✓ Ms. Ilaria Fiorani (Italy)

✓ Mr. Vasileios Foukas (Greece)

✓ Ms. Elena Fiorini (Italy)

✓ Ms. Jelena Srnic Nerac (Serbia)

✓ Ms. Martine Feilzer (United Kingdom)

✓ Ms. Noemie Destoc (France)

✓ Ms. Benedetta Venezia (Italy)

✓ Ms. Roxanne Boothe (United Kingdom)

✓ Prof. William Whyte (United Kingdom)1

✓ Mr. Kilian Evert (Germany)2

The General Assembly was asked to vote on admission of full, associate and individual

members. The General Assembly accepted the proposed above mentioned new

membership by 29 votes in favour.

Cancellation of membership was provisionally accepted by the CEP Board from:

Full membership

✓ The Ministry of Justice of Hungary

Associate membership

✓ Swansea University

✓ The Probation Institute

Individual membership

✓ Ms. MaryAnne McFarlane (United Kingdom)

✓ Mr. Koen Goei (Netherlands)

✓ Ms. Sally Lester (United Kingdom)

✓ Mr. Adrian Sauter (United Kingdom)

✓ Ms. Ilaria Fiorani (Italy)

✓ Mr. Michiel van der Veen (Netherlands)

✓ Ms. Laura Negredo (Spain)

✓ Ms. Anna Matczak (Netherlands)

✓ Mr. Jeff Hodgkinson (United Kingdom)

1 The individual application was provisionally approved by the Board on 14 October at the 107th Board Meeting. 2 The individual application was provisionally approved by the Board on 14 October at the 107th Board

Meeting.

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The General Assembly accepted the cancellations with 29 votes in favour.

Ms Danijela MRHAR PRELIC presented the proposal of the CEP Board to award the

following professionals with the CEP honorary membership, for their work and

contribution to the development of Probation in Europe and beyond, and to Board

members who have been members of the Board for at least two full terms.

Honorary members

✓ Ms. Marta Ferrer (Catalonia-Spain)

✓ Ms. Iuliana Elena Carbunaru (Romania)

✓ Ms. Maret Miljan (Estonia)

✓ Ms. Pia Andersson (Finland)

✓ Ms. Sonia Flynn (United Kingdom)

✓ Mr. Joachim Tein (Germany)

✓ Mr. Peter Palsma (Netherlands)

✓ Mr. John Stafford (United Kingdom)

The General Assembly was asked to vote on awarding honorary membership. The

General Assembly accepted this proposal with 29 votes.

Mr John STAFFORD, upon being granted honorary membership, took the stage to

express his gratitude to CEP for this distinction. In his speech, he reflected on the past,

present, and future of probation, recalling the early foundations of CEP during his time

as Secretary General, alongside Mr John SCOTT, and the milestone of the first World

Congress on Probation with Ms Sue HALL. He emphasized the importance of working

together as a united confederation and upholding the shared values of probation across

Europe and beyond. He concluded by expressing his deep honour at receiving this

recognition and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting CEP’s future steps and vision.

Ms Danijela MRHAR PRELIC announced that Mr Gerry McNALLY was appointed a new CEP

Ambassador.

Conclusion:

The General Assembly accepted the new members, cancellations and new honorary

members by 29 votes in favour.

8. Strategic 3 Years Plan, Vision for the Future of CEP and Research Strategy;

Mr Daniel DANGLADES presented the CEP strategic plan for the next three years. He

started by stressing that CEP built the strategic plan 2026, 2027 and 2028 on the

important bases of the CEP vision, mission and overall CEP aims.

Mr DANGLADES continued by explaining the CEP mission, core values, vision as well as

strategic objectives.

The CEP mission is to promote rehabilitation and social inclusion through community-

based sanctions and to advance human rights, fairness, and ethical standards in

probation practice.

CEP enhances the profile of probation at national and European levels and develops staff

and leadership to improve service quality. It builds a strong probation network for

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knowledge, policy, and practice exchange, and represents probation internationally with

governments, victims, academics, and justice organisations.

The core values of the Confederation of European Probation (CEP) are respect for human

rights and citizenship, legitimacy, fairness and public confidence, and collaboration

across sectors to drive innovation and results.

The vision of CEP is to promote safer communities through rehabilitation and

reintegration. Guided by its core values of trust, dignity, and social cohesion, CEP is

committed to rehabilitating and reintegrating people who have offended, while

minimizing the impact of crime on individuals and society. Its efforts focus on providing

the best possible interventions to reduce reoffending and foster positive change,

contributing to a more just and cohesive social environment.

The strategic objectives of CEP are structured around four key areas. First, to unite,

build, and maintain the network through cross-border cooperation, strengthened peer

support and solidarity, and enhanced global engagement. Second, to professionalize

probation by focusing on staff training, the development of digital tools and innovation,

and promoting gender-sensitive approaches. Third, to raise the profile and visibility of

probation through advocacy at the EU and Council of Europe levels, increasing public

awareness and legitimacy, and ensuring the inclusion of marginalized voices. Finally, to

strengthen governance by promoting transparency and sustainability, ensuring gender

balance and family-friendly policies, and reinforcing financial resilience.

Mr Daniel DANGLADES continued by introducing the CEP major events and activities for

the three coming years 2026-2028 to the General Assembly.

Major events and activities 2026-2028

• Director´s General Conference (2027);

• Electronic Monitoring Conference (2026 and 2028);

• General Assembly and Conference following the General Assembly (2028);

• Workshops on Alternatives to Detention and Technologies, Caseload and Workload,

Transfer of Sentences, Gender-Based Violence, Overcrowding and Net-widening

(2026-2028);

• Training exchange for Directors General and Senior Managers (2026);

• CJPE Summer Course (annually) and Cross-over training activity (2027);

• Core Correctional Skills Training (annually);

• World Congress on Probation (2026 and 2028).

He continued by informing the General Assembly on Cross-cutting themes with a focus

on Sustainability, Ethics and Gender, Inclusive Communication.

The CEP Gender Equality and Diversity Policy was adopted by the Board in 2024 as a

result of the 2021 Evaluation Audit. It aims at both activities and the internal

organization, including the Board and staff. The policy includes gender mainstreaming

methods and tools to shape CEP processes and operational workflows, with the aim that

the results and effects of CEP’s activities work better to meet gender equality objectives.

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Ms Nicola CARR presented on the Research and development strategy. The main aim is

to enable CEP to improve the scale, effectiveness, and quality of its engagements with

research and knowledge exchange activities, in pursuit of CEP’s mission, particularly in

relation to the professionalization and promotion of probation. The report was produced

by Mr Fergus MCNEIL, Ms Karyn MABON, and Ms Elaine KAVANAGH.

Ms Nicola CARR continued by outlining the CEP research priorities.

Priority 1 – Setting probation research priorities; Priority 2 – Supporting probation

professionals to engage with research; Priority 3 – Supporting researchers to engage

with the probation profession; and Priority 4 – Building capacity for probation research,

its practice, and for its impact.

The research priority areas for CEP include: desistance and integration; probation

institutions, cultures, and practices; probationer experiences of supervision; probationer

health and mental health; professional and public understandings, and media

representations; and the role of new technologies in probation. In all priority areas,

attention to diversity issues is of critical importance.

The research priority areas are folded in the CEP Strategy and supported by the CEP

Research Expert Group.

Ms Nicola CARR asked to vote on approving the 3 years CEP strategy plan.

Conclusion

The General Assembly accepted the CEP strategic plan 2025-2028 unanimously with 29

votes in favour.

9. Proposal concerning the level of Membership fees 2026, 2027 and 2028

Mr Eric BEZEM, CEP Treasurer, presented the proposal concerning the level of

subscriptions 2026, 2025 and 2028. He explained how the membership fees are

calculated for 2026-2028.

The membership fees are calculated based on the following general principles:

• The past three years the membership fees remained at the same level and no

inflation correction was implemented.

• The guiding principles & the structure of the calculation of the fees remains

unchanged as approved during the General Assembly in Dubrovnik (2022).

• The solidarity principle is considered fair and transparent, and we propose to

maintain it.

• The burden of contribution for 2026-2028 is divided fairly amongst the CEP full and

associate members by means of the average calculation of the GDP’s used for the

calculation of the membership fees 2025 (Eurostat table Gross domestic product at

market prices at current prices in Millions of Euro).

Mr Eric BEZEM then mentioned the membership fee calculation system, which is based

on the solidarity principle of calculating the public contribution amount.

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Mr Eric BEZEM continued by outlining some final considerations that new members

joining and the termination of memberships will influence the total yearly membership

income. The membership fees of new members will remain entitled to a reduction in the

first year of two-thirds and in the second year of one-third. To mitigate the risk of a high

level of cost increases (inflation) or the termination of too many memberships at the

same time, a risk assessment document with mitigating measures is in place in case this

is needed.

Mr Eric BEZEM announced the proposal by the CEP Board to the General Assembly. The

Board kindly requests the General Assembly to vote on behalf of the members with the

following:

✓ In order not to place more financial burden on the members, in times when financial

constraints are being faced, the membership fees for 2026, 2027 and 2028 will

remain at the same level as the membership fees in 2025

✓ Associate members, universities and individuals have a fixed amount which will

remain unchanged as approved during the GA in Dubrovnik in 2022

✓ The total amount of membership fees in comparison to the total amount of income

will be:

2026 € 348.315 39%

2027 € 349.447 43%

2028 € 349.447 38%

✓ The height of this proposed membership fee income is sufficient in combination with

the other means of income to continue to operate on a budget-neutral basis

✓ In case of any unforeseen circumstances, there is a solid reserve in place to cover

any challenges.

Conclusion

The General Assembly approved the proposed CEP contribution fees 2026, 2027 and

2028 with 28 votes in favour.

10. Budgets for the next three years 2026, 2027 and 2028

Mr Eric BEZEM, CEP Treasurer, explained the projected budget to the General Assembly.

His presentation was organized in three parts: income, expenditure, risk management

and proposal from the CEP Board to the General Assembly.

The financial strategy presented at the 11th General Assembly in London entails

5 pillars to secure the future:

1. Membership fees - to hold membership fees at an acceptable level; to seek to

widen the membership and increase numbers of organisations in CEP;

2. Operating Grant - continue in supporting the core business of CEP by meeting

EU priorities on Criminal Justice;

3. Action Grants - to be an active participant in European projects; consider to

take the lead in a relevant EU project regarding probation;

4. Generating income - identifying new ways of generating income in line with

CEP’s values and objectives;

5. Developing partnerships - expanding sponsorship for specific events.

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The following data or assumptions were used in calculating the budget:

Income

• Budgets for 2026-2028 are based on the budgets that were submitted for the

Framework Partnership Agreement for 2026-2028 with the European Commission.

• It is assumed that an operating grant is obtained for the coming years and the

operating grant for 2028 is expected to be higher because of the organisation of the

GA.

• In 2026 and 2028 the Electronic Monitoring conferences are expected to take place

and generate additional income of at least € 110.000.

• The total amount of membership fees will remain in line with the membership fees

for 2025.

• The membership fees can fluctuate per year due to joining and terminating

memberships.

Expenditure

• In 2026 it is the intention to employ a new parttime Policy officer for the

implementation of the Research strategy.

• In 2026 and 2028 the number of bursaries will be doubled due to the organization of

the Electronic Monitoring conferences and additionally in 2028 also the next General

Assembly.

• In 2026 and 2028 the other direct costs will be substantially higher because of the

organisation of the EM conferences which costs are, depending on the location, at

least € 100.000.

• In 2026 and 2028 the World Congress is planned to take place which will influence

the height of the travel costs.

The following elements were identified as part of the Risk Management framework:

• In order for CEP to obtain funding from the European Commission, it needs to obtain

a 3-year Framework Partnership agreement. If it is declined then CEP is also unable

to submit an application for the yearly issued Operating Grant.

• The Operating Grant plan needs to take the priorities of the European Commission

into account for it being awarded. These priorities entail implementation of

Framework Decisions 829&947 through strengthening cooperation between

competent authorities and alternatives to (pre-trial) detention; activities relating to

the use of digital tools, including AI and videoconferencing tools and to foster judicial

cooperation.

• Staff costs are based on the current staffing situation however because of new labour

contracts and terminations, staff costs might increase or decrease.

• Travel costs might increase even more due to further inflation.

• The unity and ability to work together within the Board is of vital importance.

• The incoming Board will have to make annual plans based on actual financial

considerations.

• In the event that other possible risks occur as stated in the risk assessment

document, the Board will need to prioritise their activities and perhaps decide that

some may not be undertake.

• In case of any unforeseen circumstances, there is a solid reserve in place to cover

any challenges.

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Mr Eric BEZEM on behalf of the Board requested the General Assembly to vote on the

budget for 2026 to 2028 as presented.

Conclusion

The GA approved the proposed CEP budget for the coming three years with 28 votes in

favour and none against.

11. Board Election

Ms Iuliana CARBUNARU, on behalf of the election committee, informed the General

Assembly about the candidates for the Board election and explained how to vote with

ballot papers.

- Election for the Presidency:

Annie DEVOS (Belgium, public organisation)

- for the Vice-Presidency (2):

Daniel DANGLADES (France, public organisation)

Danijela MRHAR PRELIC (Slovenia, public organisation)

- for the function of Board member (5):

Andrea MATOUSKOVA (Czech Republic, public organisation)

Jana BEWERSDORFF (Germany, public organisation)

Žilvinas MILIAUSKAS (Lithuania, public organisation)

Ian BARROW (United Kingdom, public organisation)

Line Elisabeth WILBERG (Norway, public organisation)

The new proposed Board member candidates were asked to introduce themselves to the

General Assembly.

Ms Andrea MATOUSKOVA shared her extensive experience with the Czech Probation

Service since its foundation and as former Director General of Probation and Mediation

Service. In her concluding remarks, she emphasized how effective probation can be

achieved through working with victims and strengthening interagency cooperation.

Ms Jana BEWERSDORFF, continued by outlining her long and distinguished career at the

German Federal Ministry of Justice. She highlighted the importance of Social Work within

probation services, the relevance of EU principles, and how CEP can support their

effective implementation.

Ms Lina Elisabeth WILBERG informed the General Assembly about her background and

her long and distinguished career within the Norwegian Correctional Service. She

emphasized her strong belief in reintegration and the importance of both national and

international interagency cooperation.

Mr Žilvinas MILIAUSKAS addressed the General Assembly, introducing himself and

sharing his professional background as well as his motivation for seeking election as a

CEP Board Member. He expressed his conviction that probation should not be viewed

merely as an alternative sanction but as the primary pathway to reintegration.

Mr Ian BARROW was unable to attend the General Assembly in person due to

professional commitments however, he conveyed his introduction and message to

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members through an online presentation. In his address, he underlined the value of

interagency cooperation and the vital role of probation in building safer societies.

The voting procedure was explained and the General Assembly was asked to vote, using

the ballot papers, for the proposed President, the Vice-Presidents and Board members.

The General Assembly was also informed that the outgoing Board recommended to the

new CEP Board to reappoint and co-opt the following candidates.

Re-appointment by the CEP Board of the Treasurer:

• Eric BEZEM (The Netherlands)

Co-option by the CEP Board of Board members (3):

• Nicola CARR(Ireland, University)

• Eva Maria FERNANDES (Portugal, public organisation)

The General Assembly was informed that there would not be a vote for reappointment of

Mr Eric BEZEM and co-options of candidate Board members as they would be co-

opted/re-appointed by the new Board at the upcoming Board meeting.

The outgoing Board recommended to the General Assembly that it re-appoints Mr Gerry

McNALLY (Ireland, public organisation) as a designated former board member

(designated survivor). The General Assembly endorsed unanimously the reappointment.

Conclusion

The General Assembly elected all the proposed candidates for President, Vice-Presidents

and Board members with the following votes:

President – 29 votes

Vice President Danijela – 29 votes

Vice President Daniel – 29 votes

Andrea MATOUSKOVA – 27 votes

Jana BEWERSDORFF – 28 votes

Žilvinas MILIAUSKAS – 28 votes

Ian BARROW – 28 votes

Line Elisabeth WILBERG – 28 Votes

12. President Address

Ms Annie DEVOS, President of CEP, in her closing remarks, reflected on the importance

of maintaining a critical perspective on how criminal justice policies are implemented,

particularly in times of crisis. She acknowledged the many positive developments

presented during the General Assembly, both in terms of CEP’s financial stability and the

wide range of activities undertaken over the past period.

The President emphasized that this is a moment to stand together and support CEP

members. Drawing on her experience as a Director within a Ministry of Justice, she

underlined that CEP plays a crucial role in providing new ideas and fostering innovation—

reminding members that they are not alone in facing the challenges ahead.

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Ms DEVOS expressed her sincere gratitude to Ms Jana ŠPERO KAMENJARIN for her

leadership and to the CEP Board, whose dedication and commitment have shaped the

organization into what it is today. While acknowledging that many challenges lie ahead,

she highlighted that there is also much to be achieved collectively, particularly in

addressing issues such as net-widening and the promotion of good practices.

In conclusion, the President extended heartfelt thanks to all CEP members for their

ongoing engagement and to the Austrian colleagues for their warm hospitality and

excellent organization of the General Assembly in Vienna.

13. Secretary General Address

Ms Jana ŠPERO KAMENJARIN, Secretary General of CEP, delivered her closing remarks to

the General Assembly in Vienna. She began by warmly congratulating the newly elected

Board, emphasizing that the Board represents one of the key pillars of CEP, alongside its

strong connection with members. She reminded participants that the next General

Assembly will take place in 2028, with the location to be announced during the upcoming

Directors General Conference. CEP remains open to receiving proposals from members

interested in hosting the event.

Reflecting on her mandate, Ms ŠPERO KAMENJARIN recalled that at the previous General

Assembly she had introduced herself as Secretary General, and after three years in the

role, she expressed her sincere appreciation for the opportunity to work closely with the

President, Vice-President, Board members, and all representatives of the CEP

community. She underlined how much she had enjoyed this collaboration and expressed

her enthusiasm to continue working together in the years ahead.

Ms ŠPERO KAMENJARIN noted that the past period had been an exceptionally busy and

productive one. She acknowledged the commitment of the CEP Office staff, highlighting

that despite being a small team, their dedication and professionalism have been

instrumental to CEP’s success. She extended heartfelt thanks to all CEP members for

their engagement and continuous support and expressed particular gratitude to the CEP

staff: Ms Martine HERSCHEL, Ms. Anna ESQUERRÀ ROQUETA, Ms Mirka JAKEŠOVA, Ms

Hannan AMNAD and Ms Sharda RAMADHAR for their outstanding work and contribution.

Finally, Ms ŠPERO KAMENJARIN took a moment to acknowledge and thank the departing

Board members — Ms Iuliana CARBUNARU, Ms Marta FERRER, Ms Maret MILJAN, Ms Pia

ANDRESON, Mr Jo TEIN and Ms Sonia FLYNN — for their valuable service, commitment,

and support to CEP during their mandates.

14. Close of the 15th General Assembly

Ms Annie DEVOS thanked everyone for a well-attended General Assembly and declared

the 15th General Assembly of the Confederation of European Probation officially closed.

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