Aim: The study explores from the Hungarian perspective how the countries of the Danube Region cooperate in the field of law enforcement, whether the Danube Strategy is an appropriate basis for joint work and what should be the further development opportunities for strengthening waterway security.
Methodology: The research was carried out using a semi-structured interview method, with the involvement of officials from the Ministry of Interior and the Police who are experts in this field. The author has drawn conclusions from the analysis of recorded interviews and also used document analysis to process the English-language minutes of the Steering Group of the Strategy’s Priority Area ‘Security’.
Findings: The security projects implemented so far under the Danube Strategy have not provided a satisfactory solution to the law enforcement challenges of water border traffic, although Hungary has made significant progress in this area. The further enhancement of police cooperation between the Danube States is the answer to strengthen security. Hungarian Danube law enforcement agencies experience a latency in establishing real scale of smuggling of goods by vessels, which can make initiatives at the political level less effective and less resource efficient. Work should also be continued on setting up a permanent Danube Law Enforcement Coordination Centre and on reducing administrative obstacles to waterway mobility, because law enforcement agencies need to provide a service to waterway passenger and cargo carriers.
Value: The Danube directly connects ten European countries, but fourteen countries participate in the Danube Strategy, so enhancing law enforcement cooperation is of great importance for security of the river in the region. Hungary is the only country with a Schengen external water border and is also responsible for the timely detection of threats coming from the Black Sea. The study highlights the most important obstacles to cooperation and possible future solutions from a Hungarian perspective.