The survey showed that the law and, also in part, legal practice with regard to the payment of informers in the Schengen States differed widely. The general principles governing payment of informers are to be used as non-mandatory guidelines within the Schengen area and are intended to contribute to the further improvement of customs and police cooperation in this sensitive sphere. They should also serve as benchmarks for those Schengen States currently engaged in drafting or amplifying similar regulations. General Informers' motives for cooperating with police and customs authorities are frequently financial. They should therefore be provided with financial incentives that take market realities into account and correspond to their personal circumstances, reflect the skills required for the operation and are commensurate with the risk involved and the outcome of the investigation.
Economic considerations are also a factor, since using informers often works out cheaper.
Ensuring that the following guidelines are observed throughout the Schengen area would in particular permit compliance with tactical and legal requirements that apply to drugs investigations while also taking account of specific bilateral and regional features and the particular nature of the offence. These principles shall be without prejudice to national provisions. The financial incentive must not incite the informer to commit an offence. Payment for cooperating is generally case-specific. No attempt should be made to provide the informer with living expenses for an indefinite period.