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Europol

Coordinates: 52°05′34″N 4°16′53″E / 52.092846°N 4.281521°E / 52.092846; 4.281521
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52°05′34″N 4°16′53″E / 52.092846°N 4.281521°E / 52.092846; 4.281521

Not to be confused with EUPOL.
EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol)

Europol HQ in The Hague
Agency overview
FormedOctober 1, 1998; 26 years ago (1998-10-01)
Preceding agency
  • European Police Office, Europol Drugs Unit
JurisdictionEuropean Union
HeadquartersEisenhowerlaan 73
The Hague, Netherlands
Employees1065 (December 2016)[1]
Annual budget€ 116.4 million (FY 2017)[2]
Agency executive
Parent departmentCouncil of Ministers for Justice and Home Affairs
Key document
Websiteeuropol.europa.eu
Twitter: @Europol
Facebook: @europol
Instagram: @europol.eu
Map
Europol is located in Netherlands
The Hague
The Hague
Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Europol (Netherlands)

The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), formerly known as the European Police Office (Europol) and the Europol Drugs Unit (EDU), is the law enforcement agency of the European Union (EU) responsible for criminal intelligence and combating serious international organised crime and terrorism by means of cooperation between the competent authorities of the EU Member States, such as police, customs, immigration service, counter-terrorism unit, border guard and financial intelligence unit. Seated in The Hague, South Holland, the Agency has 1065 staff and a budget of 116.4 million euros.

The Agency has no executive powers, and its officials are not entitled to arrest suspects or act without prior approval from competent authorities in the Member States.

Objective, budget and strategic priorities

According to Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2016/794, Europol's objective is to

support and strengthen action by the competent authorities of the Member States and their mutual cooperation in preventing and combating serious crime affecting two or more Member States, terrorism and forms of crime which affect a common interest [...].[3]

In the financial year 2017, the Agency's budget was approximately 116.4 million euros.[2]

During the 2016 - 2020 strategy cycle, Europol will focus on consolidating all its capabilities and expertise to deliver the most effective support to EU Member State investigations to counter significant pan-European threats—such as cybercrime, serious and organised crime and terrorism. This includes technological developments (e.g. ever-increasing volume of available data, social media and mobile technologies) as well as significant and rapid developments in the areas of terrorism and migration in the year 2015. The previous strategy cycle of 2010 - 2014 laid the foundation for Europol as the European criminal information hub.[4]

The EU Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA) of 2017 identified eight priority crime areas: cybercrime; drug production, trafficking and distribution; migrant smuggling; organised property crime; trafficking in human beings; criminal finances and money laundering; document fraud; and online trade in illicit goods and services.[5]

History

1990s - Origins and establishment

Europol has its origins in TREVI, a forum for security cooperation created amongst European Community interior and justice ministers in 1976. At first, TREVI focused on international terrorism, but soon started to cover other areas of cross-border crime within the Community. At the European Summit in Luxembourg on 28-29 June 1991, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl called for the creation of an European police agency similar to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)—sowing the seeds of police cooperation across Europe. At the Summit, the European Council agreed to establish "a Central European Criminal Investigations Office (Europol) by 31 December 1993 the latest."[6][7][8][9][10]

The idea of the Luxembourg Summit was further elaborated at the European Council in Maastricht on 9-10 December 1991, a meeting to draft the Maastricht Treaty. The European Council agreed to create "a European police office (Europol) the initial function of which would be to organize exchange of information on narcotic drugs". The Council likewise instructed TREVI ministers to take measures in setting up the office.[11] On 7 February 1992, Europol was enshrined with more substance in Article K.1, section 9, as the Maastricht Treaty was signed:[8][9]

[...] Member States shall regard the following areas as matters of common interest: [...] police cooperation for the purposes of preventing and combatting terrorism, unlawful drug trafficking and other serious forms of international crime, including if necessary certain aspects of customs cooperation, in connection with the organization of a Union-wide system for exchanging information within a European Police Office (Europol).[12]

Europol HQ from 1994 to 2011 in The Hague, pictured in 2010

Europol was first de facto organised provisionally in 1993 as the Europol Drugs Unit (EDU) in Strasbourg at the same site as the Schengen Information System. The small initial group started operations there in January 1994 under the leadership of Jürgen Storbeck and with a mandate to assist national police forces in criminal investigations. The competition for the permanent site of Europol during the period was between The Hague, Rome and Strasbourg—although the European Council decided on 29 October 1993 that Europol should be established in The Hague. A former Catholic boys school built in 1910 at Raamweg 47 was chosen as the precise location. The house was used in World War II by the police and intelligence agencies and after the War manned by the Dutch State Intelligence Service until Europol relocated there later in 1994.[7][9][13][10]

The Europol Convention was signed on 26 July 1995 in Brussels and came into force on 1 October 1998 after being ratified by all the Member States.[14][15] Europol commenced its full activities on 1 July 1999.[8][9][16]

2010s - Reformation as a European Union agency

Europol was integrated into European Union competence with Article 88 of the Lisbon Treaty effective 1 December 2009. Subsequently, Council Decision 2009/371/JHA of 6 April 2009 replaced the Europol Convention and reformed Europol as a full EU agency (i.e. an entity of the EU subject to the general rules and procedures applicable to similar agencies) on 1 January 2010 due to different aspirations, such as enhanced support to Member States on countering serious and organised crime, budgetary control by the European Parliament, and administrative simplification.[17]

The Agency's new 32 000 m2 headquarters building, designed by Frank Wintermans, was opened by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on 1 July 2011 in the international zone of the The Hague next to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at Eisenhowerlaan 73.[18][19]

On 11 January 2013, Director Rob Wainwright and European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström launched the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3 or EC³), a unit of Europol tasked with assisting Member States to dismantle and disrupt cybercrime committed by organised groups to generate large criminal profits (e.g. online fraud), causing serious harm to victims (e.g. online child sexual exploitation) or affecting critical infrastructure and systems in the EU. The purpose of the Centre is to coordinate cross-border law enforcement activities against cybercrime and act as a centre of technological expertise, such as tool development and training.[20][21] At the time, the Centre was not expected to be fully functional until 2015.[22] Commissioner Malmström stated that the need for a cybercrime centre in Europe was "to protect the open and free internet".[23][24]

On 25 January 2016, the European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC) was launched as a new strategic platform within Europol to share information among EU states in tracking movements of Europeans into and from Syria as well as to monitor terrorists' finances and militants' Internet usage.[25][26]

Europol started the Stop Child Abuse – Trace an Object campaign and website on 31 May 2017. The site's objective is to display objects in child sexual abuse images to try to find the perpetrators and victims—in hope that distinct details, such as a logo on a bag or a shampoo bottle, can be identified by the public who can then forward the information by an anonymous tip-off or social media. The approach was called crowd-knowledge sourcing by the investigators.[27][28] Bellingcat, the investigative search network, reported that several objects had been positively identified following its attempt to support Europol’s call.[29]

Tasks and activities

Primary tasks

In effect, Europol's task is to assist the EU Member States in their fight against serious international crime, such as illicit drugs, trafficking in human beings, intellectual property crime, cybercrime, euro counterfeiting, and terrorism by serving as a:

  • centre of support for law enforcement operations;
  • nexus for intelligence on criminal activities; and
  • centre of expertise for law enforcement work.[30][16]
Cover of the Terrorism Situation and Trend Report (TE-SAT) 2017

In addition, the Agency's tasks in detail include analysis and exchange information, such as criminal intelligence; coordination of investigative and operational action as well as joint investigation teams; preparation of threat assessments, strategic and operational analyses and general situation reports; and developing specialist knowledge of crime prevention and forensic methods. Europol is to coordinate and support other EU bodies established within the area of freedom, security and justice, such as the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL), the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), and EU crisis management structures and missions. The Agency also assists the European Council and the European Commission in developing strategic and operational priorities.[3][16]

Europol or its officials do not have executive powers or powers of arrest and it cannot act without the approval of national authorities.[31][10]

Detailed activities

Strategic analysis

Europol provides strategic analyses and early warning notifications, such as the the Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA) and the Terrorism Situation and Trend Report (TE-SAT), with an objective to support decision-making and identification of priorities.[32] For example, the Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) is intended to help policy-makers make decisions on where EU law enforcement should focus their resources in countering cybercrime as well as provide information on developments and emerging threats from cybercrime to governments, businesses and citizens, such as the modi operandi of online sexual child abusers.[33][34][35] On the other hand, for example the figures and claims of mainland China and Hong Kong as world centers of fake goods in the 2017 Situation Report on Counterfeiting and Piracy in the EU were questioned by China as possibly faulty.[36]

Organisation and staff

Rob Wainright, Executive Director of Europol, speaking during the launch of the European Counter Terrorism Centre on 25 January 2016

In addition to the Management Board and Liaison Bureaux, Europol is organised into three different departments under the Executive Director:

  • Operations (O) Department
    • O1 Front Office
    • O2 European Serious and Organised Crime Centre (ESOCC)
    • O3 European Cybercrime Centre (EC3 or EC³)
    • O4 European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC)
    • O5 Horizontal Operational Services (HOS)
  • Governance (G) Department
    • G1 Corporate Affairs Bureau (CAB)
    • G2 Corporate Services
    • G3 Procurement
    • G5 Security
  • Capabilities (C) Department
    • C1 ICT
    • C5 Administration[30]

As of December 2016, Europol has 1065 staff, of which 32.3 % are female and 67.7 % male, including employment contracts with Europol, liaison officers from Member States and third states and organisations, Seconded National Experts, trainees and contractors. 201 of the staff are liaison officers and around 100 analysts.[1][30][16]

Governance, accountability and relations

Member States of the EU and thus of Europol

The Europol Directorate, day-to-day leadership of the Agency, is appointed by the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) for four-year terms. As of September 2017, the Agency was headed by Executive Director Rob Wainwright and Deputy Directors Wil van Gemert, Oldrich Martinu and Luis de Eusebio Ramos. The Agency is ultimately accountable to and mainly controlled by the Justice and Home Affairs Council. Together with the European Parliament, the Council approves Europol’s budget and regulations related to its work. The Council forwards an annual special report to the European Parliament on the work of the Agency—and the Parliament also discharges Europol from its responsibility for managing a set budget.[37][30]

The governing body, Europol Management Board, comprises representatives from all of the Member State and from the European Commission, each having one vote. Decisions of the Board require a two-thirds majority and it meets at least twice per year on Europol's current and future activities as well as on adopting the budget, programming material and general annual reports. The Board forwards its decisions to the Justice and Home Affairs Council for the Council's perusal. The Management Board functions include data protection, internal audit and accountancy. [37][30]

External financial oversight of the Agency is conducted by the European Court of Auditors while internal oversight is carried out by the Internal Audit Service of the European Commission as well as by the Europol Management Board-appointed Internal Audit Function.[37]

The European Ombudsman is tasked with investigating complaints against EU institutions and bodies, including Europol, as well as assisting them to create a more transparent, effective, accountable and ethical administration. Any member of the public has the right to register a complaint with the Ombudsman.[37]

The Director is able to enter into agreements for Europol with other countries and international organizations. As of September 2017, Europol cooperates on an operational basis with Albania, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Colombia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine and United States of America and Interpol.[38][39][40] Similarly, the Agency has strategic agreements with China, Russia, Turkey, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and World Customs Organization (WCO).[41][40]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Statistics & Data". europol.europa.eu. Europol. Retrieved 18 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  2. ^ a b Statement of revenue and expenditure of the European Police Office for the financial year 2017 (2017/C 84/35) (PDF). Europol. 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Regulation (EU) 2016/794 of the European Parliamanet and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol)". EUR-Lex. 24 May 2016.
  4. ^ Europol Strategy 2016 - 2020. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. 2016. doi:10.2813/983718. ISBN 978-92-95200-71-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  5. ^ European Union Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA) 2017 (PDF). Europol. 2017. pp. 10–11.
  6. ^ "Luxembourg European Summit - Conclusions of the Presidency (SN 151/3/91)". www.europarl.europa.eu. European Parliament. June 1991. Retrieved 22 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  7. ^ a b Bunyan, Tony (1993). "Trevi, Europol and the European state". In Bunyan, Tony (ed.). Statewatching the New Europe: Handbook on the European State. Statewatch. ISBN 978-1874481027.
  8. ^ a b c 1998-2016 Looking Back, Moving Forward: One Hundred Meetings of the Europol Management Board (PDF). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. 2016. ISBN 978-92-95200-73-9. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  9. ^ a b c d Ten Years of Europol, 1999-2009 (PDF). The Hague: Europol. 2009.
  10. ^ a b c "Europe's intelligence 'black hole'". POLITICO. 3 December 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  11. ^ "Maastricht European Summit - Conclusions of the Presidency (SN 271/1/91)". www.europarl.europa.eu. European Parliament. December 1991. Retrieved 22 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  12. ^ "Treaty on European Union, signed at Maastricht on 7 February 1992". Official Journal of the European Communities. 35. 29 July 1992. ISSN 0378-6986 – via EUR-Lex.
  13. ^ Rijksvastgoedbedrijf. "Den Haag, Raamweg 47". www.rijksvastgoedbedrijf.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 September 2017. Office in classical school building from 1910. This office building was used by Europol until 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  14. ^ "Convention drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of Treaty on European Union, on the establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention)". EUR-Lex. Official Journal of the European Communities. 26 July 1995. Retrieved 20 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  15. ^ "Agreement Details - Europol Convention". www.consilium.europa.eu. Council of the European Union. Retrieved 20 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  16. ^ a b c d Shaw, Danny (15 February 2017). "Inside Europol". BBC News. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  17. ^ "Council Decision of 6 April 2009 establishing the European Police Office (Europol) (2009/371/JHA)". Official Journal of the European Union. L (121). 15 May 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2017 – via EUR-Lex.
  18. ^ "HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands opens new Europol headquarters in The Hague". Europol. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2017. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  19. ^ "Europol Special" (PDF). SMAAK. Central Government Real Estate Agency, the Netherlands. July 2011.
  20. ^ "European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) opens on 11 January". europa.eu. European Commission. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  21. ^ "European Cybercrime Centre - EC3". Europol. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  22. ^ "EU cybercrime centre launched by Commissioner Malmström". news.bbc.co.uk. BBC. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2013. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  23. ^ Ashford, Warwick (11 January 2013). "European Cybercrime Centre opens in The Hague". ComputerWeekly.com. Computer Weekly. Retrieved 13 January 2013. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  24. ^ "Speech: EC³, a European response to cybercrime". europa.eu. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  25. ^ Macdonald, Alastair (20 November 2015). "EU's Europol in action against Paris attackers - chief". Reuters. Retrieved 20 September 2017. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  26. ^ (www.dw.com), Deutsche Welle (25 January 2016). "Europol launches pan-European counterterrorism center". DW.COM. Retrieved 20 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  27. ^ "Stop Child Abuse – Trace an Object". Europol. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  28. ^ "Police publish child abuse clues online". BBC News. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  29. ^ "Update on Crowdsourcing Europol's "Stop Child Abuse – Trace an Object" Campaign". bellingcat. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  30. ^ a b c d e "About Europol". europol.europa.eu. Europol. Retrieved 18 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  31. ^ "Frequently asked questions". Europol. Retrieved 22 September 2017. The European Police Office is a support service for the law enforcement agencies of the EU Member States. This means that Europol officials are not entitled to arrest suspects or act without the approval of national authorities. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  32. ^ "Strategic Analysis". Europol. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  33. ^ "Online child abuse on the rise - Europol". BBC News. 28 September 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2017. It said they were targeting social networks, online games and forums used mainly by children - and then encouraging a groomed child to continue communication on encrypted platforms that allow the sharing of chat, video and photos. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  34. ^ Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) 2016 (PDF). The Hague: European Police Office (Europol). 2016. doi:10.2813/275589. ISBN 978-92-95200-75-3. ISSN 2363-1627.
  35. ^ "Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (iOCTA)". Europol. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  36. ^ "China Focus: Questionable figures show nothing but protectionism". news.xinhuanet.com. Xinhua News. 28 June 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  37. ^ a b c d "Accountability". Europol. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  38. ^ "Operational Agreements". Europol. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  39. ^ "Agreement on Operational and Strategic Cooperation between Australia and the European Police Office (The Hague, 20 February 2007) - ATS 34 of 2007”. Australasian Legal Information Institute, Australian Treaties Library. Retrieved on 18 April 2017.
  40. ^ a b "Agreements with International Organisations". Europol. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  41. ^ "Strategic Agreements". Europol. Retrieved 21 September 2017.

Further reading

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