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Report calls for more powerful Europol to tackle terrorism

Renew Europe has called for a more powerful Europol to fight serious organised crime and terrorism, which does not respect internal EU borders.

The group has published a new position paper, containing a series of policy measures to reinforce Europol's powers, strengthen its mandate and increase its resources. In it, Renew Europe argues that the core mission of Europol - that being to support Member States law enforcement authorities in cross-border security - can only be fulfilled efficiently when Europol is fully equipped to fight against ever-evolving and new types of crimes and threats.

That is why Renew Europe is pushing for the reinforcement of Europol's role in some key areas. It's both about strengthening the already existing core missions, such as the anti-Terrorist Centre and the Cyber Centre, while also upgrading missions within new specific fields, such as fighting radicalisation in the EU and coordination in the event of terrorist attacks.

In addition to this, Renew Europe’s priorities for the future Europol includes giving Europol the right to on its own initiative conduct and coordinate cross-border investigations. Further, the strengthening of Europol's role towards the Member States is emphasised, with the paper advocating that Member States should be obliged to provide Europol with targeted information.

Maite Pagazaurtundúa MEP, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties and co-writer of the position paper, outlines the group’s initiative: “Europol needs information, and national authorities and private entities must cooperate in a swift and respectful manner to provide it; it also needs to have sufficient resources for the EU to excel in innovation in internal security as it does in defence. To this end the strengthening of the Europol Innovation Laboratory and the creation of synergies with the private sector is essential; it is also essential that Europol and its relations with other international actors (Interpol, Ameripol, Afripol, Aseanpol ...) are used, under the right conditions, to strengthen European geostrategic capabilities.”

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