Harde strijd over opvolging Europol-directeur duurt voort (en)

EU justice ministers are set for a tough battle next week over who should lead the European Union's police agency, Europol.

Meeting on Thursday (24 February), ministers are to try and decide whom to appoint as successor to former German director, Jürgen Storbeck.

The decision is difficult because four big countries each have put forward candidates for the post.

The chair has been empty for more than half a year after the Italian Presidency gave up trying to find agreement on the issue. The Dutch Presidency that followed also was unable to solve the problem, which is now left in the hands of the Luxembourg Presidency.

The French candidate to head Europol, Gilles Leclair, director of France's Anti-Terrorism Coordination Unit, is tipped as favourite, reports French daily Le Figaro.

Le Figaro quotes officials in Paris saying: "The Germans have held the reins for twelve years, they have to learn to change hands".

However, Berlin has also insisted that its nominee, Max-Peter Ratzel, a senior official at the German Federal Criminal Police Office, is best suited to the job.

Italy has re-nominated Emanuele Marotta, head of international relations at the Italian interior ministry. He was also a candidate last year.

Europol's current deputy director Mariano Simancas is also in the race. The Spaniard has held the post as leader of Europol since June, after Mr Storbeck's mandate ended on 30 June 2004.

Europol is the European Union law enforcement organisation that handles criminal intelligence.

The creation of the body was agreed in the Maastricht Treaty and started in 1994 with a limited mandate to fight drugs.

In 2002, its mandate was extended to deal with all serious forms of international crime as listed in the Annex to the Europol Convention.