Meer samenwerking op gebied van justitie, politie en opsporing (en)

Met dank overgenomen van Zweeds voorzitterschap Europese Unie 2e helft 2009 i, gepubliceerd op donderdag 1 oktober 2009.

Ministers of the interior of the European Union gathered in the Hague on 1 October to discuss how to improve EU law enforcement cooperation against cross-border crime. Their discussions centred on how Europol can better contribute to crime-fighting and on how to strengthen the cooperation between Europol and other EU agencies such as the border management agency Frontex and the prosecutors' cooperation Eurojust.

The ministers of the interior agreed on the need for closer co-operation between those EU agencies and therefore asked Europol, Eurojust and Frontex to draw up a report together on how they could strengthen their cooperation.

"Europol should be a hub for information exchange. Also provide high quality analysis regarding the development of organised crime. Europol should provide a platform for police cooperation. EU member states must be better at getting their law enforcement authorities to use the great asset that Europol is", said Minister for Justice Beatrice Ask in a comment after the meeting.

Jacques Barrot i, Vice President of the European Commission said "The services and the expertise Europol puts at the disposal of the Member States' police forces help to better protect the EU citizens. Criminality knows no borders and an enhanced cooperation between law enforcement authorities is needed more than ever. I welcome the important role Europol plays in the framework of the European strategy to improve the EU internal security".

Europol Director Rob Wainwright said "I am very pleased by the strong support for Europol expressed by the ministers today. The decision by the Swedish Presidency to host a Justice and Home Affairs meeting within our premises is a clear signal about the trust in Europol and about confidence in its role within the EU internal security structure. These high expectations will be met in the future by Europol acting as a stronger operational support centre in the EU for the combating of terrorism and international serious crime and by it becoming the EU’s central information hub in these areas".