Study Assesses Europol Reform Proposal
Thomas Wahl
In a study for the EP’s LIBE Committee, Niovi Vavoula and Valsamis Mitsilegas from Queen Mary University of London assessed the Commission’s proposal on strengthening Europol’s mandate (→ eucrim 4/2020, 279). The study (published in May 2021) provides the EP with background information on Europol’s legal framework and a legal analysis of the reform proposal, thus supporting the preparation of a forthcoming legislative report of the LIBE Committee on the revision of Europol's mandate. The study assesses the nine thematic blocks that the proposal deals with and makes several policy recommendations.
The authors stress that the reform proposal would transform the nature of the agency and its relationship to the Member States, but a proper evaluation is lacking. They submit, inter alia, that the planned enhanced cooperation between Europol and private parties will be a paradigm shift, which requires detailed rules on the duties of the actors. Likewise, clear definitions are necessary if Europol is enabled to process “large datasets” and carry out “digital forensics”.
News Guide
EU Europol Law Enforcement CooperationAuthor
Thomas Wahl
Institution:
Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law (MPI CSL)
Department:
Public Law Department
Position:
Senior Researcher