Group 9

COMPARATIVE
MODELS IN POLICING

EUROPOL
What is EUROPOL?

• Europol is the European Union Law Enforcement

Organization that handles criminal intelligence
• The European Police Office (Europol) is a police
organization of the European Union (EU) that deals with
criminal intelligence and aims to improve the efficiency
and cooperation of the competent authorities of the
Member States responsible for preventing and combating
serious international organized crime and terrorism.
History of EUROPOL
• Europol was established by the Maastricht Treaty
on European Union, while the Europol Convention
was ratified by all EU member states and entered
into force on 1 October 1998, allowing Europol to
become fully operational on 1 July 1999.
• The need for a regional police organization dates
back to the 80s, parallel to the political, economic
and social development of the European
Union.unless accompanied by compensatory
measures, including crime prevention and control
measures and international police cooperation.
EUROPOL
When did it start its work
• The agency started limited
operations on January 3, 1994, a
the Europol Drugs Unit (EDU). In
1998 the Europol Convection was
ratified by all the member states
and came into force in
October. Europol became fully
operational on July 1, 1999.
What is the aim of Europol
• Its aim is to improve the effectiveness and
cooperation between the competent
authorities of the Member States in
preventing and combating such international
organize crimes as: illicit drug trafficking;
weapons smuggling.
• -illicit immigration network; terrorism,
forgery of money (counterfeiting of the Euro)
and other means of payment; trafficking in
human beings including child pornography.
EUROPOL

What can you say about structure of this

organization?
-Europol is a multi – disciplinary agency,
comprising not only regular police officers but staff
members from the member states’ law enforcement
agencies: customs, immigration services, border and
financial police, etc.
EUROPOL

Purpose of the EUROPOL

Europol's vision is to ensure an effective EU
response to the threats of serious international and
organised crime, cybercrime and terrorism in the EU,
by acting as the principal information hub, delivering
agile operational support and providing European
policing solutions in conjunction with our network of
partners.
EUROPOL
Europol’s operational activities focus on:

• Illicit drugs
• Trafficking in human beings
facilitated illegal immigration
• Cybercrime
• Euro counterfeiting
• VAT fraud
• Money laundering and asset
• Tracing
• Mobile organised-crime groups
• Intellectual property crime
• Cigarette smuggling
• Outlawing motorcycle gangs
• Terrorism
EUROPOL

Facts and figures on Europol

• More than 1400 staff

• 264 Europol Liaison Officers

• Thousands of international investigations supported each year

• Became an official EU agency on 1 January 2010

EUROPOL

Members of Europol
Greece Austria
Germany Belgium
Hungary Bulgaria
Ireland Croatia
Latvia Cyprus
Lithuania Czechia
Luxembourg Denmark
Malta Finland
France Estonia
EUROPOL
The symbol is an amalgamation of
Blue and Yellow (EU colors)
superimposed by three angular
lines directed upwards.
Note: The angular lines are derived
from a spider’s web which
represents exchange of information,
networking, and the cooperative
nature of our work.