EU Commission on democratic control of Europol
In 1999, Europol went into operation. Since then, EU Member States have been around the ie of democratic control (Europol on the way to the European FBI). Because with increasing powers also grow the control requirement of the police data processing facility.
Europol became until the end of 2001 only with illegal drug trafficking, illegal trade in nuclear and radioactive substances, locker criminalitat, trafficking, motor vehicle crime, terrorism and money washing tatig. Since the beginning of the year, all crime forms, which have been subject to environmental criminality, organized theft, illegal trade in cultural providers or for product piracy in the notes to Europol-Convention. The tasks are subject to the information exchange, the criminal title analysis and coordination. But it is also thought to build Europol to build an operational police and equip them with investigative powers.
Now the European Commission recommends, although not state, innovations in the controls. Currently consulting the European Council of the European Council on the proposal. For years the question of "Democratic control" undressed. But the effective tat of existing controls was put on the test last year with a first corruption case. At the end of May 2001, the Dutch police arrested a Europol official due to fraud and documents (Europol at the Bermuda Triangle).
Although there was an internal report to the intergovernmental Board of Directors, but since then you have nothing more. No wonder, because the Board of Directors only reports to the European Council – and the Council members are subject to a wide variety of national controls. In Germany, for example, the Federal Ministry of Interior represented in the Board of Directors does not have to report to the Bundestag. This is exactly where the criticism of the European Commission is now: the parliamentary control of 15 national parliaments is "to fragmented".
Also in May 2001, under Swedish Presidency, the Council presented an overview with all legislation on the democratic control of Europol. On the 7. and 8. June 2001, the Dutch parliament organized the first conference of national parliaments on Europol, in which the problem of democratic control is the focus. The conference in The Hague also concluded that national parliaments are unable to control the Council’s decision in police and Europol-related ies. It therefore spoke for the establishment of a network of national and EU deputies that deal with justice and home affairs.
This proposal addresses the European Commission: it lacks "institutionalized regular exchange of information between national parliaments and the European Parliament". But she also misses one "Formal exchange of information between the European Parliament and Europol". In addition, Europol is intended to write a technical report for both the Council, as well as for the European Parliament. Parliament should also have the right to submit an exchange of views with the chairmanship and to load the Europol Director in front of the state-of-state committee. The common control instance, in which data protections wake up for the correct data processing, is intended to create a technical report, and submit it to Parliament.
So far, the two key questions of judicial control and financing were not discussed so far. In 2002 budget, Europol has a budget of almost 53 million euros, applied by the Member States. However, the two questions will be discussed only when Europol is actually, as required by France and Germany, should receive executive powers. ()