Commission strengthens Europol to step up the fight against cross-border crime and terrorism

On 24 June, the Commission proposed new measures to strengthen the EU's response to an evolving criminal landscape. Crime is becoming more sophisticated, international and digital. To tackle serious crime effectively, police, customs, prosecutors and courts need to work closely together from the start of an investigation to the final court judgment.

New proposals cover the full chain of EU support to Member States, from prevention, detection and investigation to judicial cooperation and effective prosecution. The package includes two regulations to strengthen the mandates of Europol and Eurojust, a revision of the European Investigation Order, and amendments to the Data Protection Regulation for Union institutions and bodies.

Europol: Fighting crime across borders

As the EU's centre for law enforcement cooperation, Europol helps Member States connect information, expertise and investigations which is crucial in investigating cross-border cases as national authorities don't have the full picture of today's criminal threats.

h the new rules, Europol will better support Member States with:

1. More efficient and secure information exchange: Automated and faster information sharing will enable real-time collaboration on investigations. Europol will establish a secure, scalable and sovereign cloud infrastructure, and a Police Shared Data Space which allows investigators to work remotely on common cases.
2. Stronger operational support for Member States: Europol Support Offices will be set up in Member States and staffed by Europol officers wworking closely with national authorities. This will ensure better use of Europol support and tools, like in forensics and data analysis and by facilitating access to Europol's systems.
3. A technology and innovation hub, providing for the first time an EU-wide picture of capability needs for law enforcement. It will also support Member States' investment in joint research and development. This will help Member States invest together in critical technologies and ensure access to advanced capabilities. The tools will be available via the European Police Shared Data Space directly to Member States' law enforcement authorities.
4. Stronger cooperation with EU agencies and bodies (notably with Eurojust and the European Public Prosecutor's Office).
5. Reinforced international cooperation with partner countries to tackle global cross-border crime.

By automating processes and pooling common resources, these proposed measures will simplify workflows, reduce the administrative burden for Member States, and result in administrative savings and efficiency gains for the Agency and for Member States.

Find out more

• Press release

• Questions and answers
• Factsheet - Europol
• ProtectEU Internal Security Strategy

• Cooperation with Europol