PURPOSE: To amend Council Decision 2003/170/JHA on the common use of liaison officers posted abroad by the law enforcement agencies of the Member States.
PROPOSED ACT : Council Decision
CONTENT: This proposal is being presented on the initiative of the United Kingdom. It is being done in light of an evaluation of the existing Council Decision, 2003/170/JHA, in relation to liaison officers posted abroad. (Please refer to procedure reference CNS/2002/0815). According to the evaluators’ report certain changes should be made to current practices relating to how Europol liaison officers are used as well as provisions pertaining to when meetings for liaison officers are held. Bearing in mind the evaluators’ recommendations, the current proposal suggests the following amendments be made to Council Decision 2003/170/JHA :
- a, ‘Europol liaison officer’, shall mean a Europol employee, posted abroad to one or more third countries or to an international organisations to support and co-ordinate the co-operation with the authorities in those countries or organisation by facilitating the exchange of information between them.
- the Decision should be without prejudice to Europol liaison officers’ tasks within the framework of the Europol Convention, nor between its implementing arrangements and co-operation agreements concluded between Europol and the third country or international organisation concerned.
- Member States may, at their own initiative, request such meetings - especially those Member States acting as a ‘lead nation’ for EU co-operation in a particular country or region.
- Member States may make a request to Europol to use Europol liaison officers seconded to third countries or international organisations, with a view to the exchange of relevant information. Requests should be addressed in accordance with the Europol Convention.
- Liaison officers seconded to third countries and international organisation must provide Member States any information they may have on serious threats and of any criminal offences relating to Europol’s remit. Any such information shall be communicated to the relevant authorities via national units and in accordance with the Europol Convention.
Lastly, this Decision will apply to Gibraltar.