Brussels, 12/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström called on British Prime Minister David Cameron to reconsider the consequences of the United Kingdom's potential exit from certain European policies - particularly those relating to police and judicial cooperation, on which London is due to give a decision by June 2014. On Friday 12 April, Cameron began a “German” weekend with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with whom he will discuss his desire to reform the European Union before the referendum that he plans to organise on the issue in 2017, and British Home Secretary Theresa May has already told her counterparts on several occasions that the UK wants an opt-out on home affairs and justice, and that, if necessary, the UK will notify the European Commission by the beginning of 2014, as provided for by the Treaty. London believes that certain policies are inefficient, such as the European arrest warrant, which is criticised in that it is apparently imbalanced and in one direction only. “There are a lot more suspected criminals who are extradited from Great Britain than suspected criminals who are arrested and sent to the United Kingdom to be put on trial”, May said last October.
Malmström wrote on her blog, however, that in her view it would be a great loss for London as far as the fight against cross-border crime and cooperation under Europol is concerned. Visiting London on Thursday to take part in a conference, Malmström stressed the role of Europol - which is directed by a Briton, she noted - and its action on credit card fraud, online fraud, the fight against cyber-paedophiles and drugs trafficking.
Malmström also reiterated that Europol “is not a federal police force and has no competence on national police forces. Europol is there to help EU member states in the fight against serious crime and to facilitate the exchange of information between national authorities”. In Malmström's view, Europol has proved its worth with the United Kingdom in preventing it from having its economy penetrated by criminals, she blogged.
“And this is only one example” of the importance for the UK of continuing with European cooperation in the area of home affairs. Just before Easter, Malmström highlighted, Europol's new centre against cyber-crime, the EC3 centre, dismantled a European group specialising in credit card fraud. Forty-four people were arrested in countries from Romania to the UK. Examples such as these should give food for thought to British politicians and electors, Malmström said. (SP/transl.fl)