Brussels, 03/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - During an orientation debate organised on Monday 3 March in Brussels, EU ministers responsible for home affairs reaffirmed their opposition to combining the European police cooperation agency, Europol, with the CEPOL police college. The Council has by his action categorically refused the merger proposal put forward in March 2013 by the services of the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Cecilia Malmström. EU Home Affairs Ministers also called on the European Commission to join them in reviewing a new legislative proposal specifically focusing on the police College and its new prerogatives.
During the debate, Commissioner Cecilia Malmström expressed her disappointment and explained that the Commission thought that they should bring the two agencies together in The Hague (where Europol is based) but keep the services separate. This compromise, proposed by the Commission, was not backed by the member states either. The Swedish Commissioner said that this rejection did, however, create a number of questions on the matter, and that it causes a problem because the cost of setting up CEPOL again was not included in the budget and it will therefore have to be seen how the host country (Hungary) will be able to do it.
The initial proposal for merging the two agencies was justified from a budgetary point of view but member states said that they were ultimately afraid of both Europol and CEPOL becoming weaker as a result. The United Kingdom opposed the merger and reiterated its position on Monday when it said that it was sceptical about the need for a new proposal on CEPOL. The British minister, Theresa May, warned against further professionalization of the police imposed at a European level and said that this work was up to the police itself.
Ireland said it had been reassured that Europol and CEPOL would be kept as two distinct agencies and announced its intention to participate in CEPOL activities. This agency will therefore be definitely based in Budapest. The European Parliament had been divided on the question but supported this move recently. The Council had already agreed to the agency being based there in 2013. On Monday, Hungary promised to earmark all the necessary resources for this by 31 August in an effort to ensure that the centre, currently based at Bramshill in the United Kingdom (evicted from its offices by the British government, which wants to sell them off) can be relocated.
During their debate, ministers also confirmed the new Europol requirements, particularly those regarding data protection and relations with third countries. Europol will subsequently not be able to autonomously negotiate partnerships with third countries and will require a prior Council mandate, explained the Greek presidency of the Council. An agreement on a general approach on this dossier is being sought for June. Trilogues (the Council, the Parliament and the Commission) will begin under the Italian presidency as from 1 July 2014. (SP)