On Wednesday 30 October the European Commission recommended to the EU Council that it should be given a mandate to negotiate the exchange of personal data between the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and New Zealand, with a view to combating serious crime and terrorism.
After having already started such negotiations with eight other countries in North Africa and the Middle East, the Commission considers that it is time to do so with Wellington, especially after the Christchurch attack, which made this cooperation even more pressing (see EUROPE 12256/36).
A 2016 regulation allows Europol to exchange data with third countries or organisations in the context of its tasks.
A prior working agreement was already signed in April 2019 between Europol and the New Zealand Police: a secure hotline has been established between the two partners and New Zealand has a liaison officer at Europol, the Commission states in its draft mandate.
Cooperation will focus on terrorism, cybercrime, drugs and motorcycle gangs.
Data protection provisions are covered in New Zealand by the Privacy Act of 1993, amended in 2010.
See the proposal for an EU Council decision: https://bit.ly/2N32xcJ (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)