The negotiating teams of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached an agreement on Tuesday 15 March that allows Europol to issue alerts in the Schengen Information System (SIS) on third country nationals. Europol’s mandate had already been agreed in early February, but the issue of alerts still needed to be addressed (see EUROPE 12881/5).
The reform aims to strengthen Europol in the fight against organised crime and terrorism, the Parliament said in a statement. Europol will be able to suggest alerts on the basis of information received from third countries and international organisations. The Member States refused to allow Europol to enter alerts directly into the SIS.
The agreement reached provides for a new category of alerts in the SIS on third country nationals “in the interest of the Union” so that Europol and Member States can share more information on the movements of foreign terrorist fighters who are not EU citizens.
When transmitting a proposed alert, Europol would share with the Member State all the information it holds, unless it was obtained in clear violation of human rights, as requested by the Parliament. The Parliament has also ensured that Europol’s Data Protection Officer (DPO) is always informed of a proposed alert.
The agreement will have to be confirmed by the Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)