29/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - Ireland has not managed to break the deadlock on the selection of a successor to the German Jürgen Storbeck at the head of Europol before the end of its six months' presidency of the Council of the EU, Reuters reports. The Irish Presidency had hoped to reach a solution by 28 June, when Jürgen Storbeck's mandate runs out, but in the absence of an agreement, Mariano Simancas, his first vice-president, will step into the breach. Jürgen Storbeck, with Germany's support, had applied for re-nomination, and France put forward Jacques Franquet, the director of the international and technical police co-operation service (SCITP), and Italy, Emanuele Marotta, former Europol deputy director. The European Police Office was set up in 1999. A report presented to the recent Justice and Home Affairs Council by the anti-terrorist co-ordinator Gijs de Vries acknowledges that the Member States do not all have the same concept of the role Europol should play. Countries such as Germany would like to see a greater role for Europol, but others oppose this (see EUROPE of 8 June, p.11, and of 9 June, p.10).