The "new" principal task for Europol to support Member States in connection with major international events. The blurring of boundaries between law enforcement and public order?

auteurs Alexandra De Moor
  Gert Vermeulen
tijdschrift Cahiers Politiestudies (ISSN: 1784-5300)
jaargang Jaargang 2010
aflevering 16. Policing in Europe
onderdeel Artikelen
publicatie datum 26 juli 2010
taal English
pagina 121
samenvatting

As from 1 January 2010 a new principal task for the European Police Office (Europol) is to provide intelligence and analytical support to Member States in connection with major international events. The first research question of this contribution is whether this new task, which was not as such provided for by the Europol Convention, qualifies as a true novelty. On the one hand, the Europol Council Decision merely gives a more profound legal basis to already existing practices. On the other hand, all options are open for the further development of Europol. The second research question is whether this seemingly information-related task would in fact not amount to a task of public order, which would then no longer be compatible with Europol’s objective. Although the actual Europol Council Decision does not explicitly mention public order policing, the new task would not exclude Europol from supporting national police action with a public order impact. This potential blurring of the boundaries
between law enforcement and order maintenance is not without risk.