Europol board complains of over-tasking

Date: 09/10/2003

MEMBER states are making requests to Europol which go beyond its agreed remit, the board overseeing the police agency's work has complained.

Rodolfo Ronconi, chairman of Europol's management board, raised the issue in a letter to the Council of Ministers' 'Article 36' committee, a working group on police and judicial cooperation.

He said: "On several occasions, Council working groups have asked Europol to carry out tasks originally not foreseen by its yearly work programmes and budgets.

"Any initiatives involving Europol in more areas should be regarded as proposals, without entailing any obligation for Europol until the Council confirms them."

Officials say the complaint was sparked by a Belgian proposal in June on giving Europol a greater role in the fight against terrorism. According to one diplomat, this "created conflict" because the suggestion came shortly after the latest Europol work programme and budget had been adopted. Europol's management board felt the agency could not carry out the tasks envisaged without changing the terms of reference and increasing the resources available to it (some €59 million for 2004).

But a Europol source said: "The concerns arose from repeated instances of the working groups asking Europol to undertake a specific task without the prior screening by and approval of the management board."

Tony Bunyan, the veteran civil liberties campaigner and editor of Statewatch, said this complaint is unprecedented.

"This is the kind of thing one would have expected to be raised informally, but obviously things have reached such a serious level that the board felt it was necessary to put their concerns in writing."