| Author (Person) | Cronin, David |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.9, No.29, 11.9.03, p4 |
| Publication Date | 11/09/2003 |
| Content Type | News |
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Date: 11/09/03 By David Cronin Europol, the Union's police agency, could be suffering from an "intelligence gap" that is hindering its ability to conduct its assigned tasks, according to a Council of Ministers' paper. Europol, the Union's police agency, could be suffering from an "intelligence gap" that is hindering its ability to conduct its assigned tasks, according to a Council of Ministers' paper. The report, drafted by the Council's multi-disciplinary group on organized crime (MDG), is based on an evaluation of how EU countries coordinate their work against drug trafficking. It finds that law enforcement agencies in the 15 member states "typically preferred tested bilateral forms of cooperation, while Europol was rarely included". This affects the agency's powers to undertake the work it is supposed to do under the Europol Convention, which lists tackling the illicit drugs trade as one of its activities. Typically, the MDG says, the reluctance to use Europol is "mostly attributed to a lack of information" about which services it can provide to national law enforcement authorities. The MDG argues that the preference for bilateral work "might give rise to the assumption that the agency is suffering from an intelligence gap" and says it is due to look into this matter further. The paper also notes concerns voiced by some EU countries, in particular France, about the proliferation of 'coffee shops', where the taking of drugs is tolerated by the authorities,in the Netherlands. Some member states believe the discrepancies between the drugs laws applying in different EU states is facilitating 'drug tourism' and thwarting the fight against traffickers. Another factor identified as an obstacle to fighting illegal drugs is the effects of telecommunications deregulation and the growth in mobile phone use. It says the fact that one (unnamed) EU country had opted for a particular technical standard of the mobile phones on its domestic market made it impossible for police to intercept calls made by drug dealers who used foreign mobiles on its territory. New EU-wide legislation on electronic surveillance of traffickers may be necessary, says the MDG. Furthermore, it says that dealers have been adept in exploiting the loopholes in some countries. For example, the way it is possible to buy pre-paid mobile phone cards without producing ID cards in some states means dealers can have several different phone numbers "making it very difficult for law enforcement services to track them down". A Council report has suggested that Europol may be missing out on important intelligence because of how EU countries co-ordinate their work against drug-trafficking. |
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| Subject Categories | Health, Justice and Home Affairs |
