EU: More powers for Europol: latest version of the Council's text
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Country/Region
21 May 2021
Discussions are underway to grant more powers to EU policing agency Europol, which would vastly expand the amount of data the agency could process, and the ways in which that data could be processed. Statewatch is publishing the latest version of the Council's preferred version of the text, drawn up following secret discussions between member state delegations in the Law Enforcement Working Party.
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UPDATE, 21 May 2021: This article was originally published on 10 May with the fifth revised version of the text (5388/5/21 REV, available below). It has now been updated with the sixth revised version.
See: Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Regulation (EU) 2016/794, as regards Europol’s cooperation with private parties, the processing of personal data by Europol in support of criminal investigations, and Europol’s role on research and innovation (Council document 5388/6/21 REV 6, LIMITE, 17 May 2021, pdf):
"Delegations will find in the Annex the sixth revised version of the text of the Commission proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2016/794 (Europol Regulation).
During the informal videoconference of the members of the Law Enforcement Working Party
on 18 May 2021, delegations will examine thematic blocs 1,2,3,5,6 and 7."
See: Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Regulation (EU) 2016/794, as regards Europol’s cooperation with private parties, the processing of personal data by Europol in support of criminal investigations, and Europol’s role on research and innovation (Council document 5388/5/21 REV 5, LIMITE, 6 May 2021, pdf)
"Delegations will find in the Annex the fifth revised version of the text of the Commission proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2016/794 (Europol Regulation).
During the informal videoconference of the members of the Law Enforcement Working Party
on 7 May 2021, delegations will examine thematic blocs 1,3,5 and 6[1] under point 5.1 of the agenda, as set out in CM 3042/21. Under point 5.2 of the agenda, Europol will provide a presentation on possible use-cases for thematic bloc 2 (big data), followed by a discussion.
For working purposes, delegations may also refer to WK 757 2021 REV 5 containing a document consolidating the proposed amendment to the Europol Regulation with the text of the Europol Regulation, as currently in force[2], with the same changes as those introduced in this document.
[1] Please refer to 5397/21 to identify the exact provisions concerned.
[2] However, WK 757 2021 is of a purely working character, and while changes agreed in the LEWP are introduced in its successive revisions, delegations should always refer to the present document (5388/21) or its revised versions regarding the evolution of the Council's position."
Further reading
- EU: More powers for Europol: what does your government think?
- "Artificial intelligence" could be used to screen and profile travellers to the EU
- Widening the net: massive expansion of Europol’s data-gathering powers proposed
- Big data experiments: new powers for Europol risk reinforcing police bias
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