Euro pole or European police station is the European police authority with seat into the Hague. It is to coordinate the work of the national police authorities of Europe in the range of the transnational organized criminality (OK ONE) and to promote information exchange between the national police authorities. The basic idea of euro pole is the unification of bi and multilateral conventions such as TREVI (frz.: Terrorisme, Radicalisme, Extremisme et Violence international one), Schengener convention and the EDU (European Drug unit). Work areas are among other things the counterterrorism, the fight and prevention of the illegal arms traffic, the drug trade, the child pornography and the money laundering.

The creation of a European police station was already fixed 1992 in the contract by Maastricht. But only 1999 were euro pole fully able to work. First director was the German lawyer Storbeck. Since 16 April 2005 is occupied the place by the former Federal Bureau of Criminal Investigations department department of max Peter Ratzel.

Euro pole is an independent mechanism of the European union, which belongs to the range of police and justiziellen co-operation in criminal actions. The official working languages the euro pole are the office languages of the European Union.

The binding to the national prosecution authorities takes place via a connecting official (so-called "ELOS" - Europol Liaision Officers). Over these connecting officials serving and legal supervision are exercised by respective the Ministers of the Interior and law of the member states.

Organization

Goals, tasks and financing

The goals of euro pole are formulated in the euro pole convention in article 2. They consist essentially of improving "the efficiency of the responsible authorities of the member states and their co-operation regarding preventing and the fight of the terrorism, the illegal drug trade and other serious forms of the international criminality" (see: Bricklayer, Andreas: Euro pole. In: Pasture field, Werner; Wessels, Wolfgang (Hrsg.): Europe from A to Z.: P. 207)

The tasks of the article 3 resulting from it are summarized:

• Easement of information exchange between the member states
• Processing and analysis of information
• Instruction of the member states
• Support of the member states
• Maintenance of the necessary information infrastructure

Since 2002 are euro pole authorized to take part in common groups of determinations of the member states and can individual member states request to take up determinations. Euro pole is financed by the member states, which contribution determined on the basis the gross national product. 2001 amounted to the budget 35.4, 2003 58.8 million euro.

Organs

The board of directors consists of one representative each per member state, which has a voice. It meets at least twice annually, the presidency regulation orients itself at the European Union. The tasks cover all decisions, which lie outside of the technical field of the police station. "Resolutions usually come off with two-thirds majority. " (Bricklayers: P. 208; vgl article 28: Point 1,7 & 1.21

The director is a legal representative of euro pole. He is appointed by the advice of the European union. Its field covers those the fulfilment the euro pole transferred tasks, the current administration, the Personalverwaltung and assigned tasks.

The finance director is determined by the board of directors and accomplishes control of the expenditures and incomes. The budget committee has purely advising function within the range of the household. The national places and connecting official are not organs. This is at the dispatching of the costs and because of the emphasis of the national sovereignty.

History

First impulses

There are first impulses for the creation of a European police station to the 1970er year, decisive for it was the points of criticism to the interpole and the main use by European members, on which it came to the establishment of the TREVI group by the Ministers of Justice/interior of the EEC states. This was the beginning of "co-operation in the context of internal security and concomitantly for police co-operation" (Oberleitner: P. 99). Co-operation took place however not within the EEC but only between the individual governments.

New impulses

The planned abolishment of the Binnengrenzkontrollen during the development of the Schengener of contract is considered as crucial impulse to the resumption of the efforts. However the question arises whether it itself here not rather around a political argument, when around a fact acts. The lawyer bold one states that there were effective border controls for Germany already before Schengen hardly more. (Bold one, Hans Heiner: The fight against international criminality and against drug dependence as common interest of the union states. In: Mueller Graff, Peter Christian (Hrsg.): European co-operation within the ranges law and inside: P. 90-91)

Therefore it is amazing that straight Germany brought in 1991 in the European advice the suggestion to establish a European Kriminalpolizeiliche central office. End the same yearly in Maastricht the suggestion one accepted. In order to use the period up to the development and ratification of the euro pole convention, 1994 the EDU (European Drug unit) was furnished. This should fight drug criminality and the associated money laundering, 1995 took place the expansion of the criminality ranges.

Emergence of the euro pole convention and the first years

Under the member states agreement existed over the fact that as legal basis for euro pole only an according to international law binding contract (convention) could be applicable. In July 1994 by Germany a convention draft was submitted, which served as basis for negotiations. About one year after was signed the convention of the European Union member states. Insisting all member states on the acknowledgment of the European Court of Justice as last instance for the interpretation of the euro pole convention, and the refusal of Great Britain to accept this led to an almost one year's delay during the development process. Because "[e] ine solution of this problem was [...] for most member states like also for the European parliament an indispensable condition, around the convention to ratify to be able" (Oberleitner: P. 106-107). Great Britain was granted 1996 a door clause (Opting Out). Thus the ratification of the convention could be accomplished, which was locked 1998. On 1 July 1999 euro pole could take up the activities in its entirety. 2001 came it to the signing of a co-operation contract and a common initiative against counterfeit money with interpole. With the United States of America 2001 a co-operation agreement are locked, which plans a strategic and technical co-operation. 2002 follow an agreement on operational level, which permits the exchange of personal data.

Euro pole vs. interpole

The thing in common of interpole and euro pole is recognizable in the organization and in the Statuten/im convention. In particular the organs exhibit strong similarities, equally the data security is regulated by two places, which are independent of the organizations. In contrast to the interpole statutes, which are free from data protection regulations, the euro pole convention consists to the majority of data security regulations.

Even if no competition between interpole and euro pole exists, nevertheless euro pole represents an increased and more efficient, although regionally more limited form of interpole and is thus also the attempt to react to the lack of interpole. And its forerunners developed for euro pole not only from the criticism at interpole, but also as consequence of the European integration. With the increasing European integration one can assume that the individual national centrals office are replaced by euro pole.

Articles in category "Euro pole"

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