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International investigative bureau in Vienna to combat “migrant smuggling”
On 4 May 2016, the Austrian Minister of the Interior Wolfgang Sobotka opened the “Joint Operational Office against Human Smuggling Networks” (JOO) in Vienna. In a statement, the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior stated that the institution was an… Further reading
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New Europol regulation due to enter into force from May 2017 – oversight is likely to remain superficial
On 1 May 2017, the new regulation on Europol will enter into force. The compromise agreed on in the framework of the trilogue procedure lays down new more detailed provisions on oversight of the activities of Europol by the European… Further reading
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New FRONTEX agency: satellite reconnaissance and drones over the Mediterranean
The EU is taking its maritime surveillance to a new level. The three agencies responsible for coastal and maritime surveillance are to be merged. 81 million euros has been earmarked for unmanned aerial vehicles alone, with hundreds of millions also… Further reading
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Europol to cooperate with new European intelligence service center
European intelligence services are establishing a “Counter Terrorism Centre” in the Dutch city The Hague. The centre belongs to the “Counter Terrorism Group” (CTG) that was founded by the so called Club of Berne in 2001. It consists of domestic… Further reading
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“Terrorist material” online: further successful removal requests by Europol
Europol’s Internet Referral Unit is more active than had previously been known. The partnership with the internet industry is now to be expanded further, with the aim of establishing a Joint Referral Platform for the police and private companies and… Further reading
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EU adds facial recognition capabilities to police databases
Last week, the European Commission published its proposal to recast the EURODAC Regulation, which includes plans for longer storage periods, an expansion of data categories and comparison capabilities, and mandatory fingerprinting and photographing. To date, EURODAC has been used for… Further reading