Schlagwort: Europol

Plans for more data exchange: EU agreement with Interpol delayed

So far, only EU states and Europol are allowed to access databases at Interpol, but soon Frontex and the new public prosecutor’s office will be allowed to do so as well. The EU Parliament has drawn red lines for the negotiations.

As an intergovernmental organisation, Interpol aims to facilitate international police cooperation in the field of terrorism and serious crime. With 195 member countries, it is the largest organisation of its kind in the world, run by the General Secretariat in Lyon, France. However, it is an informal, i.e. private association, because Interpol is not linked to any other international organisation.

Interpol already cooperates with law enforcement agencies of the European Union at various levels and in various projects, including „integrated border management“ in addition to the organisation’s actual areas of responsibility. This cooperation is now to be carried out under a new agreement. The EU Commission already presented a proposal for this in the spring of last year. However, the negotiations are at a standstill. „Plans for more data exchange: EU agreement with Interpol delayed“ weiterlesen

Terrorism, crime, migration: Nine EU agencies active because of Ukraine war

Most of the action is being taken by Europol and Frontex, which together have deployed around 280 staff to the region. Eurojust collects evidence against war crimes. The agency for the operation of large databases, on the other hand, plays a minor role.

At the end of March, the European Council called on its member states to better coordinate the reception of refugees from Ukraine. In addition to this ten-point plan and initial emergency financial aid of €668 million, the government in Kiev is being supported by individual member states in the security sector with military aid against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The EU is providing €2.5 billion for this purpose. On 25 July 2022, the European Investment Bank approved an additional €1.6 billion aid package for reconstruction.

Less well known is the support provided by EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) agencies, some of which are also carrying out extensive operations in Ukraine and neighbouring countries. As a „network of JHA agencies“, they published a joint statement with a „commitment to assist“ just two weeks after the war began. Some of them participate in the „Working Group on Integrated Political Crisis Response“, through which the EU aims to react on security incidents. A recently published overview describes the different activities. „Terrorism, crime, migration: Nine EU agencies active because of Ukraine war“ weiterlesen

Frontex and Europol: EU agencies with surveillance program

After secret data collection on migrants, Frontex hires 250 new officers to profile travelers

Europol, the Hague-based EU police agency, is tasked with investigating criminals and preventing imminent crimes. Europol can coordinate investigations if they involve two or more EU member states and stores information in its own databases to do so. For several years, the border agency Frontex has also been collecting data on persons suspected of committing cross-border crimes and forwarding it to Europol. The medium „Balkan Insights,“ „Spiegel“ and other international press reported on this last week after a joint investigation. However, Frontex, which was once established in Warsaw to monitor and control borders, does not have a sufficient mandate for this. „Frontex and Europol: EU agencies with surveillance program“ weiterlesen

New pre-authorization system: Profiling of passengers could also be banned for Frontex

Under the new ETIAS system, Frontex processes application forms from travelers from visa-free countries. The border agency is to develop an algorithm to determine their risk. A court ruling may have brought those plans crashing down.

On Tuesday, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) published a landmark decision on the EU’s passenger data system. Among numerous other violations of fundamental rights, the court in a preliminary ruling criticizes the use of „self-learning systems“ that search for anomalies in the mass data that is collected without any reason.

The automated pre-assessment of travelers is also criticized. According to the ECJ, the use of predictive selectors or algorithms must be ruled out in the warrantless screening of passengers. The ruling is thus also significant for the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), which is to use algorithms to profile all travelers from third countries. It is scheduled to go live in nine months. „New pre-authorization system: Profiling of passengers could also be banned for Frontex“ weiterlesen

Europol warning: Right-wingers equip themselves with 3D printed weapons

A radical right-winger has been arrested in Slovakia for using self-printed weapons and explosives. Investigators on the phenomenon met in The Hague three weeks ago.

Together with foreign police and intelligence services, officials in Slovakia have arrested a right-wing extremist who allegedly distributed instructions for 3D self-printing weapons and explosives. The man is described as dangerous and is currently in pre-trial detention awaiting further proceedings.

In addition to the Slovak police and criminal investigation department, the country’s military intelligence service was also involved in the investigation. Because the crimes involved cross-border organized crime, the Czech police cooperated as well.

Raids subsequently took place in Slovakia on May 11 and in the Czech Republic on May 23. In the process, law enforcement officials said they discovered a „sophisticated 3D printer“ and electronic devices that are currently under investigation. „Europol warning: Right-wingers equip themselves with 3D printed weapons“ weiterlesen

EU instead of EC: New directive facilitates cross-border data exchange

The 2006 „Swedish Initiative“ is being replaced by a new set of rules. This „Lisbonization“ of EU-wide information exchange comes with a uniform case management system and file format, and requires shorter deadlines for processing requests.

The European Union could soon adopt a new directive on information exchange between law enforcement agencies. The Commission had presented a proposal to this effect in December as part of its „Police Code“.

At the upcoming Council of Interior Ministers in Luxembourg on June 10, the member states want to decide their position vis-à-vis the Parliament. Then the so-called trilogue negotiations of the three EU legislative bodies can begin. „EU instead of EC: New directive facilitates cross-border data exchange“ weiterlesen

New regulation: Europol becomes the Big Data police

Following the decision of the EU interior ministers, the new Europol law will come into force in June. The police agency will thus receive new areas of responsibility and powers.

Comparatively quickly, EU member states and the Parliament have launched a new Europol regulation. Once set up to fight drug trafficking, the agency is being given even more powers. However, the agency in The Hague is still not a „European FBI“.

At the end of 2020, the Commission had presented its proposal for the new regulation; in May this year, the three EU decision-making bodies agreed on a final version. After the Parliament, the EU interior ministers also confirmed the final version last week. Now only the publication in the Official Journal is missing, then the new law will apply. „New regulation: Europol becomes the Big Data police“ weiterlesen

Traveller screening: Europol wants to collect data on Europeans crossing borders

Frontex and Europol want to create an indivdual file for all travellers and check it against various databases. The analysis is to be carried out with AI.

EU agencies Europol and Frontex are proposing to link different databases to improve the screening of business travellers and tourists. A profile is to be automatically created for every person who wants to cross an external European border. The information contained in this „traveller file“ would then be subject to risk analysis.

The proposal can be found in the final report of a „Future Group for Travel Intelligence and Border Management“, in which Europol and Frontex have joined forces with unspecified experts from police, secret services, border and customs authorities. The envisaged platform is called the European System for Traveller Surveillance (ESTS). „Traveller screening: Europol wants to collect data on Europeans crossing borders“ weiterlesen

„Action day“ on Soundcloud: Europol also removes right-wing extremist content

Currently, removal requests to hosting providers only have to be voluntarily complied with, but on 7 June, the regulation on mandatory removal of terrorist online content will come into force. It only applies to jihadist propaganda. The German government is only now introducing an implementation law.

Once again, Europol has held a „Referral Action Day“ on the removal of internet content. This time the focus was on the online music service Soundcloud. The EU police agency reported around 1,100 illegal audio files and user profiles with terrorist or extremist content to the provider.

The „Action Day“ covered the week between 5 and 13 May. The activities were led by the Counter-Terrorism Centre, which was set up at Europol by EU interior ministers in 2015. This is also where the Internet Content Reporting Unit (EU IRU) is located, which is responsible for detecting and reporting content. „„Action day“ on Soundcloud: Europol also removes right-wing extremist content“ weiterlesen

Encrypted communication: UK remains member of EU interception group

Despite Brexit, British police can influence surveillance laws in the EU. The country is also represented in European secret service circles.

Notwithstanding its exit from the European Union, the British police will remain a member of a Standing Heads of Lawful Interception Units based at Europol. The UK is represented there by the National Crime Agency. This was confirmed by the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, in her answer to a parlamentary question by the pirate Patrick Breyer. The UK is thus the only third country in the group, which otherwise consists exclusively of EU members and the Schengen states Norway, Switzerland and Iceland.

The working group of the departments on telecommunications surveillance had once been founded as a strategic „5G Expert Group“ on the initiative of the German Federal Criminal Police Office. It was supposed to give the authorities access to the new telephone standard, which was actually tap-proof. After this was successfully pushed through in the European and international standardisation bodies ETSI and 3GPP, the group was given a new name and new tasks in October 2021. It is now to ensure that the needs of law enforcement agencies are taken into account when amending surveillance laws at EU level and in the member states. „Encrypted communication: UK remains member of EU interception group“ weiterlesen