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ENCOUNTER

           An encounter with
           Rob WAINWRIGHT,
           EUROPOL Director

ENCOUNTER  The procedures for access to EUROPOL's The challenges are significant as shown in             Rob WAINWRIGHT, EUROPOL Director, with the two
           new headquarters on Eisenhowerlaan are EUROPOL strategy 2010-20142.                                 deputy presidents of EUROPA, Anne-AZAM

                                                                                                           PRADEILLES and Graham GARBUTT, The Hague,

           both classic and rigorous - adding to the                                                     24 October 2012 - (Photo AAP/GB)

           somewhat cosmopolitan and welcoming             Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) is an area     The provisions applied to EUROPOL give it
           attitude of a European Union agency. The        still largely dominated by the principle of   a broader mission without coercive powers
           doors open upon discreet palm verification      subsidiarity - which can cause difficulties,  on member states. The agency must use its
           - iris recognition has been ruled out for       particularly for cross-border management.     powers of persuasion and must rely on the
           reasons of hygiene. The simple architecture                                                   quality of work to convince. The 20% annual
           of the building combined with very modern       The different rules on evidence, for          increase of activities is certainly an
           furniture confirms this shift away from         example, in respect of telephone              indicator of success, but in a context of
           high-level security stereotypes.                interceptions complicate joint actions.       severe budget constraints, the agency must
                                                           Meanwhile, criminal and terrorist threats     above all remain confined to its role and
           The Director of EUROPOL welcomes the two        are increasing and are changing.              avoid duplicating national agencies.
           deputy presidents of EUROPA in a modern         International mafia organizations, in a vein

           office with large windows and hardly visible similar multinationals, generate a 'turnover'
           folders. Rob Wainwright, appointed in April estimated at EUR 170 billion or more. And This effort is particularly necessary to
           2009 upon the transformation of EUROPOL the sector is fragmented into 'small and optimise relations with EUROJUST and
           into an agency1, is British, born in Wales in medium-sized businesses' that can emerge, INTERPOL. INTERPOL has a global scope
           1967. Having earned a degree in grow and disappear. Smaller mobile groups, and is present in 190 countries, compared
           international business studies at the London often violent and performing a wide range to EUROPOL's thirty. The work of the two
           School of Economics, he joined the MI5 of criminal activities, may emerge in agencies is complementary. INTERPOL
           intelligence agency. Specialised in organised different countries and be very difficult to relies on a vast network and EUROPOL
                                                                                                         focuses on more in-depth work, particularly
           crime, he was the head of the UK Liaison identify, penetrate and dismantle.
                                                                                                         in terms of high-level security protocols.
4 Bureau at EUROPOL, and later he was at
           the lead of of the International Department EUROPOL's mission is to improve such
           of the Serious Organised Crime Agency. The situations and not to intervene directly. The The single information system SIENA3,
           appointment of Rob Wainwright was agency provides basic services, including shared by all EUROPOL members , provides
           consensual - thanks to his professional its intelligence resources, and makes secure access. In France, for example, 1000
           experience and the strong support of his efforts to converge procedures. This terminals are connected to the system,
           country, even if it was still possible that an synergy is based on networking based on without relying on an Internet connection.

           excellent candidate could emerge from the       trust between partners. But the EUROPOL       EUROPOL and EUROJUST, established in
           new member states.                              personnel tend to favour established          2002, signed a cooperation agreement in
                                                           contacts and connections without always       2004 and have established joint teams since
           The challenges for EUROPOL:                     tapping all agency resources. Building a      2007.
           crime without borders,                          broader context of trust is therefore a
           subsidiarity and partnership                    precondition for success.

           Organised crime and terrorism know no           Moreover, culture limiting the transmission
           borders. Countries cannot fight against         of information to only those 'having to
           them on their own. EUROPOL's mission is         know' hampers wider dissemination. Thus,
           to provide that support and promote a           critical information may not be incorporated
           culture of international cooperation in the     into the database and local crime prevention
           field of security. The director's mission is    may miss out on activities and criminal
           to make this joint work of states operational.  networks operating on a larger scale.

           (1) Council Decision of 6 April 2009 establishing the European Police Office (Europol),
               https://www.europol.europa.eu/sites/default/files/council_decision.pdf

           (2) https://www.europol.europa.eu/sites/default/files/publications/europol_strategy_2010-2014_brochure.pdf
           (3) Secure Information Exchange Network Application
           (4) See some dates and figures in the box.

                https://www.europol.europa.eu/sites/default/files/publications/anniversary-publication.pdf
           (5) In French in the English interview.

           EUROPEAN REVIEW ON PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
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