U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Freedom, Security, Justice: A Guide to Europol

NCJ Number
207229
Date Published
2004
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This handbook describes the objectives and key concerns of Europol, established by the European Union to provide international law enforcement intelligence.
Abstract
As the world continues to become smaller through technological advances and greater freedom of movement, transnational criminal groups have flourished. Recognizing the need for international law enforcement intelligence, the European Union established Europol, which began full activities in 1999, to combat serious organized, transnational crime, including drug trafficking, terrorism, illegal immigration and human trafficking, cyber crime, financial crime and counterfeiting, and stolen vehicle syndicates. The main objectives of Europol are to facilitate the international exchange of crime data, provide crime analysis based on intelligence provided by member states, and to provide expertise and technical support for investigations by law enforcement of member states. Based in The Hague, Netherlands, Europol works under the strategic governance of the Justice and Home Affairs Council within the legal authority of the Maastricht Treaty. Europol has no executive authority, all arrests and actions are carried out by law enforcement agencies of the countries concerned. The various services provided by Europol are enumerated and include intelligence analysis, development and research, law enforcement liaison, and technological assistance.