The heads of Frontex and Europol signed an agreement today to expand their cooperation in combatting cross-border criminal activities by exchanging information, including personal data of suspected criminals, and jointly planning operational activities.
“The new agreement represents a significant step forward in our cooperation, which is needed now more than ever as Europe grapples with various criminal activities linked to its external borders, along with the threat of terrorism,” said Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri.
Executive Director Leggeri and Europol Director Rob Wainwright signed the agreement during a ceremony in Brussels. Also taking part were Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos and President of the General Affairs Council, Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Jean Asselborn.
Under the new agreement, Frontex will be able to send personal data of suspected criminals to Europol. The transfer of personal data will be limited to information gathered by Member States during operations coordinated by Frontex about people suspected of being involved in cross-border criminal activities.
Frontex and Europol also agreed to cooperate in the planning and implementation of operational activities towards the common objective of preventing and combatting cross border criminal activities. The agencies will share strategic and operational information.
This agreement replaces the strategic cooperation agreement of 2008. The agencies contribute to each other’s projects, and in particular to each other’s risk/threat assessments and also exchange media monitoring reports and products on a regular basis.
Frontex and Europol, along with EASO and Eurojust, have jointly developed the concept of European Regional Task Force (EURTF) – a shared office where the representatives of these agencies work together to coordinate the EU assistance to the national authorities facing massive migratory pressure. They assist in the identification, registration and return as well as criminal investigations of people-smuggling networks which takes place either in the ports or in specific reception centres.
An EURTF office in Catania, Sicily, was opened in June 2015 and one in Piraeus, Greece, is expected to become operational in January 2016.