POLITICAL AGREEMENT ON ENHANCED EUROPOL MANDATE
On 1 February, the European Parliament and the Council Presidency reached a political agreement on the reinforced mandate for Europol, the European Union's law enforcement cooperation agency.
Under this strengthened mandate, Europol shall be able to increase its support to Member States in the fight against serious crime and terrorism and against emerging security threats. Europol shall be able to cooperate effectively with private entities or persons. The updated provisions also set out clear rules for the processing of large and complex data sets, and allow the Agency to develop new technologies that meet the needs of law enforcement. These changes are accompanied by a strengthening of the data protection framework as well as parliamentary oversight and accountability.
The Regulation must now be formally adopted by the European Parliament and the Council.
Source: Council of the EU