Improving police cooperation among EU countries in crisis situations

MEPs adopted a report giving their strong support to an Austrian initiative to improve cooperation between the special police intervention units of EU countries in crisis situations. The report gives its non-binding approval to the Council initiative and proposes few amendments to clarify concepts such as what is a "crisis situation" or how can Member States cooperate. The report was adopted with 558 votes in favour, 56 against and 10 abstentions.

The Austrian initiative is a complement to the so-called "Prüm Decision", adopted by all Member States last summer (2007) to ensure that precise personal information --including for the first time DNA and fingerprints data -- may be exchanged swiftly and efficiently by national law enforcement officers to help combating terrorism and cross-border crime, including illegal immigration. The Prüm Decision included other forms of stepping up border police cooperation, such as "joint police operations", for which it is necessary to refer to what Member States' law permits. Police officers involved in a joint operation in another Member State's territory will carry their usual service weapons and wear their own national uniforms with a distinctive sign and an accreditation document.
 
In both cases (joint police operations and actions by the special intervention units), it should be the host Member State who will assume responsibility for the measures taken by the officers crossing the border, stressed the report drafted by Armando FRANÇA (PES, PT).
 
The European Parliament  underlines that nothing in this Decision should be construed as permitting the application of these rules governing cooperation among the law enforcement agencies of the Member States to relations with the respective agencies of third countries.  The purpose of this amendment is the introduction of an express material safeguard against the unauthorised expansion of these simplified rules for cooperation, to the interactions with the agencies of third countries, which might not be operating under similar standards of accountability and democratic control to those existing in the EU Member States - a situation that might result in unwarranted jeopardizing of European citizens' vital interests.