19 Mar 2018, 10:34
The second formal meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group, comprising national parliamentary representatives from all 28 European Union Member States, today, Monday 19 March, unanimously adopted the Rules of Procedure for the conduct of its business.
The JPSG was established to introduce joint EU-wide national parliamentary scrutiny and accountability over Europol, the European Agency for law enforcement co-operation.
The Irish Parliamentary delegation at the meeting in the Bulgarian capital Sofia were Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality Chairperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and Committee member Senator Martin Conway. Both Deputy Ó Caoláin and Senator Conway have participated in earlier EU Parliament-hosted preparatory meetings leading to today’s adoption of compromise rules of procedure for the future operation of the Scrutiny Group.
In a brief joint statement at the conclusion of the Sofia meeting, Deputy Ó Caoláin and Senator Conway, on behalf of the Irish Parliament, recorded a welcome for the progress made towards the establishment of a properly structured and functioning oversight of Europol inter-parliamentary group. Irish proposed amendments to the draft rules of procedure, first flagged by Deputy Ó Caoláin in Brussels in 2016 and progressed by Senator Conway at the first meeting of the JPSG last October, have been reflected within the compromise rules adopted earlier today.
Officially established in 1999, Europol’s primary responsibility is to effect co-operation between and across national police services in the prevention and combatting of cybercrime, drug trafficking and other serious cross-border crime as well as the threat from international terrorism.
Ends.
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